Category: Green Planet

Romania’s smallest national park, called Buila Vanturarita and covering 4,186 hectares, is located in the north of Valcea county, in the south of Capatanii Mountains. It includes the around 14-km long calcareous crest of Mount Buila Vanturarita, dominated by the two peaks that give the name of the mountain: the Buila Peak (1849 m) and the Vanturarita Mare Peak (1885m).

In time, the Bistrita, Costesti, Cheia and Olanesti rivers have carved out spectacular gorges and cascades into the mountain. The Bistrita Gorges stand out as being very narrow. They are 1000-m long and are crossed from south to north by a forest road that replaced the old railway. The landscape is breathtaking. Twenty caves are hidden in the steep mountainsides, some of which have been declared protected areas such as the Gregory the Decapolite Cave. The Buila Vanturarita National Park, a future site in the Natura 2000 European Network, was set up 10 years ago. The park manager, Cosmin Botez, tells us how this area was created:

Cosmin Botez: “In time people have noticed that the area had special flora and fauna and this was the main reason why in the 1960s the authorities set up the Yew Reserve in the Cheii Gorges, the Stogu Mountain Reserve, the Arnauti Cave, the Saint Gregory the Decapolite Cave and also the Bats’ Cave reserves. People identified a large number of chamois, lynxes, wolves, bears, deer, boars, mountain roosters and other animal species. The outstanding flora species in the area include the sweet William, king’s roses, yew trees, which are a protected species, dwarf mountain pines which grow at altitudes of more than 1,600 meters and junipers. The Buila Vanturarita National Park has 17 recognized and protected habitats, 6 strictly protected bat species, and two eagle species.”

Kogayon Association, an NGO that was one of the main initiators of the Buila Vanturarita national park project, has run many projects devoted to developing the park infrastructure, to creating camping areas, re-creating tourist routes and to environmental education:

Cosmin Botez: “A lot of projects have been carried out, the biggest one, implemented in 2008, had a budget of 100 thousand euros. As part of the environmental education activities, every two months we organized meetings with the local communities in the two main access valleys of the national park, namely in Olanesti Spa for the Cheia Valley and Olanesti area, and in the village of Costesti for the Costesti and Barbatesti area. We would like to implement another project jointly with the NGO Batlife from Bihor, which is an association promoting the protection of bats.”

The Buila Vanturarita national park includes more than 500 hectares of virgin forests, which are most valuable from a biodiversity point of view. These forests are home to the famous Cozia rose, which is unique in Valcea County, and the cap lily –lilium martagon, a rare, protected species. The park also hosts as many as 28 species of orchids, out of the total of 58 growing in Romania. Alpine meadows and cliffs are located towards the mountain peaks. From spring to autumn, here you can see some of the most rare and fragile mountain flowers in the country, such as globeflowers, the white dryas, a small prostrate evergreen subshrub forming large colonies, the Daphne blagayana or king’s rose which has sweetly scented flowers, and the edelweiss, protected since 1931, which is the queen of alpine flowers. The hard-to-access cliffs are home to the chamois, an endangered species. Worth mentioning among the bird species in the national park are red kites, lesser spotted eagles, red-footed falcons, and Eurasian Eagle-Owls, one of the largest species of owls. The wall creeper, with wings resembling those of butterflies, is one of the most beautiful birds in Romania, and can also be found in the gorges area.

For many years, this mountain has been home to several places of worship, known only to a few pilgrims. The hermitages and monasteries on the outskirts of the park and the legends about their settlement add to the value of this protected nature reserve.

Any visitor to Maramures will be impressed by the beauty of its landscape and the hospitality of its locals. The people of Maramures are unequalled masters of woodcarving and each church and household gate has its own history. The wooden churches and gates are in fact a landmark of Maramures. Maramures is also a land of rich forests, wild nature, gorgeous mountains and crystal clear waters. The Maramures Mountains area was declared a nature park in 2004 in order to protect its biodiversity.

The park spans 133,354 hectares out of which 19,000 are part of nature reserves. 11 types of habitats have been identified in the Maramures nature park as well as 24% of the species of Romania’s spontaneous flora. The park also boasts a rich fauna including both vertebrates and invertebrates. Recently, experts with the International Union for Conservation of Nature have identified 137 areas in 34 countries that should be given special attention as they are irreplaceable areas. The Maramures Mountains nature park is one of the 137 such areas, where you can find a rare rodent species: the southern vole. Catalina Bogdan, the manager of the Maramures Mountains nature park has more details:

“Southern voles are small, rodent mammals living in the mountainous regions, in wet, cliffy areas and coniferous forests. It’s a rare, endemic species living in isolated area in Europe and can be found in the Slovakian Carpathian Mountains, in Poland, Ukraine and Romania. It is estimated that on Romania’s territory there are almost 500 such rodents living in several counties in the north. Another species found in the Maramures nature park is the huchen /hu:kən/ or the Danube salmon, a large species of freshwater fish in the salmon family living in deep mountain rivers with strong currents. This species is specific to the Danube basin and was also introduced in the basins of other rivers across Europe where the huchen populations had started to dwindle. Natural populations of Danube salmons can be found in Romania in the Tisza, Viseu and Ruscova rivers. It is an extremely valuable species, but unfortunately endangered today. In the Maramures park you can also find another emblematic species: the black grouse or blackgame, a large game bird in the grouse family. The black grouse population in Romania is estimated at 60-80 pairs and their presence led to the setting up of the Cornu Nedeii-Ciungii Balasanii wild life reserve.”

In the Maramures Mountains nature park you can find many villages that have preserved centuries-old traditions.

“In Maramures there are many communities that have preserved traditional crafts. In Viseul de Jos, a village with a majority Romanian population, locals have preserved traditional households, and the elderly are still wearing the well-known folk costumes of the region. The village is inhabited by many folk artists, wood masters, weavers and ironsmiths. Here, in Viseul Ruscova, you can find the region’s main centre for processing animal skins, where craftsmen are still making leather waistcoats with multicoloured embroidery and metallic studs specific to the area.”

One of the factors that allowed the preservation of this nature park is the small number of tourist routes. The Repedea village is known for its unique meadow of daffodils that bloom in May. The reserve is located at a high altitude and therefore hard to reach by tourists. Equally unique is the edelweiss, which was declared a protected species in 1933. It is difficult to pick this flower as it grows mainly on cliffs where only the chamois can venture.

Another attraction of the Maramures Mountains nature park is the Vaser Valley which is considered one of the most beautiful such valleys in the Eastern Carpathians. The 60 km long Vaser river forms a spectacular valley resembling a canyon full of steep cliffs, thick forests, meadows and mineral water springs. In recent years, tourist infrastructure has improved significantly. 11 different tourist routes are now available and accommodation facilities are being built in the Borsa and Viseul de Sus towns. So Maramures remains an ideal destination for all those who want to spend the winter holidays in a quiet village, in front of the fireplace.

“I have frequently heard tourists say that spending holidays in Maramures is like going back in time. Here the locals have preserved the region’s customs and traditions unaltered. For example, in a village called Poienile de sub Munte, which is the largest Ukrainian village in the county, people still sing a carol devoted to the Virgin Mary containing 50 verses. The carol is sung by men who are accompanied by a violin player. In the Bistra village, people eat the Christmas Eve dinner at candlelight. They prepare 12 different courses symbolising the 12 apostles. People also throw beans in the four corners of the room, a ritual gesture meant to ensure rich crop in the year to come.”

The Romanian Carpathians boast Europe’s largest populations of wolves, chamois and lynxes. Romania is also the only European country that covers five biogeographic regions out of the total of 11 in Europe. However, protected areas in the Carpathians are underfinanced. According to a study conducted by the National Forestry Authority jointly with the World Wildlife Fund Romania might lose about 9 billion euros in the next 25 years unless measures for an effective management of protected area are taken. The study was conducted as part of a project aimed at improving the financial sustainability of the system of protected areas in the Carpathians, implemented by the United Nations Development Project. The study, which used data and figures from five pilot parks, shows that protected areas are an important and productive economic asset but their underfunding may cause a decline in biodiversity and losses to the country’s economy. The “Appreciate Nature” Campaign was launched under the same project. Its message is to value nature and contribute to its financing. Here is Dragos Mihai, Chief of the National Forestry Authority’s Department for Protected Areas:

“We think that a goal worth fighting for in the future is that of diversifying funding sources. It’s difficult for just one institution to provide the amounts necessary for a proper management of these protected areas. In the future, alongside the finances provided by the Romsilva National Forestry Authority for 22 protected areas it manages, out of a total of 29, we believe the Romanian Government should provide financial support for this sector as well. At the same time, we are now trying to persuade the private sector to pay more attention to and provide financial support for the proper management of these areas. And that’s because part of their revenues result from the good management and preservation of nature reserves.”

Every year Romsilva spends between 2.5 and 3 million euros on the management of the 22 protected areas, although the amount needed is 5 million euros. According to the Employers’ Associations in Tourism and Services, the protected areas in Romania have an incredible tourist potential and are likely to bring substantial revenues if a fee for visitors is introduced. About 2 million tourists visit these areas every year, in spite of the fact that they are poorly promoted. The authors of the study believe that economic agents in the field of tourism or in mineral waters sector should invest part of their revenues in facilities for visitors and in the promotion of protected areas. If these two aspects could be solved by the private sector, things are different when it comes to protecting some species. The cost of such projects should be covered by the Environment Fund, says Dragos Mihai, head of the Protected Areas Department:

“Romania needs to constantly report the conservation status of species and habitats of community interest. I think that certain amounts from the state budget should be earmarked for this purpose. Projects are also very important but they usually target concrete aspects of monitoring certain species and habitats or of identifying the habitat of some species within a protected area. “

According to Monica Moldovan, head of the Programme Unit with the United Nations Development Programme Romania, over the past few years this program has secured a lot of resources from international financing mechanisms such as the Global Environment Fund. This is the financial mechanism of several UN conventions on environment, among which the one regarding biodiversity. Monica Moldovan:

“This project is a natural extension of our long-term partnership with the Forestry Authority, Romsilva, and with the Environment Ministry. This partnership was signed 7 or 8 years ago. We have started to carry out projects in a number of national and natural parks where we tested some measures that are now implemented at national level, such as the project titled “Improving financial sustainability of protected areas.” In 2007 and 2008 we started the economic assessment of the ecosystem services in the Macinului Mountains National Park and the Maramuresului Mountains Natural Park and we now plan to continue our work and apply it nationally. We also want to share our knowledge with other countries in the Carpathian area. The current level of financing of the protected areas managed by the National Forestry Authority covers only half of the amounts that are needed.”

The “Appreciate Nature” Campaign will start with an action of direct mailing towards MPs and Government members, who are the only ones able to implement solutions to diversify means of funding these areas. The site www.punepretpenatura.ro was launched as part of this campaign and includes the legal framework on protected areas and also solutions that could bring more money to the national budget.

The Danube Delta’s large reed-covered water and wetland expanses, or the large wood-covered areas of the Carpathians are proof of Romania’s great biological diversity. At present Romania has 381 Natura 2000 sites, covering a surface of nearly 42 thousand square kilometers. As for birds, we have more than 400 species, 320 of which live in the Danube Delta alone. Of those species, many are of interest at the level of the European Union.

In order to know exactly what the situation of those species is, a management and monitoring project has recently been launched, by means of which the first report on the Birds Directive will be drawn up at national level. The report will then be forwarded to the European Commission by the end of 2013. It will include data for 270 community species, that is only for nesting, winter and passing birds. Species reporting is conducted once in six years. In the case of Romania, it will be the first such reporting. Across the country, birds of community importance are protected through 148 bird and fauna protection sites, which are part of the Natura 2000 network. More details on that — from the Romanian Ornithological Society’s conservation manager Ciprian Fintina.

Ciprian Fintina: ” We’re supposed to report figures, mainly, for each of the 270 species, and particularly for each species’ phenological stage. If the species is a nesting one and at wintertime bird populations from the northern part of the continent may also arrive, then we need to have a track record for that species as a nesting species, and another one, for its status as a winter guest. Then we also need to provide data for that population’s size. But you can get a steady number only if you conduct a census, but if you want to make a census for a bird, many times that is almost impossible. There are very few species that can benefit from a complete census, while for the rest of them you need to use very specific methods if you want to estimate the size of the population. There are countries that do not have such methods or they have not implemented those methods just yet, but then again, they will have to report a number and what they report is based on what they know at that particular moment. There is no problem if you cannot have information on a certain species, yet it is crucial to take a step forward. That’s where all EU member states stand, including countries with a long-standing tradition in terms of ornithology, such as the Netherlands or Great Britain, which still have their reports to submit.”

The Director of the Nature Protection Department with the Environment and Climate Change Ministry Florian Udrea underscored that the research studies that have been conducted so far were based on wrong information, which means that certain bird species could not be found in the area where they should have been. That is exactly why the project will contribute to a better knowledge of the present condition of the wild bird population, as well as to improving the management, monitoring and preservation activities.

Florian Udrea:” The conclusions of some research studies point to the fact that certain flora and fauna species are not to be found where we know them to be, where we ‘d been taught they were, that the standard forms are sometimes a far cry from what we come across on the ground. It is our duty to snap out of this self-indulging, erroneous attitude we’ve been living in so far. The main concern of the Department I represent is to step back into normality, and that’s exactly what the project does, it provides a database which is accessible to all those interested, a database that for a long period of time can provide a real image. It’s a bit dodgy for us to find out we couldn’t d find a certain bird species in a site, but we did find that species in the standard form. Which means that the European Commission forced us to protect a species we did not find in the right place.”

According to the official from the Romanian Environment Ministry, biodiversity changes continually; also, it is the human factor that influences biodiversity in a negative or a positive way. The chaotic economic development, tourist activities, hunting and forestry which are not properly regulated have already had a negative impact on some species.

Ciprian Fantana again: “The examples we’ve got are very illustrative, such as the bustard, which has practically disappeared. There are a few such birds in the Western Plainfield, coming form Hungary, and especially in wintertime they stay along the Hungarian-Romanian border. Then we have the steppe eagle, which used to be a nesting species. Today it no longer nests, since for more than 50 years no nests have been found; in Romania we could notice only young and not adult birds, capable of nesting. There are also species that used to be on the verge of extinction and now have started to recover, gradually, such as the dwarf cormorant, a species whose numbers have been growing, although it used to be an extinct species, then there are the Ferruginous duck, the lesser spotted eagle, which is a somehow stable species, then we’ve also got the Saker falcon which is on the verge of extinction.”

The project has received European financing under the Sectoral Operational Environment Program; in its final stage an Atlas of Romania’s Birds will be compiled, providing information on species and distribution maps for those species, as well as information about the migration routes, nesting areas, special Bird and Animal Protection Areas, as well as monitoring-related aspects. Also, a Toolkit will be provided for the monitoring of birds of community interest. The Toolkit will also include a standard Guide, with the results of the monitoring process. Also, two national conferences will be organized, targeting the scientific community, the NGOs and the public authorities in charge of nature protection.

Vacaresti Lake, on the south side of the Romanian capital, is about to become a protected area. This is a project introduced by several green associations who want this site to become a place of clean air, recreation and research.

Around two centuries ago, Vacaresti monastery was built there, but in the years of the communist urban overhaul it was demolished to make room for the project to systematize Dambovita River in order to fend off flooding in the Romanian capital. Work started there in 1986, but it was halted in 1989. The 200 hectares of that area are now canals and swamps fed by underground rivers that created an area that nurtures species such as cranes, cormorants, swans, ducks and foxes. During spring and autumn migrations, the area is very important for several species of rare migratory birds. This ecosystem resembles closely that of a river delta, and the levee around it keeps it isolated and quiet. Aware of the significance of this area, last year ecologists started the paperwork on providing official protection for the area. Here is Dan Barbulescu, executive director of the Save the Danube and Delta Association:

Dan Barbulescu: “This is a wetland area with natural springs, and due to the fact that access is restricted, an interesting, one hundred percent natural habitat has formed here. Since it is surrounded by the concrete buildings of Bucharest, it is picturesque, and it also has a certain scientific and ecological value. As a result, the area was turned into a nature park, a protected area set aside for scientific studies. This initiative emerged last year, when a group of experts went to the area and evaluated the species there, filing the findings with the Romanian Academy, which endorsed the creation of Vacaresti Nature Park, in May this year.”

Researchers say that the area has the features of a wildlife reserve. This puts Bucharest on the list of European capitals such as London, Berlin or Prague, all having similar protected areas. Dan Barbulescu once more:

Dan Barbulescu: “We have here over 90 species of birds, 40 of them protected under Romanian and European legislation. They are rated as endangered species in need of protection. You can find here otters, snakes, insects, which makes for a very interesting landscape. Given the Romanian Academy endorsement, the Romanian authorities are bound to apply protection. It is an area that has scientific, tourist as well as educational potential. It is a living museum where the inhabitants of Bucharest can see nature at its best. The area is huge compared to similar places in Europe, it has 200 hectares. Most European parks are 15 to 30 hectares, and are mostly rebuilt. Here we have an authentically natural area in Bucharest, which the City Hall should protect and manage properly.”

The Save the Danube and the Delta Association, along with Let’s Do It Romania, put together a clean-up of the area with 300 volunteers, which gathered 700 bags of refuse and recyclable material. This is part of the initiative called “Vacaresti Nature Park. An oasis in a concrete desert,” implemented in partnership with the Ecopolis Center for Sustainable Policies.

Soundbite: “We held an open lesson for the students in the area. We had some ecology, biology and geology workshops, organized together with experts in our initiative group, children and teachers from the area. The children were very glad when our snake expert showed them live specimens. The area can be a living lab, and may be significant for the schools in the area.”

Volunteering is only the beginning for the campaign to promote Vacaresti Nature Park. Soon this initiative will include meetings with representatives from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, articles in the media and a public petition through which the inhabitants of Bucharest may demand the establishment of Vacaresti Nature Park. The petition can be signed starting September 26 on Facebook.

The Cozia National Park spans more than 17,000 hectares in the south central part of the Southern Carpathians, on either side of the Olt River. This nature reserve is a veritable museum of ecosystems unaltered by human intervention, while the gorges of the river Olt amaze with their waters, greenery and steep, imposing slopes. Here we can find some of the most amazing mountain plants, rare plants endemic to this area, reason for which experts have named this area ‘the flower park’. It was designated a National Park in 1990, the most recently designated such area. Around 7000 hectares of it are dedicated to scientific research. Pavel Prundurel, director of the park, told us what we can expect to encounter when visiting the area:

“The first thing is the veritable carpeting of flowers, the multitude of fantastic flowers, unique in their scent and hue: the edelweiss, the gladiola, the orchids, the forest lily, and many more. You can find gems in the Cozia National Park, it is a wonderful landscape. Many people know the Olt Gorges from their motor trips, or their treks, and everyone is thoroughly impressed by the craggy slopes, arranged by nature as if to be admired. We also have a lot of marked trails, if you choose to go deeper into the forests of the park, and there you can find even more impressive sights.”

The management of the Cozia National Park has been running for a few years now projects under the Environmental Operational Sectoral Program. That is because the Carpathian eco-region is endangered due to excessive woodcutting, excessive hunting of large mammals or the destruction of habitats caused by expanding infrastructure. One of the projects is aimed at protecting birds, because the gorges of the Olt river is a migration corridor from Central Europe to the Aegean Sea. Over 65 species of birds find shelter here, and some even spend their winter here. Here is Pavel Prundurel once again:

“One initial project was destined for wild birds in the Cozia National Park. At the center of activities was the wish to get to know these species. We monitor the protection lists, and we found 23 species of birds protected by the EU directive aimed at birds. In addition to protecting wild birds, we gathered new observation equipment, we ran studies, we also published guides for the public at large, for scientists, for museums, for education institutions, etc. This has been a beautiful project, which we wanted to make into an educational project.”

Let us not forget the fauna in the park, with chamois and lynxes. On the sunny crags you sometimes see adders, protected by law for their rarity, and under the fallen foliage you may also find scorpions, a Mediterranean species. Back at the microphone is Pavel Prundurel:

: “Another project of ours was aimed at monitoring and preserving the lynx. We dared tackle this incredibly difficult issue because the conduct in monitoring and indexing supposes friendly techniques. You are not allowed to bother the animals, you cannot provoke them, you have to capture them without hurting them. We managed to carry out this activity successfully, we put GPS collars on them, and now we have a real map of their behavior and movements. In addition to the project, we managed to develop an entire infrastructure. We also have a very interesting and modern center for visitors.”

The brown bear has been a constant presence in Romania since times immemorial. Until two centuries ago it was roaming free in most areas. Starting then, however, as farming expanded, it was chased or hunted away from the plains, finding refuge in the mountains. The numbers have been growing of late, and now Romania has the largest population of bears in Europe after Russia. The Cozia National Park has brought its contribution to the effort, and Pavel Prundurel told us about it:

“One other project of ours involves protecting and monitoring the Carpathian brown bear. We know that Romania is a shelter for European large carnivores, and they reside here in large numbers. The project ends on the last day of 2013. We have already put GPS collars on two bears, and have mapped their activities, and we also ran genetic studies which tell us about the health of the population and the way they relate to each other.”

Last week, 35 national and natural parks from 5 Carpathian countries, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and the Ukraine, celebrated the natural diversity of protected areas in the Carpathians, where you can find the last of wild areas in Europe. Romania has 28 national and natural parks where you can find the most valuable ecosystems in terms of biodiversity. You can revisit this feature on our website, rri.ro.

The Cozia National Park spans more than 17,000 hectares in the south central part of the Southern Carpathians, on either side of the Olt River. This nature reserve is a veritable museum of ecosystems unaltered by human intervention, while the gorges of the river Olt amaze with their waters, greenery and steep, imposing slopes. Here we can find some of the most amazing mountain plants, rare plants endemic to this area, reason for which experts have named this area ‘the flower park’. It was designated a National Park in 1990, the most recently designated such area. Around 7000 hectares of it are dedicated to scientific research. Pavel Prundurel, director of the park, told us what we can expect to encounter when visiting the area:

“The first thing is the veritable carpeting of flowers, the multitude of fantastic flowers, unique in their scent and hue: the edelweiss, the gladiola, the orchids, the forest lily, and many more. You can find gems in the Cozia National Park, it is a wonderful landscape. Many people know the Olt Gorges from their motor trips, or their treks, and everyone is thoroughly impressed by the craggy slopes, arranged by nature as if to be admired. We also have a lot of marked trails, if you choose to go deeper into the forests of the park, and there you can find even more impressive sights.”

The management of the Cozia National Park has been running for a few years now projects under the Environmental Operational Sectoral Program. That is because the Carpathian eco-region is endangered due to excessive woodcutting, excessive hunting of large mammals or the destruction of habitats caused by expanding infrastructure. One of the projects is aimed at protecting birds, because the gorges of the Olt river is a migration corridor from Central Europe to the Aegean Sea. Over 65 species of birds find shelter here, and some even spend their winter here. Here is Pavel Prundurel once again:

“One initial project was destined for wild birds in the Cozia National Park. At the center of activities was the wish to get to know these species. We monitor the protection lists, and we found 23 species of birds protected by the EU directive aimed at birds. In addition to protecting wild birds, we gathered new observation equipment, we ran studies, we also published guides for the public at large, for scientists, for museums, for education institutions, etc. This has been a beautiful project, which we wanted to make into an educational project.”

Let us not forget the fauna in the park, with chamois and lynxes. On the sunny crags you sometimes see adders, protected by law for their rarity, and under the fallen foliage you may also find scorpions, a Mediterranean species. Back at the microphone is Pavel Prundurel:

: “Another project of ours was aimed at monitoring and preserving the lynx. We dared tackle this incredibly difficult issue because the conduct in monitoring and indexing supposes friendly techniques. You are not allowed to bother the animals, you cannot provoke them, you have to capture them without hurting them. We managed to carry out this activity successfully, we put GPS collars on them, and now we have a real map of their behavior and movements. In addition to the project, we managed to develop an entire infrastructure. We also have a very interesting and modern center for visitors.”

The brown bear has been a constant presence in Romania since times immemorial. Until two centuries ago it was roaming free in most areas. Starting then, however, as farming expanded, it was chased or hunted away from the plains, finding refuge in the mountains. The numbers have been growing of late, and now Romania has the largest population of bears in Europe after Russia. The Cozia National Park has brought its contribution to the effort, and Pavel Prundurel told us about it:

“One other project of ours involves protecting and monitoring the Carpathian brown bear. We know that Romania is a shelter for European large carnivores, and they reside here in large numbers. The project ends on the last day of 2013. We have already put GPS collars on two bears, and have mapped their activities, and we also ran genetic studies which tell us about the health of the population and the way they relate to each other.”

Last week, 35 national and natural parks from 5 Carpathian countries, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and the Ukraine, celebrated the natural diversity of protected areas in the Carpathians, where you can find the last of wild areas in Europe. Romania has 28 national and natural parks where you can find the most valuable ecosystems in terms of biodiversity. You can revisit this feature on our website, rri.ro.

In Romania there are 65 projects for energy efficient buildings with a low impact on the environment, shows a recent report made by the Romanian Council for Green Buildings in cooperation with the NAI Romania Company. Of these buildings, 17 are certified internationally while 48, which benefit from energy auditing, are included in class A. The buildings identified account for 5% of the total number of buildings erected between 1990 and 2013. They are located both in Bucharest and across Romania, mainly in the big cities. The City Hall of Bucharest’s sector 1 had an important contribution to developing green buildings in Bucharest, according to Ion Brad, the president of the Local Council:

Ion Brad: “In 2006 we started to promote the idea of thermal insulation of blocks of flats. So far we have managed to insulate around 410 blocks, insulation works are in full swing at another 200 blocks and we expect works to end by yearend and in 2014 we also intend to insulate another 200 blocks of flats. This action is meant to reduce energy consumption and the amount of CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Last month we passed a draft resolution under which we will mount photovoltaic panels on the roofs of all schools in sector 1 with a view to ensuring lighting, we’ll also mount other panels meant to produce the necessary thermal energy for heating and hot water supply”.

A large part of the green buildings in Romania are located in Bucharest. Crystal Tower is certainly one of the most interesting such buildings. It received the award of the Green Building professionals Association in Central and Eastern Europe for the BREEAM certification. The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method known as BREEAM is the oldest and most important instrument of assessing green buildings at international level, launched in 1990 in Great Britain. Mihaela Draghici is a representative of Crystal Tower:

Mihaela Draghici: “The Crystal Tower Project is the first in Romania to receive the BREEAM excellence certification. The building has a modern architectural design, it is sophisticated and elegant, protects the environment and has a low energy consumption. The building is equipped with special technological facilities, most of which have been introduced in Romania for the first time. Among these we can mention the double curtain wall, which has incorporated an intelligent shading system controlled by solar sensors for solar protection and thermal insulation. The building also boasts a VRV2 ventilation system or the state-of-the-art Building Management System which controls, monitors and optimises the building’s facilities. The Crystal Tower is both a green building and a very safe one, its resistant structure being of rigid reinforcement concrete. This is one of the safest buildings in Romania, designed to resist earthquakes measuring up to 8.5 on the Richter scale”.

The building has been designed so as to meet the requirements of companies and individuals providing a wide range of services and facilities: office space, conference halls, a restaurant, bars and cafés. All these are situated on the 15th floor, whereas the fitness and spa centres are located on the 14th floor. Crystal Tower also has a parking area, 4 underground levels and last but not least a heliport on the roof. Crystal Tower is actually the only private building in Romania to have a heliport.

The Romanian legislation allows for tax deductions for those buildings for whose construction or reconstruction green technologies were used. The representative of the Romanian Council for Green Buildings, Liza Manolea, will call on the authorities to introduce such tax cuts, in an effort to boost the construction of green buildings.

Liza Manolea: ”We suggest two types of tax cuts: a basic rate and additional deductions. Basic deductions are operated based on international certification and on the energy performance classification. The additional cuts are operated based on other criteria, such as emissions of nitrite oxides from the heating stations, drinking water consumption, (the less water you use, the most significant the tax cut is), the management of rain water; another criterion is the use of a thermo-graphic inspection, to indicate how safe your building is.”

Experts claim the liberalisation of the energy price will give an impetus to the construction of green buildings. Theoretically, by the end of 2020, all new construction projects should be zero-energy buildings which means zero net consumption of energy and zero emissions of carbon dioxide).

The Danube River’s basin is home to the most important species of sturgeon in the world. There are still viable populations of wild sturgeons both in Romania and neighboring Bulgaria. Still, because of fishing, once permitted, currently illegal, the populations of sturgeon, migratory fish that appeared on Earth some 200 million years ago, are on the decline. In the past, 6 species of sturgeon were swimming in the Danube, but two of them have not been seen in the river for many years now. A study on the caviar market in Romania and Bulgaria, conducted by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Romania has revealed worrying facts about the survival of this ancient fish in the Danube. Despite the satisfactory legal framework in both Romania and Bulgaria, where fishing sturgeon is fully prohibited, caviar can still be found on the market. Here is Magor Csibi, Director of WWF Romania.

“We took 14 samples from Romania, 14 from Bulgaria and 2 from Austria, from farms that were breeding fish from Bulgaria. What we discovered was that 10 samples, that is 33%, were legal, with the right labels and everything. However, 2 thirds of all the samples were not legal, which means that if somebody wants to buy caviar here, in our region, has 66% chancees of not getting what they actually wanted to buy. So there is poaching and illegal selling quite out in the open, given that 5 of the samples were from the beginning known as coming from wild sturgeon. This is illegal from all points of view, and still we had samples like that. Out of the five, four were of beluga, an extremely endangered species. Also, 8 of the samples were not properly labeled with the CITES label, therefore their selling on the EU market was not legal.”

In order to help preserve this endangered species, WWF Romania has started a communication project called Life+, under which those who fish in the Danube, decision makers and the companies that produce and sell caviar told their opinion about the situation. Here is Project Coordinator Cristina Munteanu:

83% of the fishermen say that if they are allowed to fish sturgeon, the population would not be affected, though 67% of them are aware that the trend is downward, not upward when it comes to the growth of the sturgeon population. But the main reason why they said that is that they have no other sources of income. All they care about is fishing. On the other hand, 65% of them have admitted that those fishermen who accidentally catch sturgeons and don’t release them or who poach may have an impact on sturgeon populations and would be willing to work with the authorities, but 39 % of them doubt this would yield any proper solution to this problem. More than 80% of them want this ban to cease as soon as possible, because for them fishing is a traditional activity and they argue their revenues have dropped dramatically since it was introduced in 2006”.

Regulatory authorities and decision makers see the fishing ban as a precautionary measure which would be even more efficient if it were backed by harsher penalties. Whereas in the communist era Romania was one of the worlds top caviar suppliers, on a par with the USSR and China, at present, after a 6-year ban, it seems things are getting out of hand. The programme aimed at repopulating the Danube with new spawns, which has been running for several years now, has so far failed to yield the desired results. Moreover authorities complain there is no basis for drawing up an efficiency assessment of the programme. Minister Delegate for Waters, Forests and Fishing Lucia Varga believes sturgeon can become a protected species in Romania, while the population can be restored through maintaining the fishing ban as well as other measures.

“The efforts of local authorities, of the Ministry and NGOs are not sufficient at this stage. European and regional authorities must also get more involved. Here I’m referring to some of our undertakings within the Council of Ministers, when we have highlighted the need to support aquaculture in order to exert less pressure on natural resources as well as the need to set up a Black Sea Committee. Fortunately, EU Commissioner Maria Damanaki is concerned with these developments and we hope to be able to start talks with a view to holding a meeting in Romania on this topic by autumn. We have information that poaching has rather intensified in the Danube area, which is why I have decided to reform the Fishing and Aquaculture Agency, to strengthen controls and monitoring due to the shortage of personnel and equipment”.

The high caviar demand has led to overfishing and thus to a dramatic drop in sturgeon populations. For this reason in 1998 all sturgeon species were included on the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Drafted in cooperation with the NAI Romania Company, the report shows that of these buildings, 17 are certified internationally while 48, which benefit from energy auditing, are included in class A. The buildings identified account for 5% of the total number of buildings erected between 1990 and 2013. They are located both in Bucharest and across Romania, mainly in the big cities. The City Hall of Bucharest’s sector 1 had an important contribution to developing green buildings in Bucharest, according to Ion Brad, the president of the Local Council:

Ion Brad: “In 2006 we started to promote the idea of thermal insulation of blocks of flats. So far we have managed to insulate around 410 blocks, insulation works are in full swing at another 200 blocks and we expect works to end by yearend and in 2014 we also intend to insulate another 200 blocks of flats. This action is meant to reduce energy consumption and the amount of CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Last month we passed a draft resolution under which we will mount photovoltaic panels on the roofs of all schools in sector 1 with a view to ensuring lighting, we’ll also mount other panels meant to produce the necessary thermal energy for heating and hot water supply”.

A large part of the green buildings in Romania are located in Bucharest. Crystal Tower is certainly one of the most interesting such buildings. It received the award of the Green Building professionals Association in Central and Eastern Europe for the BREEAM certification. The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method known as BREEAM is the oldest and most important instrument of assessing green buildings at international level, launched in 1990 in Great Britain.

Mihaela Draghici is a representative of Crystal Tower:

Ion Brad: “The Crystal Tower Project is the first in Romania to receive the BREEAM excellence certification. The building has a modern architectural design, it is sophisticated and elegant, protects the environment and has a low energy consumption. The building is equipped with special technological facilities, most of which have been introduced in Romania for the first time. Among these we can mention the double curtain wall, which has incorporated an intelligent shading system controlled by solar sensors for solar protection and thermal insulation. The building also boasts a VRV2 ventilation system or the state-of-the-art Building Management System which controls, monitors and optimises the building’s facilities. The Crystal Tower is both a green building and a very safe one, its resistant structure being of rigid reinforcement concrete. This is one of the safest buildings in Romania, designed to resist earthquakes measuring up to 8.5 on the Richter scale”.

The building has been designed so as to meet the requirements of companies and individuals providing a wide range of services and facilities: office space, conference halls, a restaurant, bars and cafés. All these are situated on the 15th floor, whereas the fitness and spa centres are located on the 14th floor. Crystal Tower also boasts a parking area, 4 underground levels and last but not least a heliport on its roof. Crystal Tower is actually the only private building in Romania to have a heliport.

The Romanian legislation allows for tax cuts for those buildings for whose construction or reconstruction green technologies were used. The representative of the Romanian Council for Green Buildings, Liza Manolea, will call on the authorities to introduce such tax cuts, in an effort to boost the construction of green buildings.

Liza Manolea: ”We suggest two types of tax cuts: a basic cut and additional cuts. Basic cuts are reductions which are operated based on international certification and on the energy performance classification. The additional cuts are operated based on other criteria, such as emissions of nitrite oxides from the heating stations, drinking water consumption, (the less water you use, the most significant the tax cut is), the management of rain water; another criterion is the use of a thermo-graphic inspection, to indicate how safe your building is.”

Experts claim the liberalisation of the energy price will give an impetus to the construction of green buildings. Theoretically, by the end of 2020, all new construction projects should be zero-energy buildings which means zero net consumption of energy and zero emissions of carbon dioxide).

13 cities entered the competition this year, with three of them qualifying to the final stage. The Earth Hour Capital title was granted to the city whose inhabitants collected the largest quantity of used plastic bottles on one day. Timisoara, the winner, collected 3.6 tonnes of plastic bottles, followed by Botosani and Ploiesti. The competition was initiated by the World Wide Fund Romania in connection to Earth Hour on the 23rd of March. On this day, all lights are turned off for one hour to raise people’s awareness of environmental problems.

Timisoara’s deputy mayor, Dan Diaconu: “Speaking only about waste collection, Timisoara started implementing a dual recycling system as early as 2007, in which dry and wet waste is collected separately. The system works very well. Besides the citizens’ involvement in dual waste collection, Timisoara also has a modern waste sorting centre, one of the few in Romania that allows a high degree of waste recycling. In 2013, we plan to make an important investment in waste management infrastructure as part of a project aiming at the use of alternative fuel obtained from urban waste as energy. We plan to build a facility to this end and integrate it to the city’s electricity grid. We will build an electric and thermal station running on fuel obtained from the dry fraction of the waste collected in Timisoara. This project is very important for waste management and for reducing the costs of thermal energy for the population.”

A free of charge system for collecting waste and large electric and electronic equipment is also available to the inhabitants of Timisoara. Also, the city hall has started a number of projects relating to energy efficiency, the preservation of biodiversity, education and communication, projects which earned them a high score in this year’s competition among Romania’s most environmentally aware cities.

Dan Diaconu explains:“In the coming period we will implement solar panel installations to heat the water in most schools and public institutions, which also shows our interest in the environment. Moreover, in terms of light sources, Timisoara has replaced all of its mercury-vapour street lamps with sodium-vapour lamps and LEDs. Light sources have been virtually replaced with higher-end products, which has brought about a 30% drop in energy consumption from street lighting. Moreover, we have light fittings using photovoltaic cells in several parks of Timisoara. In terms of the local policy on climate change, beyond the improvement of public lighting, we seek to use renewable energy sources for public lighting and not only, given that there are quite a few photovoltaic parks outside Timisoara”.

In recent years, Romania’s green areas have grown increasingly smaller. The tendency at present is to expand the surface of these areas up to the European average of 26 square meters of green space per capita. Although Timisoara is generally known as a city of green shades and flowers, the city’s overall green canopy is far from being satisfactory, as Dan Diaconu told us.

Dan Diaconu: “Green spaces are one of Timisioara’s assets, because at present the total surface of green areas accounts for 550 hectares, without adding to that the Green Forest, which is under Timisoara’s administration. We are yet to reach the standard required by the EU, since at present Timisoara boasts 18 square meters of green area per capita. But we are hopeful of achieving this standard soon. What we’re talking about here is green areas set up by local authorities, because we cannot fully account for private green areas. Besides, the Green Forest has been left out of the original estimate. Green areas are not an issue. We have many parks, which is why Timisoara is known as the city of parks and flowers, but we do take an interest in this field and try to expand the city’s green and recreational areas. Furthermore, over the next 2 or 3 years we will try to complete the green belt of Timisoara, a project started out in previous years. For this year we intend to plant a couple of tens of thousands of shrub seedlings so as to be able to complete the green belt in a few years”.

With each year that goes by, Earth Hour, an event spearheaded and managed globally by the World Wild Fund for Nature, is building greater momentum. Since its first edition in 2007, when the residents of Sydney turned off non-essential lights, Earth Hour is now marked in 6,500 cities, in 153 countries. Nearly 2 billion people around the world now want to do something concrete to protect the environment.

Last year, in the first edition of the competition held in Romania, Bistrita was officially bestowed the Earth Hour City Award, with Timisoara and Iasi ranking second and third, respectively.

In fact, out of the 11 types of bio-geographical region across Europe, 5 can be found in Romania, namely continental, alpine, Pannonian, Black Sea and steppe. The diversity of Romania’s plant and animal species can be explained by the fact that the country has vast unaltered forest and alpine habitats along the Carpathian Mountains, as well as some of the larges populations of lynxes, wolves, chamois and bears in Europe.

The steep and sunny slopes in the Carpathian Mountains are home to thousands of plant species, such as a special variety of peony, the Globe-flower,the ladys-slipper orchid, the edelweiss, the snakes head fritillary, the narrow-leaf narcissus, the Hungarian tulip, and the Martagon lily. The Carpathians are in fact Europe’s last haven for plants and animals that are on the verge of extinction. For a more efficient protection of such natural resources, the first protected areas were established in Romania as early as 1932, to cover today 7% of the country’s surface area.

Adam Craciunescu is the director general of Romsilva, the National Forestry Authority, which is responsible for the management of Romania’s protected areas: ”Out of the country’s 28 national and natural parks, with the exception of the Danube Delta, 23 are managed by specialised bodies reporting to the National Forestry Authority. The surface area of the 23 parks accounts for more than 856,000 hectares, of which 556,000 hectares are covered by forests. The parks under the administration of the Forestry Authority account for around 80% of the overall surface area of national and natural parks in Romania. Under the circumstances, we believe that, at least in the near future, Romsilva will remain an important player in this area, namely the management of natural and national parks in Romania.”

While Romania’s natural heritage is impressive, its protected natural areas are under-financed. This is why the management of the national and natural parks for which Romsilva is responsible was decentralised a few years ago to allow the parks’ management easier access to several European and government funds.

Romsilva director Adam Craciunescu explains: ”Given the eligibility criteria for accessing European funding, Romsilva had no other choice but to change its management strategy, even though this entailed a more complicated way of distributing the financial resources required for its activities. As part of the Sectoral Operational Programme for Environment, the Forestry Authority has received funding approval for 25 projects, whose overall value stands at around 110 million lei, that’s more than 25 million euros. Two such projects have already been completed, while the others are soon to be completed. We have created visiting centres for the population in most of our regional offices with a view to making the local population familiar with these parks.”

Starting in 2006, the nature protection in the Carpathians has been supported by an international organisation called The Network of Protected Areas in the Carpathians. For a tighter cooperation among the seven Carpathian countries, the Network will be supervising joint projects to facilitate exchanges between other protected areas in the Carpathians, while at the same time trying to raise awareness about the fragile ecosystems across the entire mountain chain by means of concrete measures, such as the creation of an ecological network to support endangered species.

Adam Craciunescu: “Many of the authorities involved in the network are partners or even leaders of current international projects. Our park authorities hold regular meetings at European level with their counterparts from Italy, Germany, Austria and Hungary. The models created in the early years of managing these protected areas have been recreated both for the newly established structures at national level and for some individual components, such as the financial management at European level in the case of the countries in the Carpathian Convention, such as Serbia, Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Also, Romsilva has been contacted by the authorities in the Republic of Moldova with a view to granting consultancy in the process of organising and developing their system of protected areas.”

The Danube Delta stands out among other protected areas in Romania, both in terms of its surface area, which covers 580,000 hectares, and its biodiversity. The Danube Delta is at the same a biosphere reserve, a Ramsar site, being on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance, and World Natural and Cultural Heritage site. Romania boasts 12 wetland areas protected by the Ramsar Convention and has a major contribution to the Natura 2000 Ecological Network for the preservation of habitats and wild bird species.

The area is dominated by mountains, through which the Danube, on its way to the Black Sea, has dug an impressive gorge of 140 kilometres in length. With its steep slopes, narrow gorges and rocky caves, the park is a true wonder of nature. It is a scenic landscape with everything covered by rich, sub-Mediterranean vegetation, which increases the impression of virgin territory. To preserve the unspoiled beauty of the area, the park’s administration has started a series of preservation and protection projects. One such project is aimed at boosting tourism and making the most of the natural heritage. Marian Jiplea, the head of the Iron Gates Natural Park has the details:

Marian Jiplea: “The project, worth 2.6 million euros, unfolds between July 2012 and January 2015 throughout the entire park. Its main goal is to develop information, research and tourist infrastructure so as to raise the awareness of the local communities and the visitors about the need to preserve the park’s biodiversity. We will also work on enhancing protection of priority habitats and the bird species here. For this reason, the Danube Watercourse Bazias-Iron Gates site was declared of community importance. The project also includes the purchase of two mobile science labs, one of which is an aquatic laboratory. They will be used to monitor the species of birds that live in the wetlands, something we have already started to do. The construction of a travelling visitor centre onboard a ship accounts for about a half of the project’s value. It is in fact a double deck ship that will be anchored in Orsova and which once a year will be taken to a different Danube port within the park. “

The Iron Gates Natural Park is home to an impressive biodiversity including several thousands of species of plants. The gorge’s most beautiful part is the Cazane straits. The area harbours some rare species of plants, such as the Banat maple tree and the Cazane tulip. In April, the whole area along the Danube straits, where the river makes its way through the narrowest and most grandiose part of the gorge, becomes a genuine attraction for both tourists and biologists from Romania and Serbia. This is the time when this special kind of tulip unique in the world is in full bloom, adding colour to the rocky walls on both sides of the river Danube. Romanian experts and their counterparts from the National Park in Serbia are carrying out a joint project aimed at monitoring this species:

Marian Jiplea: “The Park administration is running two projects in partnership with the administration of Piatra Craiului Park aimed at developing a tight cross-border cooperation with the Djerdap National Park in Serbia. The project includes a series of surveys and joint activities. We have also been running a project called ‘Life natura’ that started in September 2011 and is due until late 2014. This is a EU-funded project which we have been running together with the Agency for Environmental Protection of Caras Severin and the Environmental Research Centre of the Bucharest University designed to improve the preservation of the species and habitats in the Iron Gates Nature Park. The project aims to come up with an action plan to halt the loss of biodiversity in the park’s wetlands, develop a strategy to raise people’s awareness about biodiversity preservation, create a web application for the management of wetlands, carry out surveys on invasive species and recreate the habitats of the pygmy cormorant populations in the region. We also aim to create a map of the invasive species found in the park’s wetlands.”

The Iron Gates Park is also home to two species on the verge of extinction, the horned viper and Hermann’s tortoise. The horned viper is an endangered species because its habitat has been destroyed. The same is true for Hermann’s tortoise, a species which is being captured in large numbers and sold as pets, mainly because people believe they bear luck to the owner.

The Iron Gates Natural Park is regarded as the third most important bird habitat in Romania, because apart from the pygmy cormorant colony, the region is also home to other protected species. Unfortunately, the region’s biodiversity is threatened by the degradation of nesting habitats, the presence of species, illegal fishing and water pollution. The administration of the Iron Gates Park is also considering the restoration of several caves in the park that are home to significant bat colonies. These are protected species under the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife.

The plan provides for strategies and policies aimed at saving and rehabilitating one of the world’s most polluted seas. Marine biologists have repeatedly sounded the alarm with respect to the rapid decrease in the numbers of species and fish population due to water pollution, trade activities and transportation.







Whereas 30 or 40 years ago there were nearly 25 species of fishing interest, at present there are only five or six: the sprout, the European anchovy, the horse mackerel, the sole fish and the shark, only in small numbers, says Simion Nicolaev, the head of the “Grigore Antipa” Institute of Marine Research and Development in Constanta. 25 years ago, the fishing output amounted to over 900 thousand tons in the Black Sea basin, while the total output today barely reaches 300 thousand tons a year.







The list of main pollutants includes crude oil hydrocarbons generated by rivers that discharge into the Black Sea, and which account for 2.4 million square kilometers of hydrographic basin. Ranking second on the threat list are trade and transport activities in the coastal area, given that some 50 thousand ships sail on the Black Sea every year. Equally noxious are gas pool and oil exploitation activities, which destroy natural habitats home to the reproduction and breeding of species. Adding to all that are irrational and illegal fishing practices, which involve the use of habitat-damaging tools.







This year, the “Mare Nostrum” NGO that takes an active interest in the degradation of the marine environment is organizing various activities to mark International Black Sea Day. Marcela Roman, the NGO’s public relations officer gave us more details:







Marcela Roman: “The first activity we organize this year is a European project called “Coastwatch”, which was launched in Ireland. Its aim is to highlight the challenges the European coastal areas are facing at present. We are trying to assess the anthropic impact, with a focus on cataloguing the type of waste on the coastline that is currently under surveillance by volunteers and students in Constanta, and afterwards all the data will be included in a final report. We want to draw attention to a series of serious issues the Romanian coastal area is facing, given that we currently lack a selective and unfaltering waste collection system”.







The contest “The Black Sea is for everyone” has reached its 9th edition. It is aimed at encouraging photography enthusiasts to promote the preservation of the marine biodiversity of the Romanian seacoast via their works. This year we have for the first time the National Blog Contest, in which nature lovers can post environmental problems in Romania on the Internet. “Mare Nostrum’ has also started projects for protecting dolphins. Statistics show that in 1950 the Black Sea had over a million dolphins, but now there are only a few tens of thousands. Here is Marcela Roman again:







Marcela Roman: “At present we are implementing a project which started late in 2009 and will be concluded in 2012. It deals with a multitude of activities, but also with concrete measures. I am referring to the 50 acoustic devices that we have purchased as part of this project, which have already been distributed to 5 fisheries taking part in the project. Those acoustic devices make a sound which does not bother fish, but which dolphins can hear, and steers them away from fishing nets, which prevents them from getting tangled in them and getting dragged to the shore. From the beginning of this year we have identified 200 dolphins that beached. The main cause is accidentally getting caught in fishing nets, because they get attracted by schools of fish. Since we have installed those devices, no dolphins have been caught, and no schools of fish have been affected, but some time has to pass before concrete results can be seen”.







This autumn in Bucharest, the fourth edition of NGO forums in the Black Sea region gathered over 200 participants from Romania and abroad. The discussions focused on the idea that the Black Sea should get more attention from the riparian countries, but also from the EU, because several rivers crossing EU member countries flow into that sea. Here is Adela Rusu, coordinator of the NGOs’ Federation for Development in Romania:







Adela Rusu: “This year we were happy to welcome here the president of the European Social and Economic Committee, Stefan Nilsson, who conveyed a very optimistic message, because in the last 3 years we’ve had few projects of good quality. That has happened because the EU does not have coherent financing for this region and that was emphasized by one of the important guests at the event, Traian Ungureanu, the European MP who tabled a report in the European Parliament on a Black Sea strategy which emphasized the lack of financing”.







The same conclusion was drawn at the meeting of environment ministers from the member countries of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, which was held in Bucharest at the end of May. Environment Minister Laszlo Borbely said then that a lot of initiatives Romania wants to undertake in dealing with the Black Sea issue are tied in with other states, which have a different economic potential.

230 million hectares of forested land will be wiped out by 2050, if preventive measures are not taken. This warning comes from the latest study compiled by the World Wide Fund for Nature.





Ancient beech forests have already suffered greatly from deforestation. Poor administration in the past few decades has led to the complete disappearance of ancient forests in developed countries, while animal and plant habitats have been strongly affected by human activity.





The cost has been immense, as these virgin forests — also known as ‘old growth forests’’ – are a vital source of fresh water, they absorb carbon dioxide, and also stabilize the soil and climate. Moreover, ancient forests in Romania are home to Europe’s prized large carnivores — the brown bear, the wolf and the lynx.





Ancient, or ‘’virgin’’ forests, cover 0.3 percent of the total area of the Danube-Carpathians eco-region. This amounts to 322 thousand forested hectares, most of which are on Romanian territory. The World Wide Fund has recently launched a campaign entitled “Save the virgin forests”, meant to gain legal protection for Romania’s old-growth forests.





The Fund also warned that 80 percent of these forests are not currently protected by law and many risk being destroyed. One development project aims to build ski-ing facilities in the Ceahlau National Park, while small hydroelectric plants are being built on rivers and creeks throughout the Carpathian chain.





Additionally, building national roads through forested land could destroy animal habitats. Green organizations are condemning these projects, which they say are damaging biodiversity. Here is Gabriel Paun, head of the Agent Green organization.





Gabriel Paun: “Beautiful countries like Austria, Switzerland or France are no longer home to virgin forests and untouched natural scenery. They have been destroyed by human development. It’s too late now to save anything. For example, when Austria was planning to build national parks, they realized they didn’t have much space for it. At present, national parks only cover 2.8 percent of Austria’s territory, and we’re not talking about virgin forests here. At the other end of the spectrum, we have Romania, with the most virgin forests in all of Europe. A study conducted a few years ago by the Institute for Forestry Research and a Dutch institute charted Romania’s virgin forests, finding over 218,000 hectares of old-growth forests in groups of at least 5 hectares each.”





The Retezat National park is home to 5 thousand hectares of wild forests, the biggest such area in all of Europe. In 2009, the park received an award from the European Council in recognition of its stunning scenery, rich flora and fauna, as well as vast old-growth forests. It is here that ecologists have recently discovered the last Intact Forest Landscape in temperate Europe. The only other areas with unbroken expanses of natural forest ecosystems are northern Canada and Russia, and the tropical forests of the Amazon and Congo. Gabriel Paun again at the microphone:







Gabriel Paun: “Recently, this area was the target of barbaric attacks, when a large number of trees in the Rau Ses Valley were cut down, allegedly having been blighted by insects. Far too many trees were cut down and that particular forested area was compromised. It lost part of its untouched landscape. Fortunately, the media was called by environmental protection agencies and a decision was made to increase the area’s level of legal protection. This is a victory we earned one step at a time, but much more is needed to effectively keep that area untouched.”







The Green Agent Organization has recently started an alternative project to preserve biodiversity in this region by getting local communities involved in ecotourism.







Gabriel Paun: “In order to secure long-term protection, we’ve decided to work together with local communities by getting them involved in an alternative regional development program through ecotourism. The film “Wild Carpathia” was recently released, with support from HRH Prince Charles. We’ve began bringing in tourists from the UK and other west-European countries right here in Retezat. All the money they spend on accommodation, on local tour guides, on traditional meals and transport will go to the communities, in order to encourage them to keep their natural heritage intact. Tourists come here to see what their homeland has lost.”







In less than three weeks after the campaign was launched, 72 thousand signatures were gathered to change the legislation on old-growth forests. Environment minister Laszlo Borbely has said that the bill meant to protect these natural treasures will be finalized by the end of the year.







Meanwhile, a protocol of collaboration with the world Wide Fund will be finalized in a few weeks, in order to better protect Romania’s virgin forests. Borbely also announced that the Environment Ministry, together with the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, has identified European funds worth 100 million euros, to be used to compensate private owners of virgin forest lands.