Man Versus Nature Relationship

Man Versus Nature Relationship

Along time, the Danube Delta's natural resources and ecosystems have been seriously affected by human careless and destructive intervention, whether it had to do with the cutting of new water channels for shipping or with the pollution of the Danube river due to sewage, industrial waste, pesticides and nutrients, reduction of flooding zones (which are natural fish nurseries) by damming, or with the ruthless exploitation of Delta's resources through agriculture, fishing, hunting, tourism, reed growth and cutting, sand extraction performed mostly during the communist rule (1960-1980).

Protective steps regarding the fauna and flora of the Danube Delta, i.e. the Rosca-Buhaiova fauna reserves, the Letea and Caraorman forests were taken in the 40's. By the time the Natural Monuments Commission of the Romanian Academy was set up in 1956, there were 5 reserves covering about 40,000 ha, of which three for ornithology and two for woodlands.

The subsequent large scale land reclamation and habitat destruction have been addressed when the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve has been set up in early 90's. The reserve covers the Delta and the Razim-Sinoe lake system. Its role is to preserve the genetic diversity of the Danube Delta's flora and fauna, to maintain life-support systems, to ensure sustainable use of species and ecosystems. The reserve is made up of some 18 buffer or protected areas covering 506,000 ha, where economic activities like forestry, agriculture, reed cutting, pisciculture, hunting, tourism are permitted restrictively, provided that they do not harm ecological regeneration processes and further development planning. A proper ecological management of the Danube Delta as a biosphere reserve has been financially supported so far by the Romanian government, by the World Conservation of Nature Union (IUCN), by UNESCO, by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and by the World Bank.