The second day in Germany, the team looked around the Rhine. It ranked to the third in scale among the rivers of Europe continent, and passes to flow 9 countries. In 1972, Germans improved the inland waterways and infrastructure for maritime transport, and broadened the river’s width up to 200 meter for efficient management of agricultural land. However, as undesirable results, tributaries died away, moreover ecologically and environmentally rampant inundation became serious problem in continuous way.
Therefore, comprehensive and long-term management program for the Rhine River’s basin was established. From 1987 to 2000, through Rhine Action Program, they struggled to attain to have the riparian ecosystem restored and protected from pollution accident. In consequence, the environment of the Rhine was improved in quantum leap, pollution accident was estimated as reduced, and creatures of the habitats (esp. the salmons and fisheries) came back. Federal Government of Germany implemented the Rhine 2030 Program which last from 2000 until 2020 to improve constantly the riparian ecosystem. The program will reduce flood damage below 25%, flood level 70 centimeter lower than before to improve the quality of river water until 2020.
Its goal is to provide people with easily accessible waterfront area with tangible coexistence environment with nature.
