English Version - United Nations Development Programme Romania

Interior rivers 40 25** 13
The Danube 85* 30 10
Subterranean water 9 6 3
TOTAL 134 61 26
* - represents 1/2 of the annual medium stock streamed on the Danube in the Bazias sector;
** - collects cca. 5 billion m 3 of secure resources under normal circumstances
Source: “Romanian Waters” National Company, 1999.
On the average, the Q min /Q max ratio is 1/200, and on certain watercourses it can become 1/1000 or
even 1/2000. The Danube, the second largest river in Europe, with 2850 km of length, of which 1075 km
are in our country's territory (37.7%) has an average of 170 billion cubic meters of water on entering the
country. Its international character presupposes certain limits in the exploitation of its resources and, for
this reason, only half of the average volume that goes through the Bazias section is considered a resource.
The subterranean water resources are in medium and deep subsoil water bearing strata. Set in
relation to the country’s population, it can be said that there is more supply than demand, as the average
annual water consumption in Romania is 2705 cubic meters per capita as compared to the European
average figure of 4000 cubic meters per capita.
In order to create a discharge regulation, 1900 large lakes were made, outfitted with all the
necessary equipment for the complex use of water, collecting a volume totalling 13 billion cubic meters in
1996. At the same time, over 2000 km of canals and derivations were built to transfer large quantities
from basins with water in excess to the ones with a water deficit, or to move water within the same basin.
In addition to the quantitative problems of water with which society is confronted, there is also
the increasing problem of quality.
As various forms of water pollution can be found in Romania, some sources of water become
unusable, so that the demand/supply ratio acquires a more complex significance.
Of the 21,726 km, the total length of the rivers tested for water quality in 1997, 12,491 km
(57.5%) were of the highest quality; 6,104 km (28.1%) were second rate; 1,252 km (5.8%) were third
rate, and 1,879 km (8.6%) below the acceptable limit. The worst results, far below the acceptable limit,
occurred in the following hydrographic basins: Ialomita: ca. 44.8%, Prut: 21.1%, and Mures-Aranca: 7%.
Compared to 1989, an improvement in the quality of water has been registered for the interior
rivers. Thus, the proportion of river sectors with high quality water (first and second) increased from 35%
and 25%, respectively, in 1989, to 57.5% and 28.1%, respectively, in 1997. The proportion of low quality
river water (third and below) decreased from 18% and 22%, respectively, in 1989, to 5.8% and 8.6%,
respectively, as a result of decreased industrial activity, use of improved technologies, economical water
management, and implementation of coercive measures against the users that carry out polluting activities.
In the subsoil water reserves, a reduction in quality can be observed, due to insufficient protection
of the deep strata from the aggression of polluted and used waters, especially in large industrial areas and
also to the persistent effects caused by the incorrect application of chemical fertilisers.
The areas with a high degree of pollution are situated in the following basins: Ialomita - the fantalus
of Prahova-Teleajen; Arges-the Dimbovnic Valley; Sasar-Baia Mare area; Jiu-Tg.Jiu area; Barcau -
downstream Suplacu de Barcau.
A systematic decrease in the quality of the Danube's waters can be observed, due to an everincreasing
proportion of sewage along its entire course, which has important effects on the Danube flora
and fauna and the Danube Delta.
The demand of water grew from 1.4 billion cubic meters in 1950, to over 20 billion in 1989, as a
result of the growth in population and the industrial and agricultural development.
After 1989, demand was around 12 billion m³, and water exploitation varied between 9,8 and
10,5 billion m³/year.
The reasons for the decreased exploitation of the water resources are:
Decreased industrial production, which determined a corresponding decrease in the water
consumption, which is now around 70-75% of the corresponding amount used in 1989.
Sharp and steady decrease of water used for irrigation, now around 12-22% of the corresponding
amount in 1989, greatly due to difficulties experienced in ensuring the proper working of the
irrigation systems and to the lack of water consumers.
4.2.2 Sustainable development and management of water resources
At the Dublin Water and Environment Convention of 1992, and at the UN Conference for the
Environment and its Development, held at Rio de Janeiro in July 1992, the international community
recommended to governments to adhere to the following principles for the sustainable management of
water resources:
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