Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T09:43:06.099Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Environmental Security for the Danube Basin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

Arthur H. Westing
Arthur H. Westing
Affiliation:
Senior Research Fellow, International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, Fuglehauggata 11, N-0260 Oslo 2, Norway, also Adjunct Professor of Ecology, Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

This paper examines the level of environmental security in the Danube River drainage basin: an ecogeographical region covering 800 thousand square kilometres, supporting some 86 million inhabitants, and occupying greater or lesser portions of 12 nations—especially of the 8 riparian nations. The waters of the basin are important, if not indispensable, to the basin inhabitants for various purposes, among them: household, municipal, agricultural, industrial, waste disposal, transportation, power generation, fishing, and aesthetic.

Despite a flow at the mouth of some 6,500 cubic metres per second, the Danube basin waters do not suffice for all of these diverse and sometimes conflicting demands that are placed upon them, this paper outlines the resulting environmental problems—especially those associated with Danubian pollution, habitat disruption, and the generation of hydropower. It refers to the existing legal instruments that address environmental vandalism (especially in time of war), pollution (of both air and water), habitat disruption, and resource utilization (both non-extractive and extractive), noting their levels of acceptance and their lacunae.

Type
Main Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 16 , Issue 4 , Winter 1989 , pp. 323 - 329
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Behar, N. (1989). Ökologische Sicherheit und die Donau: zur Suche nach regionalen Lösungen für Umweltschutzprobleme. [In German: Ecological security and the Danube: towards a search for regional solutions to environmental protection problems.] Wissenschafiliche Welt [E. Berlin], 33(2), pp. 20–3.Google Scholar
Benedek, P. & László, F. (1980). Large international river: the Danube. Water Science & Technology [London], 13(3), pp. 61–76.Google Scholar
Breu, J. (Ed.) (1970–1989). Atlas of the Danubian Countries. Österreichisches Ost- und Südost-Europa Institut, Vienna, Austria: 50 maps, 68 × 95.5 cm, 1:2 000 000.Google Scholar
Busnita, T. (1967). Wirtschafliche Bedeutung der Donau: die Fisherei und Fischwirtschaft. [In German: Economic importance of the Danube: fishery and fishery economy.] Pp. 26–41 & 118 in Liepolt, vol. IV (q.v.).Google Scholar
Caldwell, L.K. (1970). The ecosystem as a criterion for public land policy. Natural Resources Journal [Albuquerque], 10, pp. 203–21.Google Scholar
CIA (1987). World Factbook, 7th edn.US Central Intelligence Agency, McLean, Virginia, USA: xiv + 290 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Csepel, A. (1984). Hungary goes cold on project to divert the Danube. New Scientist [London], 104(1434), p. 9.Google Scholar
Dosztányi, I. (Ed.) (1988). Environment and River Dams: Gabcikovo-Nagymaros. Aqua Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary: 40 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Fekete, G. (1967). Wirtschaftliche Bedeutung der Donau: Schiffahrt [in German: Economic importance of the Danube: navigation.] Pp. 49–59 and 119 in Liepolt, vol. IV (q.v.).Google Scholar
Fossi, C., Focardi, S., Leonzio, C. & Renzoni, A. (1984). Trace-metals and chlorinated hydrocarbons in birds' eggs from the delta of the Danube. Environmental Conservation, 11(4), pp. 345–50, map.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallik, D. (Ed.) (1987). World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers. US Arms Control & Disarmament Agency. Washington, DC, Publication No. 128: v+ 147 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Glenny, M. (1987). Political waltz on the Danube takes an ugly turn. New Scientist [London], 114(1558), pp. 32–3.Google Scholar
Glenny, M. (1988). Hungarian greens with the Danube blues. New Scientist [London], 119(1626), pp. 28–9.Google Scholar
Gorove, S. (1964). Law and Politics of the Danube: an Interdisciplinary Study. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands: 171 pp. + 1 map.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grimmett, R. & Mainland, E. (1988). Danube delta. World Bird-watch [Cambridge, England], 10(2), pp. 8–9.Google Scholar
Hardin, G. (1985). Filters Against Folly: How to Survive Despite Economists, Ecologists, and the Merely Eloquent. Viking Penguin, New York, NY, USA: x + 240 pp.Google Scholar
IAEA (1988). Nuclear Power Reactors in the World, 8th edn. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, Reference Data Series No. 2, 68 pp.Google Scholar
IUCN (1985). 1985 United Nations List of National Parks and Protected Areas. Gland, Switzerland: International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources, 174 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
‘Keesing’ (1955–1956). Austria. Keesing's Contemporary Archives [London], 10, pp. 14, 193–8.Google Scholar
Kiss, A.C. (Ed.) (1983). Selected Multilateral Treaties in the Field of the Environment. UN Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya: ix + 525 pp.Google Scholar
Lessner, E. & Lessner, A.M.L. (1961). The Danube: the Dramatic History of the Great River and the People Touched by Its Flow. Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, USA: 529 pp.Google Scholar
Liepolt, R. (Ed.) (1965–1967). Limnologie der Donau [Limnology of the Danube]. E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, F.R. Germany: 4 vols (respectively 57 + 119 + 326 + 146 pp. + 2 + 12 + 3 + 3 pl.).Google Scholar
Magris, C. (1989). Danube (transl. from the Italian by P. Creagh). Collins Harvill, London, England, UK: 416 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
New Scientist (1988). Hungary votes to build and be damned. New Scientist [London], 120 (1,634), p. 24.Google Scholar
New Scientist (1989). Hungary loses its appetite for dam project. New Scientist [London], 122 (1,666), p. 35.Google Scholar
Ottendorfer, L.J. (1984). River quality assessment and monitoring of the Danube: an example of international cooperation. Water Science & Technology [London], 16(5–7), pp. 13–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perczel, K. & Libik, G. (1989). Environmental effects of the dam system on the Danube at Bös-Nagymaros. Ambio [Stockholm], 18, pp. 247–9.Google Scholar
Pfeiffer, G. et al. (1982). Comprehensive Study on Confidence-building Measures. UN General Assembly, Center for Disarmament, New York, Disarmament Study Series No. 7 (A/36/474), vii + 42 pp.Google Scholar
Rich, V. (1989). Danube neighbour's travails. Nature [London], 341, p. 377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rudescu, L. (1967). Donaudelta [in German: Danube delta]. In Liepolt (1965–1967), Vol. III, pp. 295–315 + 2 pis, Vol. IV, pp. 114–5.Google Scholar
Sharman, T. (1983). Canal on the Danube. Geographical Magazine [London], 55, pp. 317–21.Google Scholar
Stancik, A., Jovanovic, S., Sikora, A., Ürge, L. & Miklós, D. (1988). Danube: Hydrology of the River. Príroda, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia: 271 pp., illustr.+ 4 maps.Google Scholar
Thant, (1963). Legal Problems Relating to the Utilization of International Rivers. UN General Assembly, New York, NY, USA: Document No. A/5409. Reprinted in: International Law Commission Yearbook, New York, NY, USA, 1974(2[2]), pp. 33–264.Google Scholar
Trybek, L. (Ed.) (1987). Basic Documents for Multilateral International Co-operation on the Danube and Tisza Rivers. National Water Authority of Hungary, Budapest, Hungary: 85 PP.Google Scholar
Vallentyne, J.R. & Beeton, A.M. (1988). The ‘Ecosystem’ approach to managing human uses and abuses of natural resources in the Great Lakes basin. Environmental Conservation, 15(1), pp. 58–62, fig.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wadlow, R. (1988). Bioregions and transnational zones. Transnational Perspectives [Geneva], 14(2), pp. 6–8.Google Scholar
Waldheim, K. (1974). Legal Problems Relating to Non-navigational Uses of International Rivers. UN General Assembly, New York, NY, USA: Document No. A/CN.4/274. Reprinted in: International Law Commission Yearbook. New York, 1974(2[2]), pp. 265–366.Google Scholar
Westing, A.H. (1986). Expanded concept of international security. Pp. 183–200 in Global Resources and International Conflict: Environmental Factors in Strategic Policy and Action (Ed. Westing, A.H.). Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, UK: xii + 280 pp.Google Scholar
Westing, A.H. (1988 a). Constraints on military disruption of the biosphere: an overview. Pp. 1–17 in Westing, A.H. (1988 b), (q.v.).Google Scholar
Westing, A.H. (Ed.) (1988 b). Cultural Norms, War and the Environment. Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, UK: xiv + 177 pp.Google Scholar
Westing, A.H. (1988 c). Multilateral treaties constraining military disruption of the environment: excerpts. Pp. 163–8 in Westing A.H. (1988 b), (q.v.).Google Scholar
Westing, A.H. (1988 d). Towards non-violent conflict resolution and environmental protection: a synthesis. Pp. 151–9 in Westing, A.H. (1988 b), (q.v.).Google Scholar
Westing, A.H. (1989 a). Environmental Approaches to Regional Security. Pp. 1–14 in Comprehensive Security for the Baltic: an Environmental Approach. Sage Publications, London, England, UK: xii + 148 pp.Google Scholar
Westing, A.H. (1989 b). Environmental component of comprehensive security. Bulletin of Peace Proposals [Oslo] 20, pp. 129–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willot, A. et al. (1981). Study on All Aspects of Regional Disarmament. UN General Assembly, Center for Disarmament, New York, Disarmament Study Series No. 3 (A/35/416), vii + 59pp.Google Scholar