Seventh B.I.O. International Conference, Bratislava, June 1997
Danube River Bonds
RESOLUTIONS
Upon the conclusion of the B.I.O. International Conference Danube River Bonds: Bio-Environment – Bio-Culture, held in Bratislava, June 3-6, 1997, all participants expressed their complete and unanimous support of the conference goals and also:
– confirmed their dedication to the task of protecting the environment of the Danube, and implementing culture as a dominant factor in development models in their respective countries. Lessons can be drawn from history and culture in order to build a harmonious future, based on the transition towards a better understanding of bios (life) and the bio-environment.
– acknowledged that countries in transition must avoid engaging in mainstream development paradigms. New economic, societal and institutional models need to be adopted, in order to transcend beyond sustainable development and achieve progress where respect and appreciation of the environment will be at the core of every initiative.
– stressed the role of bio-diplomacy in preventing disagreements from turning into conflicts. Mutual understanding and co-operation among all interested parties should be promoted through communication and dialogue, based on plurality. Active co-operation between scientists/academics and diplomats is needed in order to establish a factual basis and create a common understanding of collective concerns. NGO’s and academic institutions play an important role in raising public awareness and in mobilising support for change. Bio-diplomacy can be enhanced by the creation of partnerships between governmental and non-governmental organisations, as well as by civic initiatives involving different countries of the Danube region.
– pointed out that the Danube, viewed as a case study for the implementation of environmentally-friendly initiatives, represents a challenge for education. Reforms in education must incorporate awareness and knowledge of environmental, as well as historical and cultural elements, associated with the river and the riparian region.
– emphasised that trade, as well as tourism and transport, can be perfectly compatible with bio-policy – the protection of the bio-environment. The conference stressed the importance of drawing lessons from the 140 years of experience with such activities in the Danube region, in order to build successful models for the future.
In view of the need to overcome the acute economic and environmental problems faced by the majority of the countries traversed by the Danube, the conference participants also made the following recommendations:
– increasing, in all countries, support for multidisciplinary research activities in Biopolitics. A step in this direction is the introduction of a biocentric curriculum at all levels of education.
– improving the exchange of information, on the environmental condition of the Danube and on the activities held within the framework of various governmental or non-governmental organisations, among Danube States.
– developing a clearly defined pollution-prevention policy to protect the Danube, and especially those sections suffering severe environmental deterioration, based on the use of environmentally-friendly technologies and the evaluation of the all attributes potentially present in the environment.
– establishing a Danube Environmental Forum for the development of alternative programmes, the introduction of new technologies, the implementation of pilot projects and the setting up of transboundary environmental action plans.
– implementing systematic changes in all agricultural practices, in order to decrease the negative input to nature, and especially to water resources, and to implement sustainable agricultural policies.
– preserving the biodiversity of the protected regions and flood-zones, falling under the IUCN categories.
Conference themes and participants
Bio-Philosophy
Greece: Biopolitics – the bio-environment – building a biocentric millennium society, Dr. Agni Vlavianos-Arvanitis, President and Founder, Biopolitics International Organisation
Slovak Republic: Openness, partnerships, ethics and learning, Jan Morovic, President, City University Bratislava
Evolution of a River: History and Bio-Aesthetics
Ukraine: The stream of evolution and the evolution of a river, Dr. Igor N. Malakhov, Head of Council, National Ecological Center
Poland: The symbolism of water: philosophical anthropology and aesthetics, Professor Maria Golaszewska, Jagiellonian University
Belarus: The Danube in Slavonic history, Dr. Valery Evorovsky, Research Fellow, Academy of Science
Russia: Settlement evolution in the Danube basin, Professor Alexander Reteyum, Moscow State University
Yugoslavia: Water resources and the development of human civilisation, Dr. Zoran M. Radic, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade
Slovak Republic: Communication: natural and cultural diversity in the Danube region, Dr. Zlatica Plasienkova, Department of Philosophy, Comenius University
Poland: Rivers versus towns: front or back orientation? Dr. Wojciech Kosinski, University of Krakow
Poland: Biodiversity and quality of life: an environmental aesthetics viewpoint, Aleksandra Szewczyk, Jagiellonian University
Bio-Ethics
Slovak Republic: Bioethics: a case for the future of man, Dr. Jozef Glasa, Bratislava Institute of Medical Ethics and Bioethics
Italy: The ethics of sustainability in the new Europe, Dr. Matteo Mascia, Projects Co-ordinator, Ethics and Environmental Policies, Fondazione Lanza
Italy: Bioethics and the environment: the Italian National Committee for Bioethics, Professor Renzo Pegoraro, General Secretary, Fondazione Lanza
Poland: New tasks and old thinking, Professor Wieslaw Sztumski, Head, Department of Philosophy of Natural Science, Institute of Philosophy, University of Silesia – Katowice
Poland: Biocentrism as a proposition for new thinking about the biosphere, Professor Zdzislawa Piatek, Jagiellonian University
Slovak Republic: The growing role of religion in environment, Dr. Klaudius Vicenik, Institute of Measurement Science, Slovak Academy of Sciences
Pollution Prevention Technology
Hungary: Reducing phosphorus in the Danube basin, Professor Istvan Ijjas, Department of Water Resources Engineering, Budapest University of Technology
Yugoslavia: Eutrophication in the Yugoslav part of the Danube river, Dr. Mileta Perisic¸ Head, Group of Environmental Protection, Belgrade Geoinstitute
Bulgaria: Danube water quality along the Bulgarian stretch, Dr. Cristina Mateva-Dontcheva, EKOMAT Consulting Co., Nikolaj Koumdjev, Ministry of Environment, and Vladimir Dontchev, Ministry of Environment
Slovak Republic: Eutrophication in the Cunovo reservoir, Jarmila Makovinska, Water Research Institute
Ukraine: Water treatment technologies – the way for protection of the Danube river, Dr. Gennady Kocherov, Kiev State University
Yugoslavia: Science and technology: benefits and risks for the Danube river basin, Dr. Ivana Djujic, University of Belgrade, and Dr. Borivoje Djujic, University of Belgrade
Slovak Republic: Free radicals in biology and the environment, Professor Alexander Tkac, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Slovak technical University
Yugoslavia: Coastal pollution and groundwater quality in the Yugoslav part of the Danube, Dr. Snezana Komatina, Institute of Geophysics
Slovak Republic: Quality of surface waters. Stability in meadow ecosystems, Professor Eduard Bublinec, Director, Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, and Dr. Margita Dubova,Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
Biodiversity and Resource Conservation
Ukraine: Saving the biological resources of the Danube, Professor Victor D. Romanenko, Institute of Hydrobiology, National Academy of Sciences
Yugoslavia: Biodiversity in the Yugoslav sector of the Danube, Professor Ivica Radovic¸ Dean, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, and Professor Vladimir Stevanovic, Faculty of Biology,University of Belgrade
Bulgaria: Biodiversity in the Bulgarian sector of the Danube, Professor Svetoslav Gerasimov, Institute of Ecology, Bulgarian Academy of Science, and Ivan Yanchev, Institute of Ecology, Bulgarian Academy of Science
Germany: The “Upper Danube” nature park, Dr. Henry Dosedla, Technical University of Coburg
Slovak Republic: Fish biodiversity of the Gabcikovo waterworks, Anton Kirka, Department of Government Commissioners
Forest Ecosystems, Agriculture and Soil Preservation
Slovak Republic: Danube forest ecosystems: biodiversity changes in the 20th century, Dr. Július Oszlányi, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
Slovak Republic: Danube floodplain forests, Dr. Ferdinand Kubicek, Institute of Landscape Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
Slovak Republic: Restitution of floodplain forests. Synecological specificities, Professor Ladislav Somsak, Department of Soil Sciences, Comenius University
Lithuania: Functional assessment of forests as recreational resources, Professor Edvardas Riepshas, Lithuanian Agricultural University
Slovak Republic: The Soil Protection Working Group of the Danube countries, Dr. Michal Dzatko, Soil Fertility Research Institute Bratislava
Slovak Republic: Rendering the Danube basin agricultural region more environmentally friendly, Terezia Davidova, Slovak Environmental Agency
Hungary: Bio-agriculture and nature conservation in Hungary, Dr. Karoly Szoke, Institute for Environment Management, Service for Nature Conservation, and Professor Istvan Major Institute for Environment Management, Service for Nature Conservation
Latvia: Organic farming in the Baltic countries: social aspects of development, Dr. Aija Zobena, Department of Soil Sciences, Latvia University of Agriculture
Germany: Agri-environmental policy in Germany, Dr. Peter Weingarten, Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO)
Waterways and Waterworks: International Co-operation and Conflict Resolution
Japan: Hydropolitics and conflict resolution, Professor Masahiro Murakami, Department of Infrastructure Systems Engineering, Kochi University of Technology
Slovak Republic: The Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydropower system and the Slovak Government, Dominik Kocinger, Plenipotentiary of the Government
Hungary: The Gabcikovo-Nagymaros dam: social, political and cultural conflicts, Professor Miklos Sukosd, Department of Political Science, Central European University
Japan: Environmental management of transboundary freshwater bodies, Dr. Juha I. Uitto, Academic Officer, The United Nations University
Slovak Republic: Conflicts in water management, Vladimir Holcik, Chief Engineer of Operation and Maintenance for Gabcikovo
Slovak Republic: Philosophy of river problems: local to regional – static to mobile, Dr. Libor Jansky, Comenius University
Bio-Diplomacy: New Profiles in Leadership and Democracy
Sweden: Water conflicts and bio-diplomacy, Ambassador Kai Falkman
Indonesia: ASEAN bio-diplomacy: a river in Southeast Asia, Ambassador Irawan Abidin, Ambassador of Indonesia to the Holy See
Greece: European integration perspectives for the Balkan countries, Ambassador Panayotis Vlassopoulos, Ambassador of Greece to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Belgium: Co-operation for the expansion of the European Union, Ambassador George Zavvos, European Commission
Current Concepts in Water Management
Austria: The Danube Environmental Programme, Professor Teun Botterweg Team Leader, Danube Programme Co-ordination Unit, and Dr. Jozef Turcan, Technical Assistant, Danube Programme Co-ordination Unit
Slovak Republic: Implementing the Danube Environmental Programme in the Slovak Republic, Ivan Zavadsky, Director, Department of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Environment, and Milan Matuska, Director, Department of Water Protection, Ministry of Environment
Slovak Republic: Regional co-operation in the Danube river basin, Dr. Pavel Petrovic, Water Research Institute
Slovak Republic: Safety monitoring in Gabcikovo, Jan Hummel, Deputy Director, Technical and Safety Inspection Committee for Gabcikovo
Ukraine: Biopolitics problems of large-scale hydraulic engineering construction, Professor Victor D. Romanenko, Institute of Hydrobiology, Academy of Sciences
USA: Yangtze Three Gorges Dam. The modern Great Wall of China, Professor Constantine Yapijakis, Albert Nerken School of Engineering, The Cooper Union
Hungary: Environmentally-sound hydroelectric power plants, Tibor Harosi, Renewable Energy Club
Czech Republic: Integrated ecosystems: a recent strategy for water management, Dr. Pavel Puncochar, Director, T.G. Masaryk Water Institute
Moldova: Bio-policy in Moldova, Dr. Vitalie Gulca, Moldsilva State Association
Slovak Republic: Danube river bonds – past, present, future, M. Ruzovic, Ministry of Environment
Hungary: Autonomous environmental policy for the Carpathian basin: a theoretical approach, Professor Gyula Bora, The Budapest University of Economics
Russia: Water resources model: environmental management and future biopolitics, Professor Alexander Shishkin, Head, Ecological Standardisation Laboratory, St. Petersburg State Technological University for Plant Polymers
Bio-Economics
Greece: Commerce and biopolitics, John Tzen, Chairman, Hellenic Foreign Trade Board
Ukraine: Bio-business for the sake of prosperity: co-operation along the Danube, Dr. Stanislav Sokolenko, Chairman, Ukrimpex Joint Stock Company
Hungary: Systems analysis of bio-economy: entropy and negentropy in biopolitics, Academician Laszlo Kapolyi, President, System International Foundation
Bio-Education
Bulgaria: Bio-education and environmental literacy, Roumenka Chapkanova, Department of Chemistry, University of Sofia
Russia: Bio-education on the way to new thinking, Olga Musikhina, Director, Business Technical Assistance Center, Kuban State Technological University, and Professor Anatoliy Shishatskiy, Vice Director, Kuban State Technological University
Belarus: Interdisciplinary bio-education as a complex science in the next millennium, Professor Alexander Lutsko, Rector, International Sakharov College on Radioecology
Hungary: “Bring life back to the rivers” – prevention, education and international co-operation, George J. Kollmann, Legal Advisor
Yugoslavia: Bio-education is the key to survival, Dr. Gordana Brun, Advisor to the Minister, Ministry for Environmental Protection
Beyond the Concept of Sustainable Development
Turkey: The common heritage of mankind and the new concepts of responsibility, Professor Rusen Keles, Director of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Political Sciences, Ankara University
Poland: Quality of life: environmental and conservative interpretations, Dr. Konrad Waloszczyk, Technical University of Lodz
Croatia: Humankind in nature and the limits of sustainable development, Dr. Sanjin Dragojevic, Ministry of Culture
Greece: Biopolitics versus sustainable development, Dr. Christos Efthymiopoulos, Physicist, Biopolitics International Organisation
Hungary: Strengthening the life supporting system of our planet and the role of the B.I.O., Professor Mihaly Simai, Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and WFUNA Honorary President
Slovak Republic: The limits of sustainable development, Dr. Juraj Hraško, Member of the Slovak Academy of Sciences