Image by: Marius Vasile / WWF-Romania
* Community opposes recent court ruling in favour of big agriculture leaseholders
in the Romanian Danube Delta
* On World Wetlands Day, WWF calls for their protection as ‘national interest ecological restoration area’
Bucharest | February 2 – A large swathe of naturally restored wetlands in the Romanian Danube Delta could soon be converted back to farmland in the face of opposition from communities, which reap the benefits from the natural area in terms of local livelihoods and climate resilience.
The controversy began last June when high waters in the Danube river broke through the dyke surrounding a marshland in Mahmudia, which had been restored eight years before with EU funds and had become a thriving, biodiverse wetland that significantly boosted tourism. The resulting flood inundated 1,000 hectares of farmland, transforming them into a typical delta ecosystem.
The newly flooded wetland was welcomed by the community: 97% of the locals prefer the wetland in its current state instead of it being drained once again for agricultural purposes, according to a WWF-Romania survey[1]. But the area’s agricultural leaseholders secured an initial court decision to reconvert the area back to cropland - an order that also threatens to dry out and destroy the entire wetland, including the area restored with EU funds.
On World Wetlands Day, WWF is calling for the wetland in Mahmudia to be designated a ‘national interest ecological restoration area’ by the government in order to safeguard the natural gains and allow the community to thrive.
“WWF stands with the people of Mahmudia as they know how much these restored wetlands benefit their lives and livelihoods,” said Orieta Hulea, WWF-Romania Country Director. “Restoring healthy wetlands is central to reversing nature loss and building resilience to climate change. Losing these restored wetlands will undermine sustainable development in the area and efforts to restore the health of Europe’s greatest wetland.”
Between 2012 and 2016, WWF-Romania, in collaboration with the Mahmudia local council and the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration, successfully restored 924 hectares of the Carasuhat agricultural area to wetland. The restored ecosystem rapidly enhanced water quality and boosted fish and other wildlife in the area, benefiting local fishers and tourism operators as the site became a magnet for visitors. The number of rooms for tourists doubled after the restoration, as investors in accommodations considered the restored area as a potential tourist attraction and took advantage of the availability of European funds.
Unsurprisingly, the additional area of wetland that was restored last year following the failure of the dyke was welcomed by an overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of Mahmudia. However, the agricultural leaseholders secured a court ruling to reconvert the area to farmland - even though they pay relatively modest fees and most of the profits do not flow back into the community or the delta.
”The Danube Delta is one of the most complex and biodiverse areas in Europe. Communities, like those in Mahmudia, will benefit more from healthy wetlands than from intensive agriculture, which damages the local environment, profits big businesses far from the delta, and undermines climate resilience,” said Hulea. “It is time to halt harmful and perverse subsidy schemes in the delta and to urgently protect these restored wetlands by designating them as ‘national interest ecological restoration areas’.”
Romanian law allows the government to safeguard special sites in this way, enabling the agricultural contracts to be annulled and compensation be paid to the leaseholders from the national budget.
It would also set an important precedent for the Danube Delta, which is the largest natural wetland in Europe and critical for people and nature. Often called ‘the pearl of Romanian tourism’ due to its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, large areas of the delta were dammed, drained and converted into farmland during the communist era, undermining local livelihoods, primarily fishing, and driving dramatic nature loss.
Local and regional authorities have recently recognised the importance of wetland restoration but limited progress has been achieved. On the contrary, major threats to the delta’s wetland ecosystems persist due to the misuse of EU subsidies and the maintenance of policies and financial instruments that prioritise agricultural use. Currently, farmland accounts for almost 13% of the Delta's surface area - much of it leased to large, often foreign-owned, commercial farming businesses for up to 30 years.
“Given the fragile equilibrium of its wetland ecosystems and the increasing impacts of climate change, large-scale commercial agricultural activities within the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve are incompatible with sustainable development,” said Hulea.
“The EU’s upcoming Nature Restoration Law shows that Romania should be focussing on restoring the Danube delta - enhancing the health of this globally important wetland and benefiting local communities in places like Mahmudia, who remain firmly opposed to a return to the barren days of large-scale agriculture.”
Background Information
The Danube Delta: As the largest remaining natural wetland and second largest river delta in Europe, the Danube Delta is one of the continent's most valuable habitats for wetland wildlife. The incredible productivity of its ecosystems resulted in the delta harbouring the largest number of fish species anywhere in Europe. Regional authorities have also recognised the importance of wetland restoration in the area, but, despite this, limited efforts have been directed towards this specific ecosystem. On the contrary, major threats to this iconic natural area persist, such as the misuse of EU subsidies and the maintenance of policies and financial instruments that tend to prioritise agricultural use of the lands under concession. Given the fragile equilibrium of the wetland ecosystems in the Danube Delta, already challenged by the unprecedented climate change threats, large-scale commercial agricultural activities within the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve are incompatible with sustainable development in the region, characterised by the relative poverty of its local communities whose livelihoods are traditionally based on fishing, reed processing and on tourism.
The significance of ecological restoration in wetlands: The global importance of wetlands, including floodplains, marshes, and deltas has been extensively studied, emphasising their diverse benefits, from providing essential food sources to protecting against floods and droughts, providing habitats for birds, reptiles and mammals, sequestering carbon, and strengthening socio-economic resilience among local communities. Despite these benefits, wetlands have historically been treated as wastelands, leading to a significant global loss of around 35% between 1970 and 2015, with the annual wetland loss rate increasing yearly. The shift towards recognising the value of wetland restoration, especially in the face of climate change, is gaining momentum globally and regionally.
Contacts
Adrian Lungu,
Freshwater Communication Manager, WWF-Romania
[1] WWF-Romania conducted similar surveys in other parts of the Danube Delta. In the Chilia Veche commune, 83,4% of the adult population expressed support for restoring the former wetlands, while in the Murighiol commune, an impressive 97,3% of the inhabitants favoured prioritising wetland reconstruction over agricultural polders.
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, led by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and its partners, covers terrestrial as well as coastal and marine ecosystems. As a global call to action, it will draw together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. Find out how you can contribute to the UN Decade. Follow #GenerationRestoration.