English Version - United Nations Development Programme Romania

The Danube and the Danube Delta
With more than 1,000 km along an in the Romanian territory, the Danube, together with its overflow
meadows and delta, has always represented an important part of our natural capital. As a result of the human
activity upstream and in Romania (which has 97.8% of its territory in the Danubian basin), changes have
occurred in the hydrologic regime as well as in the quality of water. These have had a negative influence on the
ecosystems found in the Delta and on the north-western coast of the Black Sea.
The embankment works executed in the 60s on approx. 800 km along the Romanian border in order to
obtain new land, have practically led to the disappearance of the flooding areas. As it happens in large systems,
the ensuing effects appeared much later and were obviated by
eutrophication of Danube Delta waters, and partly of those in the north-west Black Sea, due to the
elimination of the filtering effect caused by intensive agriculture and non-filtered streams from towns along
the rivers (possible only in the presence of the flooding areas);
changes in the specific diversity of fish and the dramatic decrease in fish populations with great economic
value (especially carp), due to a lack of shallow water zones in the flooding areas, which is needed for their
reproduction.
Another factor whose detrimental effects were not initially considered, has been the building of dams
and water reservoirs for the electric power supplies. Their appearance has led to changes in the flood patterns
and to a fall in the quantity of alluvia carried by the Danube, due to water decantation. It has also caused major
distortions in the Romanian coastal ecosystems. Another effect caused by dams was the disruption of migration
paths for the reproduction of valuable sturgeon species.
The Danube Delta is the largest humid zone in Europe. The diversified structure of the natural
ecosystems, most of which were unaffected by human activity, have made the Danube Delta, together with the
Razelm-Sinoe lagoon complex, a Biosphere Reserve. It has also been included on the list of International
Natural and Cultural Heritage, and in the Ramsar Convention. As a direct effect of the flooding areas
disappearance, the Danube Delta's capacity to retain nutrients has increased sharply since the 80s. It is currently
affected by eutrofication, which has led to the reduction or loss of low water macrophitae, to changes in the
range of periphitic and epiphytic algae, and to the spreading of rival species favoured by the nutrients in excess
(for example, the blue-green algae).
Apart from the losses caused by eutrofication, the Delta’s biodiversity was and still is affected by the
changes in or destruction of the habitats, by changes in the hydrological patterns. The latter are due to the
creation of man-made channels or meander interruption, by transforming large areas into agricultural or fishing
zones, or by the change in water quality (transformation of the Razelm lagoon into a fresh water lake).
4.6 Forests and Forestry
In 1998, the forest fund of Romania included 6.37 million hectares (i.e. 26.7% of the whole area)
of which 6,23 million hectares are covered by forests. Most of the forests are state owned, with only
336,000 hectares in private ownership. The process of retrocession to the former owners is under way in
the case of other forested areas.
The estimated volume of timber is 1.37 billion m³, with an average of current growth of 5.6 m³
and an average volume per hectare of 215 m³. From this point of view Romania takes a leading place in
Europe but, as a result of unsustainable forestry policy, it suffered a gradual setback and was surpassed by
many European countries that secured better conditions for a sustainable development of their forests.
Other indices of the forestry resources are shown in Table 4.3 and several conclusions may be
drawn:
There is a relatively low economic potential of the forests, with the normal volume of timber
being of about 16 million m³ in 1998, as compared to 21 million m³ four decades ago;
Reduced accessibility to the forestry fund, the density of forest roads being of 6.2 m/ha;
Forests pay an important ecological role of protecting the environment; that is why approximately
50% of Romania’s forests can be included in this category (protecting water resources, soil,
climate and the ecological and genetic funds).
Owing to the great capacity to metabolise carbon dioxide and to store it into the biomass and
black mould humus, the forests of Romania are a redoubtable anti-enthropic barrier, creating
favourable effects well beyond the national frontiers. For example, in Romania the ratio between the
CO 2 emissions and the adsorption of the gas by forests is much lower than that registered in other
European countries like Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, etc.
A rich and varied hunting fauna comes to crown the forestry heritage of Romania (stag – 30,000;
roebuck – 150,000; bear – 5,500; wolf – 3,000 heads).
Despite the fact that the forests take only 26.7% of the area, this figure is very close to the
international standard, 25%.
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