AUTHORS: Marc Braun (ICPR)-Andrew Farmer

This edition of the SCOPE Newsletter is produced to mark fifty years of the Rhine Commission. It tells the story of the degradation of the Rhine to the point where most life disappeared and how international co-operation through the Commission developed ways to reduce pressures and restore the river. After providing a general overview of these issues, the article concentrates on one specific aspect of the Rhine’s water quality: nutrient discharges and concentrations. Finally, even though much has been achieved, such tasks are never finished. This Newsletter, therefore, concludes with a view to the future and what action remains to be undertaken.