Hydrology experts extended the Code orange and Code yellow advisories for the occurrence of flash floods on the Danube until March 15 and March 19, 2010 at 2:00 p.m., respectively.
The National Hydrology and Water Management Institute (INGHA) announced on Friday that the Code orange for the Danube stays in effect between March 12 – 15, 2010 for the river sector between Harsova and Braila, the Constanta and Braila counties (southeastern Romania); the Code yellow advisory also stays in effect over March 12 – 16, 2010 for the Bechet-Cernavoda (Romania south-east) and Galati-Tulcea (eastern Romania) sectors, in the southern counties of Dolj, Olt, Teleorman, Calarasi, Giurgiu, Ialomita and in the counties of Constanta, Galati and Tulcea.
INHGA also issued a Code yellow Danube excessive flow advisory for the interval March 17 – 19, until 2:00 p.m., along the Cernavoda-Tulcea sector and for Fetesti, for the Constanta, Braila, Galati, Tulcea and Ialomita counties.
The hydrological flood advisory refers to the propagation of the previously formed flow peak, with impact on the Danube areas downstream the Iron Gates Hydropower System (southwestern Romania). INHGA will update the hydrological forecast according to the evolution of the hydro-meteorological phenomena.
UPI
BUCHAREST, Romania, March 8 (UPI) — Hydrologists watching the levels of the Danube River in Romania extended flash-flood warnings through the end of the week, officials said.
Romania’s National Hydrology and Water Management Institute issued flash-flood warnings through Friday for the Danube River basin, the news agency Financiarul reports.
Rain in southern Europe caused the Danube to break its banks. Local officials last week said the river level crested more than 17 inches above the 18-foot warning level.
Portions of southern Romania were under more than 20 feet of water and civil defense teams were deployed to project levees and drainage facilities.
Flooding was expected to ease as the rainy weather moved through the region, though percolation to the ground water extended flood concerns.
Light rain was prevalent in the region last week, with a slight chance of snow forecast for Bucharest for the rest of this week.
Hydrologists have extended Code Orange and Code Yellow warnings regarding the occurrence of flash floods on the Danube throughout March 12, 02.00 p.m, local.
According to the National Hydrology and Water Management Institute, throughout March 5, 06.00 a.m. – March 1202.00 p.m., local, a Code Orange is maintained on the Danube in the Calafat¬Zimnicea sector (southern Romania), in Dolj, Olt and Teleorman counties (south).
Likewise, Code Yellow warning remains in force on the Danube, in the Gruia and Giurgiu¬Tulcea sectors, in eight counties: Mehedinti (south), Giurgiu (south), Calarasi (south), Ialomita (south), Constanta (south-east), Braila, Galati and Tulcea (east).
Considering the current hydrologic situation, the forecast of the hydro-meteorological developments in the Danube Basin upstream from its entry into Romania (Bazias, south-west) has been updated to account for the propagation of previously formed flash floods on the Danube.
Danube has grown 2 cm in the last few hours, with the Danube level reported on Wednesday afternoon in Giurgiu (southern Romania) standing at 615 cm, which is 45 cm past the warning level.
According to the Giurgiu Couty Prefect, the Danube level at 2:00 p.m., local, reached 615 cm, 45 cm past the 570-cm warning level. Given the situation, the dammed areas Giurgiu-Vedea-Pietrosani şi Giurgiu-Vedea-Slobozia have entered stage one defence, meaning that the dams are permanently monitored and around the clock services have been set up at the mayoralties of the Danube riparian localities.
No facilities are affected and the Danube flooding level in the Giurgiu sector amounts to 640 cm; Danube can come close to this level towards the end of the week when it is estimated that the Code Yellow warning regarding the increase of the Danube level in the area will be exceeded.
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Finaciarul
A new hydropower plant on the Danube to be constructed by Romania together with Bulgaria could be financed from European funds, Secretary of State with the Romanian Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business Environment Tudor Serban told an ISPE seminar on Tuesday.
“We intend to build the hydropower plant on the Danube by using European funds. The Bulgarian party voiced intention to build two hydropower plants, but we believe one to be sufficient,” said Serban. Hidroelectrica has asked Serbia for its point of view regarding the construction of a new hydropower plant on the Danube, together with Bulgaria, Hidroelectrica General Manager MihaiDavid said recently.
WWF
Vienna – A decade after four governments agreed to work together to establish a “green corridor” along the entire length of the Lower Danube River, Europe’s most ambitious wetland protection and restoration programme is well ahead of targets for creating protected areas.
The Lower Danube Green Corridor Declaration, signed by environment ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Moldova in 2000, pledged to boost protection for 775,000 ha of existing protected areas and bring another 160,000 ha under protection along the river’s final 1000 kilometres.
The level of achievement however was much higher with some 1.4 million ha has been brought under protection to the benefit of some of Europe’s most outstanding wildlife and in enhancing water security, flood control and recreational opportunities for the area’s 29 million people.
Running behind target however is the task of wetlands restoration with the countries slightly more than a quarter of the way to their target of restoring 224,000 ha of former wetlands.
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AP
VIENNA — Fourteen countries and the European Commission have adopted a cleanup plan for the Danube River and its tributaries.
The Danube flows 2,857 kilometers (1,775 miles) from southern Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea and is polluted in some parts. Some 83 million people in 19 countries live in its basin.
The Danube River Basin Management Plan adopted Tuesday aims, among other things, to reduce organic and nutrient pollution from settlements and agriculture. It also includes measures to protect and reconnect wetlands.
Participating countries are Austria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Montenegro, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.
The plan calls for the cleanup measures to be in place by 2015.
On the Net: International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River: http://www.icpdr.org/
[Ed-Apols for full quote]
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AFP
VIENNA — Ministers from the 14 countries of the Danube basin adopted here Tuesday a plan to clean up and protect the historic river seen by green groups as Europe’s lifeline and the “Amazon of Europe”.
Environmental groups welcomed the plan, but called for additional action against the potentially destructive effects of hydroelectric power stations and man-made changes to the river to make it more navigable for shipping.
“The Danube waters are shared by us all and therefore we also share the responsibility,” said Mitja Bricelj, president of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) who hosted the meeting.
“We meet to ensure that the resources of the Danube Basin are managed in an environmentally sustainable manner.”
The Danube is Europe’s second-longest river, running 2,860 kilometres (1,777 miles) from the Black Forest in Germany to the Black Sea in Romania.
From www.financiarul.ro
The Danube water levels in the Giurgiu Port rose 16 centimeters in the past 24 hours, reaching 506 cm, and the upward trend will continue. According to Giurgiu Port representatives, the Danube on Tuesday reached the level of 506 cm, after having recorded 490 cm on Monday.
Giurgiu Port experts said the rising trend will continue for about 48 hours after which the water level is projected to stabilize because the water was contained at the Gruia lock (Mehedinti County) that was closed. The alert level for the Danube waters in the Giurgiu Port is 570 centimeters, and the flood level is 640 centimeters.
Check this set of photos out… Pure magic.
From Rebekah Luke on a recent trip away from her native Hawaii.
