Nataşa VĂIDIANU, Mirela PARASCHIV, Irina SAGHIN & Cristian BRAGHINĂ
University of Bucharest, Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Research on Territorial Dynamics (CICADIT), 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Blv, 030018, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: natasa.vaidianu@geo.unibuc.ro

SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES IN THE DANUBE DELTA BIOSPHERE RESERVE, ROMANIA

Full text

The Danube Delta acts as a complex social-ecological system where the main driving forces of wetland changes include anthropic activities. At the moment, overfishing and inadequate development actions are responsible for wetland disturbances and biodiversity loss. The aim of this study is to assess the causes of Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (DDBR) wetland degradation and to identify the impacts on environment and social life. Using primary and secondary data bases (statistical data and field observation), the progress of the social-ecologic system components were investigated. The research was organized around the hypothesis that: through analysis of development activities over time, the territorial effects and demographic responses can be observed which show the significant interconnections in the progress of flows that insure the coherence of the social-ecologic system. The study conclusions emphasize that the existing wetland-protection measures in the DDBR should be further strengthened due to possible environmental consequences of wetland loss and social changes such as destruction of traditional values and social stability.