The Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park (Romania) - DANUBEPARKS

The Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park (Romania)

Gabriela Costea

Natural Sciences Museum Complex

Galati (Romania)

& member of the Scientific Council

of the Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park

Prut

The Prut The Prut is the second longest (950 km) and the last

tributary of the Danube, with its confluence located just upstream of the Danube Delta.

Forms the frontier with the Republic of Moldavia.

It is part of the route of

three major migration

corridors of birds;

It is proposed to be

designated as Ramsar Site.

The Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park

The park covers an area of

over 8200 ha surface and a

length of about 145 km;

Includes many types of

natural or managed aquatic

ecosystems:

- 4925 ha ponds, lakes,

swamps

- 2627 ha forests and wet

pastures.

Biodiversity

In the Prut valley were identified:

- 1380 plant species

- 34 species of fish, from which 5 species are

protected by European Laws;

- 15 species of amphibians, 14 species of reptiles,

- From the 218 bird species in the Lower Prut

area, 50 species have some degree of protection

- 61 species of mammals, of which 27 are

protected in Europe.

Prut River channel

Prut floodplain lakes

Anthropogenic impacts

A large hydropower dam in the upper section has led to river channel incision, and thus to partial drying-out of floodplain lakes.

‘Stanca Costesti’ dam, built in 1978

Flood dyke

Achievements in Park Management

> Park Management Plan has been elaborated

> ‘Danube Dialogue Workshop’ has been organized in 2011 to support cross-border collaboration in floodplain nature conservation Documentation under www.cmsngl.ro/danube/danube.html

> River Basin Management Plan has been elaborated jointly by Romania and Moldova (implementation pending)

Strategic directions of the Park Management Plan – waiting to be agreed by the Ministry of Environment

Management of the biodiversity and landscape.

Management of the natural resources in a sustainable way.

Sustainable development of the local communities from the Park area.

Management of the tourism and recreational activities.

Awareness, communication, education.

Cross border cooperation

Current challenges of Park Management

Conservation challenges

Sediment retention by Stanca Costesti dam affects downstream river section;

Long term decrease of floodplain water level due to sediment retention of the dam;

Re-opening of the navigation in 2013; Construction of a coal Power Plant just

outside of the Park; Illegal fishing – electrical and

poisoning fishing.

Current challenges of Park Management

Social-economic challenges

Ineffective management of many of the fish ponds in the floodplain resulting in little income for resident people;

Little tourism infrastructure;

No funding of the park by the Romanian Government.

Current challenges of Park Management

Political challenges

Little public awareness of the park; No common regulation between Romania and

Moldova concerning fisheries management and navigation;

Environmental Operational Program: A 3.5 million Euro project has been elaborated by Park Administration, and the money has been granted by EOP for the development of the park Infrastructure. - However the contract of this project was no signed and thus regrettably the project could not start.

Expectations from collaboration

within DANUBEPARKS

Conservation issues Scientific exchange on species

management Scientific exchange on river and floodplain

habitat management; Educational programs and exhibitions

exchange;

Existing collaborative activities

with DANUBEPARKS 2.0

Little Ringed Plover and Sand Martin Monitoring

DANUBEPARKS Assessment of environmental education activities along the Danube (13.06.2013)

Expectation from collaboration within

DANUBEPARKS

Social-economic issues Exchange on involvement of the local

communities in park management, and on the creation of local economic benefits;

Staff exchange program.

Political issues Exchange on good governance practices in

park administration; Joint acquisition of projects to financially

support the objectives of the park.

THANK YOU !