The Living Danube Experience
We are standing along the vast floodplains of the Lower Danube. At this point along the river’s course, the Danube is almost a mile wide, a silvery, thick band of slow-moving water that bisects Bulgaria and Romania.
We are on the Romanian bank, a half day’s drive from the capital Bucharest, by the small village of Gârla Mare. Underneath the hot sun, marsh harriers hover and scan, golden orioles chime and chorus, and a grey heron glides past above the reeds. This is the Gârla Mare wetland, 400 hectares of biodiverse freshwater ecosystem and home to over 80 species of wildlife.
What brings us here? The fact that, over the last decade, Gârla Mare has been transformed from degraded floodplain to thriving wetland, through the restoration efforts of the first phase of the Living Danube Partnership. This cross-sector, decade-long initiative has been undertaken by WWF-CEE (Central and Eastern Europe), the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, an ensemble of local partners, and funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation . Along a river whose basin is home to some 79 million Europeans but has seen more than 80% of its wetlands lost over the last 150 years, it is inspiring to see nature in such fine fettle.
For the past three years, we have helped The Coca-Cola Company raise awareness of the powerful actions being taking by its NGO partners, such as WWF, to restore water systems, and the nature and wildlife that depend on them. Through strategic and creative communications activation and compelling storytelling, we have worked alongside The Coca-Cola Company to raise the profile of the solutions required to help tackle the water crisis.
The Gârla Mare restoration project is a shining example. Just last week, together with WWF-CEE and The Coca-Cola Company, we brought together a dozen journalists from across Europe to see, hear and discover the impacts first hand.
The trip had several goals. Firstly, to highlight the inestimable importance of water in all aspects of our lives. Secondly, we sought to show the value of undertaking nature restoration and water replenishment together, in unison; not just in terms of helping biodiversity and ecosystems thrive again, but also in building climate resilience and supporting local communities that depend on the Danube. Finally, to emphasise the potential of cross-sector partnership, where private sector efforts together with the expertise of NGOs can deliver greater impact.
Blurred supported Coca-Cola Europe by creating an inspiring, awareness-building moment for attendees on the banks of the Danube, through discussion, panels, and presentations, as well as creative storytelling using the power of sound. Romanian artist Nico de Transilvania, a musician, DJ, and Founder-Director of her own conservation NGO – Forests Without Borders – was commissioned to record and produce a song that captured the sounds of a healthier, more biodiverse freshwater ecosystem.
Nico travelled to the wetlands, recorded the sounds of water and wildlife, and wove this into a dedicated music track also featuring an accordion played by a local 80-yr old virtuoso, who Nico met on her journey. On the trip, we also set up a listening station with hydrophones for attendees to hear the bubbles and clicks of healthy riverine life under the wetland’s surface.
We will continue to spotlight the importance of water restoration and collaborative cross-sector efforts, such as those by WWF and The Coca-Cola Company, to support nature and communities in a changing climate.
Written by Jacob Page, Junior Consultant
All photos credited to Raed Krishan