530
were clearly noted as early as 1927 by Grigore Antipa in his Report on the cultivation of the swampy areas of Romania,
2
mentioned by Bethemont 1975.
Despite the financial investments made in deltaic resources exploitation during
the communist regime, many of these developments failed, and others were progressively abandoned in the last years of the communist regime and especially after
the fall of the regime. Given these facts, Bethmont’s question (1975) is still very
much current: “How could we exploit the wealth of the delta without making its
fragility show?”
17.5 Ecosystem Alteration and Restoration in the Danube
Delta Biosphere Reserve
In the early 1990s, after the fall of the communist regime and after the construction
of various fish farming and agricultural development works as well as reed exploitation and branch shortcutting to facilitate navigation, 97,400 ha, i.e., 26.7% of the
surface area of the delta, were excluded from the natural delta circuit. The ecosystems were completely upset, and the deltaic system was disrupted. The excessive
exploitation of the deltaic natural resources in this region has resulted in the disappearance of reproductive areas used by the native fish and other animal species (20
bird species have disappeared) and in the clogging of the natural channels. The
building of oversized canals (e.g., the Mila 35 Canal and the Crisan-Caraorman
Canal) has trivialized and transformed the deltaic landscape. This ecosystem disruption and the need to protect an exceptional biodiversity – the heterogeneous mixture
of habitats developed in the delta shelters a large community of plants and animals,
the number of which is estimated to be approximately 5380 – and restore these
ecosystems were arguments in favor of declaring the Danube Delta a Biosphere
Reserve. Thus, in 1990, the Danube Delta, including the Razim-Sinoe lagoons area,
was declared a Biosphere Reserve (by the Government Decision no. 983, article 5)
with an independent management and scientific council.
That same year, i.e., in 1990, the Danube Delta (more precisely, its waterfowl
habitat) was recognized as a Wetland of International Importance as defined by the
Ramsar Convention of 1971; consequently, the Danube Delta has been included on
UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Also under the aegis of UNESCO, the
Danube Delta was included in the MAB (Man and Biosphere) Programme in 1991.
Finally, the law of 1993 (Law n°82 of December 7) and the Government Decision
n°248 of 1994 stipulate the reserve law, its operation, scientific council, management board, and security and control team. This law was amended and adapted by
Law no. 136/2011. According to these legislative documents, the Danube Delta
2 According to him, “the potential of each section of the floodable area should be enhanced by
devoting it to the production for which nature itself created it, thus achieving its productivity and
profitability peak; the development system should also take into consideration that the works performed for this purpose should not alter the natural balance and trigger disastrous consequences.”
S. Niculescu et al.
were clearly noted as early as 1927 by Grigore Antipa in his Report on the cultivation of the swampy areas of Romania,
2
mentioned by Bethemont 1975.
Despite the financial investments made in deltaic resources exploitation during
the communist regime, many of these developments failed, and others were progressively abandoned in the last years of the communist regime and especially after
the fall of the regime. Given these facts, Bethmont’s question (1975) is still very
much current: “How could we exploit the wealth of the delta without making its
fragility show?”
17.5 Ecosystem Alteration and Restoration in the Danube
Delta Biosphere Reserve
In the early 1990s, after the fall of the communist regime and after the construction
of various fish farming and agricultural development works as well as reed exploitation and branch shortcutting to facilitate navigation, 97,400 ha, i.e., 26.7% of the
surface area of the delta, were excluded from the natural delta circuit. The ecosystems were completely upset, and the deltaic system was disrupted. The excessive
exploitation of the deltaic natural resources in this region has resulted in the disappearance of reproductive areas used by the native fish and other animal species (20
bird species have disappeared) and in the clogging of the natural channels. The
building of oversized canals (e.g., the Mila 35 Canal and the Crisan-Caraorman
Canal) has trivialized and transformed the deltaic landscape. This ecosystem disruption and the need to protect an exceptional biodiversity – the heterogeneous mixture
of habitats developed in the delta shelters a large community of plants and animals,
the number of which is estimated to be approximately 5380 – and restore these
ecosystems were arguments in favor of declaring the Danube Delta a Biosphere
Reserve. Thus, in 1990, the Danube Delta, including the Razim-Sinoe lagoons area,
was declared a Biosphere Reserve (by the Government Decision no. 983, article 5)
with an independent management and scientific council.
That same year, i.e., in 1990, the Danube Delta (more precisely, its waterfowl
habitat) was recognized as a Wetland of International Importance as defined by the
Ramsar Convention of 1971; consequently, the Danube Delta has been included on
UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. Also under the aegis of UNESCO, the
Danube Delta was included in the MAB (Man and Biosphere) Programme in 1991.
Finally, the law of 1993 (Law n°82 of December 7) and the Government Decision
n°248 of 1994 stipulate the reserve law, its operation, scientific council, management board, and security and control team. This law was amended and adapted by
Law no. 136/2011. According to these legislative documents, the Danube Delta
2 According to him, “the potential of each section of the floodable area should be enhanced by
devoting it to the production for which nature itself created it, thus achieving its productivity and
profitability peak; the development system should also take into consideration that the works performed for this purpose should not alter the natural balance and trigger disastrous consequences.”
S. Niculescu et al.