9 Deforestation and Frequency of Floods in Romania
283
increasing the deforested areas [77, 78]. In the case of Romania, the forested area
represents 27.5% of the total area, with 13.5% less than the European Union average
(41%), the forest mainly occupying the mountainous area—59.7%. Romania is the
country where the deforested area has accelerated in recent years, the most affected
are mountain areas. Over the past period, deforested areas, both legally and illegally,
have expanded very much, reaching alarming proportions, the main cause being
the demand on an upward path, internally being the supply of raw materials for
industry and fuel for heating homes, and externally, the export of lumber and logs.
In a report of the Court of Accounts of Romania, it is shown that during the period
2005–2011, was illegally harvested 633,500 m
3 of timber, which represents an area
of approximately 292,000 ha, and in the 2003 Greenpeace report, the volume of
illegally taken wood in 2012 was about 120,000 m
3 , which represents 4 million
euros [79, 80]. The direct consequence of these economic activities is the reduction
of forest areas and the multiplication of negative effects on both the natural and the
socio-economic environment.
The prospects of the future global economy indicate an increase in the pressure
of the economic component on forest areas. Thus, the creation of an effective environmental risk management systems is a key objective for decision-makers, especially in affected communities [10]. The forest ecosystem is subject to an increasing anthropogenic pressure [81–84], which makes diminishing or even stopping the
phenomenon of deforestation becoming one of the greatest challenges that current
decision makers are forced to face. Any intervention on this ecosystem may have
negative consequences both at the level of the forest ecosystem and at the level of the
territorial systems based on the exploitation of the forest. Consequently, the management of the forest fund becomes a matter of public interest of the highest importance
[85]. If this management were carried out at a high level, it could have a positive
impact on the environment and local economies [61, 86], so that the protection of
forest areas would become a priority action that should be implemented as soon as
possible [21].
A solution for sustainable wood exploitation is the development of efficient territorial management strategies that will have the role of reducing the imbalances
generated by destabilizing forest ecosystems. These strategies should target the regulation of property rights, reducing deforestation by limiting industrial exploitation
[87], reforestation of deforested or non-agricultural areas [88, 89], tightening legislation for illegal deforestation, supporting local sustainable economic activities by
central and local public authorities, the involvement of the authorities in the better
protection and management of the private forestry fund and facilitating access to
technology, all of these measures representing priority action lines [90]. All these
strategies represent a great need for the territorial systems whose functional profile
is based on the resources offered by the forest areas. Thus, forest protection and
management are priority actions that need to be implemented as soon as possible
[21, 91].
283
increasing the deforested areas [77, 78]. In the case of Romania, the forested area
represents 27.5% of the total area, with 13.5% less than the European Union average
(41%), the forest mainly occupying the mountainous area—59.7%. Romania is the
country where the deforested area has accelerated in recent years, the most affected
are mountain areas. Over the past period, deforested areas, both legally and illegally,
have expanded very much, reaching alarming proportions, the main cause being
the demand on an upward path, internally being the supply of raw materials for
industry and fuel for heating homes, and externally, the export of lumber and logs.
In a report of the Court of Accounts of Romania, it is shown that during the period
2005–2011, was illegally harvested 633,500 m
3 of timber, which represents an area
of approximately 292,000 ha, and in the 2003 Greenpeace report, the volume of
illegally taken wood in 2012 was about 120,000 m
3 , which represents 4 million
euros [79, 80]. The direct consequence of these economic activities is the reduction
of forest areas and the multiplication of negative effects on both the natural and the
socio-economic environment.
The prospects of the future global economy indicate an increase in the pressure
of the economic component on forest areas. Thus, the creation of an effective environmental risk management systems is a key objective for decision-makers, especially in affected communities [10]. The forest ecosystem is subject to an increasing anthropogenic pressure [81–84], which makes diminishing or even stopping the
phenomenon of deforestation becoming one of the greatest challenges that current
decision makers are forced to face. Any intervention on this ecosystem may have
negative consequences both at the level of the forest ecosystem and at the level of the
territorial systems based on the exploitation of the forest. Consequently, the management of the forest fund becomes a matter of public interest of the highest importance
[85]. If this management were carried out at a high level, it could have a positive
impact on the environment and local economies [61, 86], so that the protection of
forest areas would become a priority action that should be implemented as soon as
possible [21].
A solution for sustainable wood exploitation is the development of efficient territorial management strategies that will have the role of reducing the imbalances
generated by destabilizing forest ecosystems. These strategies should target the regulation of property rights, reducing deforestation by limiting industrial exploitation
[87], reforestation of deforested or non-agricultural areas [88, 89], tightening legislation for illegal deforestation, supporting local sustainable economic activities by
central and local public authorities, the involvement of the authorities in the better
protection and management of the private forestry fund and facilitating access to
technology, all of these measures representing priority action lines [90]. All these
strategies represent a great need for the territorial systems whose functional profile
is based on the resources offered by the forest areas. Thus, forest protection and
management are priority actions that need to be implemented as soon as possible
[21, 91].