Between 1950 and 1989, a comprehensive land reclamation programme was
undertaken. During this time, some 3100 thousands ha (i.e. 56.5% of a 5500
thousands ha programme) as well as 2959 thousands ha (i.e. 56.8% of an envisaged
5530 thousand ha programme) had moisture control equipment put in place, while
2220 ha (i.e. 41.9% out of a 5300 ha programme) were (Lup 2014).
41.2.3 Irrigations Systems
Owing to the climate’s characteristics, a large part of Romania’s territory is affected
by drought – something that reduces the land’s production capacities to a large
extent and, sometimes, even leads to the complete destruction of crops. Such
adverse natural conditions were compounded by the communist regime’s eagerness
to raise the yields per ha (which, incidentally, were among the lowest in Europe!)
while plagued by severe cash shortages, in a race against time to meet the everambitious if unrealistic quotas set in The Communist Party’s 5 year-long central
planning programme (Fig. 41.3).
Fig. 41.3 Lands affected by drought to be equipped for irrigation (yellow) and lands equipped for
irrigation (blue) (Source: The Ministry of Agriculture’s Land Reclamation Department)
41 Land and Water in Romania’s Food Economy
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