Mahmudia, Danube Delta (Romania)
Since 1990’s, the administration of the Biosphere Reserve has engaged in large works to restore wetlands and their natural hydrological regime. First to have undergone ecological restoration were the Babina area (2100 ha) and Cernovca (1580 ha) in the northern part of the delta. Works began in 1994 and two years later positive results were achieved.
Within a few years a redevelopment of the site-specific biodiversity occurred and ecosystem services like nutrient retention and fish recruitment became obvious.
Several other restoration projects followed, including more recent 900 ha of agricultural land, restored in 2015 in Mahmudia under an EU-funded restoration project. After these works, the Mahmudia area became a wetland rich in biodiversity, which significantly attracts tourists and led to high levels of social acceptance for restoration.
More recently, high waters in the Danube river have broken through the dyke surrounding a marshland. The flood inundated 1,000 hectares of farmland in Mahmudia, transforming them into a typical delta ecosystem. Local communities also accepted the passive restoration and rewilding processes.
– Strong growth of nature-based tourism due to thriving nature
– 97% of locals have expressed their preference to keep the wetland in its current state instead of it being drained once again for agricultural purposes (according to WWF).
– Enhanced water quality, and improvement in native fish populations by strengthening exchange between the Danube River and adjacent lakes, contributing to the overall health of the delta’s ecosystem
– Since 1993, WWF and other NGOs have campaigned for the establishment of a transboundary biosphere reserve which covered five countries and three rivers. In 2022, this wish came true with the designation of the cross-border Mura-Drava-Danube UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, stretching across Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia, encompassing 1 million hectares in the so-called ‘Amazon of Europe. This accomplishment for European conservation has been regarded as an important step towards implementing the EU Green Deal.
– Potential of passive restoration as a cost-effective strategy to effectively meet environmental policy targets
– Importance of positive perception and understanding of restoration benefits by local communities
– Key role of EU funding in starting restoration dynamics
☑ Local knowledge of ES
☑ Importance of resource for community
☑ Participatory approach
☑ System productivity
☑ Diversification of funding
☑ Involvement of civil society organisations
☑ Successful pilot testing
☑ Favourable policy context
☑ Support of local authorities
☑ Leadership/ entrepreneurship
☑ Direct involvement of private sector
☑ hydrological restoration
☑ morphological restoration
☑ hydro-morphological restoration
☑ water quality improvement
☑ vegetation restoration
☑ removal of invasive alien species
☑ land use change
☑ passive restoration