Extreme weather patterns are progressively becoming common in Central Europe, causing relief funds to deplete, and administration to consider new courses of action. Unfortunately, the Danube has suffered lately from heavy pollution, resulting in more frequent and more harsh occurrences. As floods tend to spread the pollutants, there is a range of derivative issues which can spring up.
With the changes in the economy and structure of the EU, industry modernization is seen happening at a rapid rate. Countries of the basin are strongly involved in the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive. Economic as well as environmental / ecological interests are at stake, so river basin management will have to consider both types of interest.
It is evident that the population density along the river and in the Basin poses a pressure on water sanitation, mining practices are affecting aquifer pollution, and the spread of soil pollution from agricultural uses will have an important long-term implication on land cultivation and food availability.
Ocean cruises employ much larger ships than river cruises. The capacity of some ocean cruises is staggering - generally a few thousand people. River cruises are more intimate. Rivers are narrow stretches of water, and they tend to traverse more interesting and varied landscapes, keeping it more engaging for the travellers. For this purpose, river vessels are also mainly designed to make the most of the view, with wide, open panoramas on all sides of the craft.
In the last few years Europe has seen the worst of all seasons: scorching summer suns, torrential spring rains, record autumn droughts and bitter winter snows. It has been said that last winter was the most severe in the past half-century, in January and February 2012 there were even more extremes, of temperatures reaching record lows. And so, this very well may be global climate change that we are witnessing.
Eastern European grain traders have had to switch to more expensive means of transportation as exports via the Danube River are blocked because of low water levels. Traders have had to export by road and to a lesser extent by railway, despite the cost per unit being significantly higher and eroding margins.