GIS and Remote Sensing in Hydrology, Water Resources and Environment (Proceedings of ICGRHWE held at the Three Gorges Dam, China, September 2003). IAHS Publ. 289, 2004, 285-292

Abstract This paper presents a summary of chemical and biological monitoring in the Danube River basin. Water quality includes both pollutant concentration and load, and therefore is tightly linked to water quantity (hydrology). Diffuse sources of pollution, sediment contamination, and concentrations of sub-lethal toxic and hormone-active substances are of utmost importance to biota. Hydrological discharge and flow regime are crucial for flood plain ecology. The morphological paradigm includes habitat structure and biodiversity as key elements in the integrity of riverine ecosystems that must be integrated into river basin management strategies towards sustainable development. While the Upper Danube River is of good to medium quality, the Middle and Lower Danube are in a critical condition due to heavily polluted tributaries. There is still considerable potential for flood plain conservation and restoration in the Lower Danube.

Key words Danube River; hydrology; integrated water protection; monitoring; morphology; saprobic system; toxicants