Donaufest Bund Naturschutz

05/30/2019 As a protest against the obstruction of the Lower Bavarian Danube, the Danube Festival, which takes place every year on Ascension Day, is today a celebration for the whole family. Whether carriage rides, nature tours, delicious food, a colorful children's program or politics: here is something for everyone. Georg Kestel, chairman of the BN district group Deggendorf, emphasized that the Danube Festival always had a political claim. The broad alliance for the now secured rescue of the Danube was also reflected in the guest list: represented were the Federal Association for Bird Protection (LBV), the Bavarian Canoe Association and the Friends of the Danube. For the first time was the "Fridays for Future" movement. Several guests from politics had come to Niederalteich. Flood control is a hot topic on a major river like the Danube. Niederalteich's mayor Albin Dietrich said that "we also notice extreme weather events with rapidly rising water levels." It is incomprehensible, according to Dietrich, that in the coalition agreement of the new Bavarian state government "some polders were removed for political reasons". The rivers all over Germany have the parliamentarian group "living rivers" in the sights. Its leader, Rita Hagl-Kehl (SPD), explained that rivers must be much more than ever before investigating all planned measures for impacts on tourism, soil and agriculture. "I am working for it," she emphasized, "that the same mistakes will not be made elsewhere as we have been in the past." For example, the Isar has been expanded and channeled for many millions, and today the renaturation costs millions. On the Czech and Polish side, there is unfortunately a strong interest in expanding rivers "at any price" for shipping, for example the Elbe. She also criticized the Bavarian coalition agreement: It could not be that the implementation of flood protection measures such as polders depends on the party affiliation of the district administrator concerned or the district administrator. Former BN Chairman Hubert Weiger - now Honorary Chairman - spoke in his capacity as Chairman of the Federation for Environmental and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND), which is the federal association of the BN. He reported on a new initiative at federal level to reduce rivers, where shipping plays only a minor role, to a semi-natural state. Fortunately, the European Water Framework Directive is forcing the Federal Government to act here, according to Weiger. By 2027, significant measures would still be necessary in Germany to improve the ecological quality of the watercourses. Clean water will be "our most precious food" in the future, said Weiger. The worse it is that the water, which "we supply to the groundwater is polluted". The high nitrate pollution from over-fertilization is a direct result of the "waxes or soft" policy in agriculture, from which ultimately only a few large corporations such as feed producers would profit. "Today in South America we are destroying the livelihoods of countless people for cheap animal feed. It's a mess! "Here is a rethink in many areas is required, the BUND chairman. Therefore, he called the "Fridays for Future" movement: "Your boy must not let up! You have to keep skipping school! "