The campaign will officially start in the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar on the Danube which, along with the Drava and Mura, forms the largest European river system. June 27 is also Danube River Day.
The campaign consists of a WWF travelling truck that will organise educational programmes to raise awareness of the importance of healthy rivers, lakes, wetlands and flood plains.
The WWF will travel during the summer along the Danube, Drava and Mura and stop at 25 locations in Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia and Serbia.
The Danube, Drava and Mura are part of the UNESCO cross-border Biosphere Reservation and have preserved their natural values in comparison to other rivers in Europe. However, over the past 100 years natural habitats and flood plains have deteriorated significantly due to human intervention such as channeling natural river sections, gravel digging and the construction of hydro-power plants, Iva Johovic of WWF Adria said.
Johovic warned that it was necessary to strengthen the fresh water eco system and leave room for rivers because rivers, wetlands and flood plains offer a wide range of benefits, from drinking water to flood protection.