Danube water quality and assessment on ecotourism in the biosphere reserve ‘Bačko Podunavlje’ in Serbia

Abstract

‘Bačko Podunavlje’ represents one of the largest and the best-preserved wetland areas of the upper Danube. Water quality is crucial for nature in protected areas and ecotourism. The paper is based on data for the period 1992–2016. Using multivariate statistical analysis, water quality was defined. One-factor analysis of variations is the starting point for the analysis of time variables (annual and monthly analysis). The principal component analysis (PCA) of the ten quality parameters is in the three factors that determine the greatest impact on the change in water quality. Results revealed the satisfactory ecological status of the Danube River in these sections (Bezdan and Bogojevo) and there is no threat that the biodiversity of this area is endangered by poor water quality, which fully justifies the possibilities for intensive development of ecotourism in the biosphere reserve. Suspended solids are the only parameter that exceeds the allowed limit values in a larger number of measurements, especially in the summer period of the year. Other analyzed water quality parameters range within the allowed limit values for the second class of surface water quality based on the Law on Waters (Republic of Serbia) and in accordance with the Water Quality Classification Criteria of ICPDR.