Journalists from five Danube countries took part in the Danube Media Bootcamp during the International Danube Festival in Ulm.
From July 10-12, workshops were held with presentations by journalists focusing on the topic of  ‘Nature Conservation and the Danube’.

Journalists from Budapest, Romania and Serbia presented their investigative reports. Orsolya Fülöp from Budapest presented her report on the alarming increase in water temperature in the Danube. In July 1996, the water temperature of the Danube in Hungary was still around 18 degrees, today it is 26 degrees. This naturally has a considerable impact on the life in the waters of the Danube, not only in Hungary.
A report by Catalin Prisacariu from Romania showed how the war in the Ukraine is affecting transportation routes on the Danube in the delta.
A side channel in the delta is being dredged and untouched nature is being destroyed. Daniela Stojkovic Jovanovic from Novi Sad presented another example of the development of a riverbank region of the Danube and Mirella Sidro spoke with Azra Berbic in Sarajevo about the last living rivers in Europe, which are currently being destroyed by the construction of hydroelectric power plants and mines by Chinese investors in Bosnia. In some countries along the Danube it is dangerous to report openly on such topics and freedom of the press is not only restricted, but journalists there can face serious reprisals.

Paolo Magagnotti, President of the European Federation of Journalists, gave an online presentation on the situation after the European elections and Ronald Tipan from Journalismfund Europe, Brussels presented opportunities for funding transnational investigative reporting for freelance journalists.
This event was integrated into an event organized by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation and the Ministry of State with political guests on the topic of Europe after the elections.
Speakers included Mayor Martin Bendel Ulm, State Secretary for Europe Florian Hassler from BW, Sebastian Schäffer (IDM, Vienna), Theresia Bauer, Managing Director of the Baden-Württemberg Foundation and other guests and stakeholders from the Danube region.
They were able to experience the European spirit in Ulm and the state of Baden-Württemberg and network in the afternoon and the following day.
The journalists who visited Ulm confirmed that the European idea was more tangible at the Danube Festival than they had expected, as many of the discussions focused on the common future of Europe.

The European Danube Region Strategy provides the political framework, but it has to be filled with content by people, and we at danube connects were delighted to welcome our colleagues in Ulm. Further cooperation with journalists from the Danube countries is planned for the coming year. The Danube Media Bootcamp was hosted by the European Danube Academy, organized by danube connects in collaboration with Daniela Stojokovic Jovanovic. The project was funded by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation.

Sabine Geller, Ulm