DEVELOPMENT
- investments program
Ecological reconstruction
in the DDBR
The particular natural conditions in the
DDBR were affected in the past by modifications to the Danube
and Danube Delta morphology. The main human activities directly
affecting the environment of the Danube Delta were:
- modification of Sulina Branch for maritime ships navigation,
continued with permanent hydro technical works;
- natural resources exploitation programs, exaggerated
and without scientific basis, between 1950-1989. Almost
110,000 hectares were embanked and channels were cut, with
negative effects on the environment.
The result is that, on almost ¼ of
the Delta’s territory, man brutally affected the ecosystems
and their restoration is a difficult problem.
The ecological conditions in the Danube Delta were also influenced
by human activities in the hydrographic basin of the Danube:
- embankment of the Danube floodplain;
- construction of dams on the Danube, the hydroelectric
accumulations, anti-erosion works and water collection (especially
for irrigations);
- development of economic activities from the Danube basin
(industry, agriculture, energy, transportation etc).
The decrease in Danube water quality produced,
in some lakes from the Delta, serious hydrological phenomena,
such as strong eutrophication due to the increase in nutrients
content.
The ecological reconstruction programs considered
criteria based on the increase in natural potential or biodiversity
in areas where the conservation is possible or the degraded
ecosystems can be restored to higher natural value.
The ecological reconstruction of the embanked
areas from the Danube Delta was an important component of
the objectives financed by the World Bank through the GEF
project “Biodiversity Conservation in the Danube Delta”.
The deterioration of the natural habitats
from the Danube Delta, caused by agriculture, fish farming,
forestry and reed harvesting imposed concrete recovery actions
and ecological restoration in order to bring ecosystems as
close as possible to their initial condition (before they
were embanked and exploited).
The ecological restoration started in 1994
with Babina agricultural polder (2,100 hectares). Later projects
increased this area to 15,000 hectares.
The ecological goals (concerning the ecological
reconstruction of the embanked areas from the Danube Delta)
were achieved by restoring the natural flooding regime in
the former agricultural areas through technical projects that
insured communication with Danube’s branches. The most
economical method was the creation of breaches (in the contour
embankments). For the fish farming areas, the goal was to
improve water quality and aquatic habitats.
Because the improvement of the hydrology
is one of the premises for the good functioning of the Danube
Delta ecosystems, this task was considered first priority
in terms of planned restoration. In order to rectify the situation
on DDBR territory, the following areas beneficiated of natural
conditions improvements: Matita-Merhei, Magearu-Cardon, Gorgova-Uzlina,
Sontea-Fortuna, Dunavat-Dranov, Rosu-Puiu, Somova-Parches
and Babina-Cernovca.
The restoration of the ecological functions
also brings the development of specific local resources and
economic traditional activities: fishing, hunting, reed harvesting,
cattle breeding and recreation (tourism).
The restoration of the hydrology and its functions means that,
for these areas, sustainable resources management has the
following functions:
- habitat for plants and animals, specific for alluvial
areas;
- habitat and reproduction area for fish;
- habitats and reproduction areas for aquatic and limicoline
birds;
- gene pool for biodiversity;
- bio corridor and genetic exchange;
- biological production;
- bio-geo-chemical circuit for elements;
- retention of sediments and fixation of toxic substances;
- bio-filter for the Black Sea.
In the same, it is necessary to evaluate
the benefits of the reconstruction work and to establish a
management for the natural resources generated after restoration.
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