The Romanian Water Crisis

BCN1582

Romania is currently facing a lot of pressure to mitigate the effects of water pollution and the issue is only increasing further. The country holds the largest delta in Europe, the Danube Delta, which provides drinking water and provides sustenance for the surrounding ecosystems. The article entitled Romania: Environmental Issues, Policies and Clean Technology states that the pollution is due in part by manufacturing facilities, chemical plants, and power plants, which have a large take in the release of harmful emissions, which produce acid rain. Furthermore, the industrial runoff makes the water unpotable, as well as, creates issues for the ecosystems that rely upon that water source. Due to the pollution caused by manufacturing facilities, many species are threatened with extinction. The Danube Delta is a large hub for biodiversity, nevertheless, the damming and illegal fishing has placed massive pressure on ancient fish species. The 28 dams that have been built have hindered the flow of sediment downstream, as well as, the migration of fish species upstream. In particular, the sturgeon has become endangered with the combination of dams, pollution, and illegal fishing. Furthermore, the Danube Delta has become fairly susceptible to invasive species such as killer shrimp, Asian Clam, and Chinese Mitten Crab. The water resources for Romania is quite spread out from the Danube delta comprising of 44% of it, the inland rivers hold 46%, and the groundwater has 10%. An issue that the Romanians face is flooding, which is catalyzed by heavy rainfall, floodplain development, reduced river bed capacity and other factors. Majority of the water bodies of Romania are undisturbed, predominantly the water from mountainous areas. Nevertheless, development has degraded much of the water quality. The rural area takes much of the brunt with only about 4.1% of it is connected to a sewer system, whereas, about 51.1% in the urban area is connected to sewer systems. There have been multiple instances of point source discharges with majority of them occurring at the basin level, with 80% of total discharges. Romania had Gross Domestic Product of $215 billion in 2015, in which agriculture comprises of 11.8% of that GDP. The article entitled Environmental Issues in Romania stated that the improper farming practices has caused soil degradation and erosion on a large scale. Fertilizers were large sources diffuse discharges, with tons of nitrogen and phosphorus entering the water body. This causes the eutrophication phenomenon, where large bodies of algae form and make it difficult for other species to live in that water body. In the 1980’s the marshlands that were lining the Danube were drained for cropland. Currently, 50% of the Romanians rely on agriculture and the improper farming practices continue causing large impacts on the soil. Upon entering the European Union, Romanian environmental laws have become more stringent. For example, the government resolution 152/2005 has established criteria for preventing the pollution, whether it be air, water, or soil that is affected. In addition to preventing pollution, remediation and penalties are incorporated if an entity damages environment in a particular way. Romania understands that 62% of its land is used for agricultural and the degradation of that land will affect food production and large aspects of its economy. Protection has increased for the Danube Delta has increased tremendously. The Ramsar Convention, placed the Danube Delta as the Wetland of International Importance. It is the currently the largest protected wetland in Europe, considering that almost two thirds of the Wetlands in Europe have been lost to development. The EU Nitrates Directive has further expanded that protection by preventing the nitrates that agricultural sources produce and promoting the use of proper farming practices, so a sustainable environment can achieved. The World Bank has supported the small farm dominated agriculture with new tractors and other tools that provide manure management and aid in reducing the dangerous compounds that may leach into the water supply or runoff into a water body. The sustainability of these practices are further bolstered by financing of trainings, meetings, workshops, and many other mediums that provide that public more information and increase the awareness of issues. All in all, there are a lot of issues that Romania is facing currently. From pollution to the water bodies being caused agriculture’s fertilizers and improper practices to many manufacturing industries dumping their chemicals into the Danube Delta. The Delta provides a habitat for many species of fish and wildlife, therefore, the decrease of biodiversity in the Danube Delta is one of the leading issues. The Danube Delta is currently largest protected wetland in Europe, which stabilizes the economy of countries that rely upon it for fishing, water for agriculture, water for drinking purposes, and ecosystem services. Protecting and sustainably using the Danube Delta will be paramount going forward into the future.

Sources:  Romania. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from https://www.icpdr.org/main/danubebasin/romania  Smith, B. (2015, December 17). Romania: Environmental Issues, Policies and Clean Technology. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=562  Environmental issues in Romania. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from https://naturvernforbundet.no/international/environmental-issues-inromania/category944.html  Romania. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.eea.europa.eu/soer2015/countries/romania#tab-related-briefings  McGrath, S. (2014, October 12). River Danube: Overfished, overpolluted and with 200 million-year-old species close to extinction - what next for one of Europe's great rivers? Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/overfished-overpolluted-and-with-200million-year-old-species-on-the-brink-of-extinction-what-next-9789704.html  Making Romania a Healthier Place by Controlling Nutrient Pollution. (2016, November 1). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2016/10/26/making-romania-a-healthierplace-by-controlling-nutrient-pollution