The ecological restoration of the Carasuhat agricultural development area, accidentally flooded in 2023, is the top priority this year for the management of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (ARBDD). The project has gained urgency after a court ruled last year that the dam protecting the area must be rebuilt, Reserve governor Bogdan Bulete told AGERPRES.
The Carasuhat agricultural development, owned by the County Council, covers 1,329.55 hectares and was concessioned over various periods of 10 to 30 years to several individuals and companies, which pay annual fees ranging from 117.67 RON to 1,501 RON per hectare. In 2023, the dam separating the concessioned plots broke, prompting concession holders to seek compensation in court and demand that the land be restored to its original state.
Reserve governor Bogdan Bulete explained for AGERPRES that the legal situation is complex. "We lost a lawsuit, and the court ordered the ARBDD and the Mahmudia commune to close the canal that crosses the agricultural development from both the Sfantu Gheorghe branch and the Litcov canal, and to rebuild the dam. If we look at the costs for closing the canal and rebuilding the dam over 4,500 linear meters - because everything there must be demolished, redesigned and rebuilt - I believe the funds could instead compensate the economic operators and allow the land to remain in its naturally restored state," he said.
In Bulete's view, Carasuhat must remain a priority, and solutions are needed to terminate the concession contracts, compensate the holders, and preserve the renatured area as a wetland, with multiple benefits for biodiversity and the local community.
The governor also outlined progress on other ecological reconstruction projects. "Last year, we signed the contract under the Technical Assistance Operational Program to prepare the documentation, feasibility study and technical project for the ecological reconstruction of the Somova - Parches complex. We encountered some land registry issues, as certain plots were under Romsilva's administration, but with support from the Ministry of Environment we found a solution. This project will have a major impact on the Delta," he said. The technical documentation for the ecological reconstruction of the Upper Delta is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Alongside these efforts, ARBDD plans to implement a "mini-delta for children". According to Bulete, ecological reconstruction involves ensuring a constant water supply and supporting the natural reproduction of Delta fish species. The aim is to release billions of fry each year to help offset unsustainable fishing, predation by fish-eating birds, and recreational fishing pressure.
Interest in the Carasuhat project has also come from abroad. Last year, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expressed willingness to financially support ecological reconstruction in the area near Mahmudia. Governor Bulete presented the situation of the accidentally renatured land at an FAO meeting, where representatives signaled interest in joining a potential reconstruction effort through a financing line.
A nearby precedent already exists: between 2013 and 2015, the Mahmudia Commune Mayor's Office, in partnership with WWF and ARBDD, renatured approximately 924 hectares of agricultural land, transforming it into a water surface for biodiversity protection. The project, worth around 2.5 million euros, was funded through the 2007 - 2013 Sectoral Operational Program for the Environment.
Comentează