A GEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE LOWER DANUBE-BLACK SEA BASIN. CASE-STUDIES INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY JURMALA, MAY 11-14, 2005, LATVIA ROMANIAN ACADEMY INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY MIHAELA SERBAN

CONTENT Environmental trends of the Romanian Danube-Black Sea Basin Main environmental threats to sustainable development in Romania Sustainable development and global environmental change Sustainable development in Romania - Legislative framework Case studies

Danube-Black Sea space RO

GENERAL MAP OF ROMANIA

NATURAL HAZARDS

Eastern Carpathians – Seismic region Vrancea

CUCULEŞTI MUDFLOW – BUZĂU SUBCARPATHIANS 2003

Technological hazards in the lower Danube-Black Sea Basin

AGRICULTURE Land Fund Law (No. 18/1991) – a fundamental change of property over the land -The transition from state and collective property to private ownership -The land was divided among a large number of owners (4.7 millions), each acquiring under 2 hectares -the allocated piece of land is often fragmented into several parcels, over 47 million parcels emerged after the implementation of the Law

The main environmental issues in the Danube – Black Sea System, Romania extreme events (landslides, floods, storms) due to climate change; loss of biodiversity; desertification tendencies; deforestation; land degradation; high nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorous) loads; competition for available water; overexploitation of surface and groundwater; changes in river flow patterns, including transport of sediment; contamination with hazardous substances; accidental pollution; degradation and loss of wetlands; NATECH hazards (natural triggering technological hazards)

CLIMATE CHANGE

Romania – annual mean temperature evolution trends during the XX-th century Sararu, 2003 A slight increasing trend in the annual mean temperatures and a decrease in precipitations

The flow water (daily mean discharge) and the precipitation variations at Tinoasa (2002) Miţă, Mătreaţă, 2004 A tendency of precipitation concentration over short time intervals and an increase of their torrential character flush flood events in small catchments rapid snowmelting

ROMANIA: JULY - AUGUST 2002 FLOODS IN THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE CONTEXT

Counties affected by floods in April 2005 Consequences: -7 casualties; evacuated people; affected houses; ha agricultural land; -500 bridges and small bridges; -17 km national roads and 52 km county roads

Source: Timis Online

DROUGHT AND FLOOD EVENTS desertification tendencies in the Southern Romania; increased frequency of springtime flooding and induced technological accidents; tornado events;

Source: Ministry of Waters and Environmental Protection, 2002

The lowest Danube level in the last 160 years Zimnicea, 30 august 2003 Foto: Jeni Drăgoi

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ROMANIA – LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK Sustainable Development Strategy, 1999 Twinning Project between Italy and Romania on “Environment Statistics Survey”, National Institute of Statistics, –A study on sustainable development indicators Sustainable Development Strategy of Romania “Orizont 2025” (to be elaborated)

For diversity protection, Romania has ratified the Convention of Biological Diverity in In 1992 it was declared the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. For increasing forested area, the Development Strategy for Forests elaborated by MAPAM, approved by Romanian Government has 2 programmes focused on aforestation. -Increasing forest area from 27% to 35% until Increasing the protected surface from 2,56% (1990) to 10% (2015) SRSR 1.Total forest area: -Forest area dynamics; -Aforestation dynamics. 2. Total protected areas Protection of biodiversity; desertification prevention and reduction; Nature and biodiversity National Commission for Climate Change, implementing the issues specified by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Romania has ratified the Kyoto Protocol in Reduction GHG emissions with 8% during 2008 – SSPSSP 1.GHG emissions; 2. Total annual CO 2 emissions/loc; 3. Total annual energy consumption. Improving the efficiency of thermo- electrical equipments; Climate change and energy ActivitiesTargetsDPSIRIndicators Specific objectives Level I: Thematic areas National Institute of Statistics, 2004 List of indicators, according to thematic areas and DPSIR model

CASE STUDIES

Two tailings dam failures in Maramures county resulted in the release of m³ of contaminated water and tonnes of tailings into tributaries of the Tisa River, a major tributary of the Danube. Following these accidents, Institute of Geography in collaboration with the University of Wales, UK initiated a research programme in northwest Romania to establish metal levels in rivers affected by the present and historic mining activities. BAIA MARE - TECHNOLOGICAL ACCIDENT AND TRANSBOUNDARY POLLUTION JANUARY AND MARCH 2000

> 1100 SAMPLES, 350 SITES River systems categories: with historical mining activity, presently inactive; with historical and present mining activity; with opportunities for the opening of new exploitations with tailings dam accidents

“Aurul” tailings pond “Bozânta 1” tailings pond (inactive)

sites 828 km

Zn concentrations in the River Sasar target value imperative value

Zn Bioavailable < target Bioavailable > intervention Bioavailable > target

Use of private supply groundwater in Maramureş Samples taken from 96 households

Zn concentrations in domestic wells vs. distance from river channel in the Someş catchment

Zn concentrations in domestic wells vs distance from contaminant point source in the Someş catchment

1971 accident site active tailings dam inactive tailings dam Certej river basin: a mining affected basin 78 km 2 catchment containing the km 2 Certej- Coranda mining concession. Mining history dating back to the Roman period. Current open-cast exploitation at Coranda with ore processed in Certeju de Sus. Two tailings ponds in the catchment: Miresului (inactive) and Mialu (active). Historical tailings dam failure in samples taken from 30 sample sites.

River Certej: Cd in surface waters and river channel sediments

Aries river: 51 sample sections (2002 – 2003)

Rosia river, a mining affected tributary Rosia Poieni quarry

Aries river: Cu concentration in surface water ( )

Aries river: Cu concentration in channel sediments ( )