Functioning as a triple partnership between the Babeș-Bolyai Faculty of Geography from Cluj-Napoca, acting as project promoter, the Heidenroslein Association from Baia Mare, as national partner, and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research of Trondheim, Norway, as the international partner,  the RO02-0013 – Integrated Study on the Contribution of Ecosystems in the Pricop-Huta-Certeze and Upper Tisa Natura 2000 Protected Areas to the Sustainable Development of Local Communities (SIENPHCTS) is financed through a grant provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, the RO02 Program – „Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services”, Project Call no. 1, operated by the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Forests.

The present project will be implemented in the Natura 2000 sites mentioned above which correspond to the following towns and villages: Certeze and Bixad – Satu Mare County and Bistra, Bârsana, Rona de Jos, Rona de Sus, Bocicoiu Mare, Sighetu-Marmaţiei, Sarasău, Câmpulung la Tisa, Săpânţa, Remeţi – Maramureş County (http://geografie.ubbcluj.ro/pages/sienphcts/?page_id=4&lang=ro).

The main goals of this project are to improve the state of ecosystems and to raise awareness, improve knowledge and information levels among a wide audience with regards to the benefits provided by ecosystem services and the importance of maintaining them in good condition.

Specific objectives associated with actions envisaged by the project are: the implementation of solutions for exploiting the benefits provided by the two Natura 2000 sites under investigation; the   integration of various contributions offered by ecosystems in the economic development and well-being of human communities; encouraging actions aimed at preserving habitats and important species; the consolidation of sustainable use with regards to the existing natural and cultural patrimony; raising the awareness of local communities; improving the attitudes espoused by local  communities and decision factors, while at the same time increasing the level of knowledge on the value of ecosystems; raising the awareness levels of the target group; educating the general public on the subjects of biodiversity and ecosystems.

References for the frequency of maximum discharge

In addition to the other objectives of this project, the study of hydrological risks to the natural and human environments that are induced by a maximum runoff with a 1% probability is an undisputed requirement since the Upper Tisa protected area (with the exception of the Ronişoara Forest) overlaps almost perfectly the flood-risk area of the river (Fig. 1).

In the Upper Tisa Protected Area, high risks of flooding occur north of Lunca la Tisa village, to the north-east of Bocicoiu Mare village, north of Sighetu-Marmaţiei municipality, north of Valea Hotarului, to the east of Sarasău, north of Câmpulung la Tisa and also north of Remeţi.

Medium risks are recorded north of Lunca la Tisa, to the north of Sighetu-Marmaţiei municipality, in the northern part of Valea Hotarului, north east of Sarasău and Câmpulung la Tisa and to the north of Remeţi and Piatra villages.

Upper Tisa is also affected by lower flood risks in the area of Bocicoiu Mare, between the villages of Crăciuneşti and Tisa, Valea Hotarului and Săpânţa or Remeţi and Piatra.

The other protected areas (Pricop – Huta-Certeze and Pădurea Ronişoara) do not suffer from flood risks caused by maximum flows with a 1% probability.

Meanwhile, when it comes to administrative units, flood risks affecting human and natural environments are particularly elevated in the localities of Valea Vişeului, Petrova (on Vişeu River), Sighetu-Marmaţiei (its southern part), Valea Cufundoasă, Lazu Baciului, Năneşti, Bârsana (on Iza River), Sighetu-Marmaţiei (its south eastern part), Rona de Jos, Rona de Sus (on Rona River), Certeze (on Valea Albă River), Huta-Certeze, Moişeni (on Valea Rea River).

Selected bibliography

1. Cocuţ, M. (2008) Caracteristicile scurgerii apei din Depresiunea Maramureşului şi zona montană limitrofă, Teză de Doctorat manuscris, Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai, Facultatea de Geografie, Cluj-Napoca, 115 p.
2. * * * (2007-  ) Directiva 2007/60/CE privind evaluarea şi managementul riscului la inundaţii – Hărți de hazard și de risc la inundații, Administraţia Naţională ,,Apele Române”, http://www.rowater.ro/Directiva%20Inundaii/Directiva%20Inunda%C8%9Bii.aspxhttp://gis2.rowater.ro:8989/flood/ .
3. * * * (2015) Planul pentru prevenirea, protecţia şi diminuarea efectelor inundaţiilor în Bazinul hidrografic Someş-Tisa, S.C. EPMC Consulting S.R.L. Cluj-Napoca şi S.C. Compania de Consultanţă şi Asistenţă Tehnică S.R.L.  Bucureşti.
4. * * * (2015) Limitele GIS ale ariilor naturale protejate http://www.mmediu.ro/articol/date-gis/434
5. * * * (2016) Limitele siturilor de importanţă comunitară în format GIS, http://www.anpm.ro/natura-2000/-/asset_publisher/M5dL2rWIKHI6/content/limitele_siturilor_de_importan%C5%A3%C4%83_comunitar%C4%83__%C3%AEn_format_gis
6. * * * (2016) Managementul Riscului la Inundaţii, Ministerul Mediului şi Schimbărilor Climatice http://www.mmediu.ro/beta/domenii/managementul-apelor-2/managementul-riscului-la-inundatii/ 

Article written by Associate Professor Dr. Gheorghe ŞERBAN (Land analyst) and translated by Mihail Andreas Mitoseriu.

In terms of its origins, Suhaia is a lake from Danube’s floodplain, in which the Călmăţui discharges its waters. In the 1960’s a part of Suhaia “survived” a plan to have it drained, in order to integrate its land into the agricultural fields of the Danube’s floodplain. Its regime depends on the hydrological fluctuations of the Danube, with which it is connected via the underground water table, and also of the CălmăţuiRiver. Suhaia is a place well suited for hosting water birds, because the water is shallow, usually less than 2.2 meters in depth [2] (in Romanian, suhat or suhăţie means  shallow water, a place where animals come to drink [3]), and there is plenty of fish in the lake.

This area is interesting because of the significant bird populations, belonging to protected species (some of them migratory) that feed of nest on the lake [4, 5]. The magic of SuhaiaLake is illustrated by the graceful flight of pelicans, cormorants, egrets, Danubian hawks and many other species. In the nearby fields and on the banks, there are nesting grounds for several birds, such as storks, white wagtails, common house martins and bee-eaters. The forests that border the water offer refuge to a variety of wildlife, such as the Eurasian penduline tit, Savi’s warbler, the eastern imperial eagle, and the common kingfisher,  whereas water banks are a place where plovers, northern lapwings, avocets, grey plovers, sandpipers, black wagtails, common moorhens  and also European otters and water voles come to feed. Above the reeds, one can see many birds fly freely, such as black and white terns, black-headed gulls, little gulls, mallards, garganey, northern shovelers, red-crested pochards, Eurasian wigeons, northern pintails and the western marsh harrier.

The goals of any protected area, including this one, are the preservation of biological and habitat diversity, in addition to supporting sustainable activities that could provide a source of revenue for local populations without disturbing the natural environment.

Unfortunately, Suhaia is an example of a poorly managed protected area. Bird habitats are exploited and affected by illegal fires that aim to clear vegetation, and these actions lead to its fragmentation. Poaching, particularly during the nesting period of important species, in need of protection, is another threat. Because of its recent establishment, the management lacks a proper infrastructure and cannot monitor and guard the protected area. Furthermore, there are no proposals for generating additional income, with the exception of fish farming – and the three billboards that inform people of the existence of a Natura 2000 site do not provide any information on access routes to the lake or any facilities for bird watching that may interest tourists. Therefore, the management addresses only the protection role for this area, neglecting its educational and touristic functions.

Suhaia Lake, a small patch of aquatic wilderness, is thus endangered as a habitat, because of the risk of suffering negative changes and due to the lack of promotion.

Sources:

[1] – Administraţia Fondului pentru Mediu – www.afm.ro

[2] – Ghinea, D. , 1996-1998, Enciclopedia Geografică a României, Editura Enciclopedică, Bucureşti

[3] – DEX – Dicţionarul Explicativ al Limbii Române

[4] – Antipa, G., 1910, Regiunea inundabilă a Dunării: starea ei actuală şi mijloacele de a o pune în valoare, Institutul de arte grafice Carol Göbl, Bucureşti

[5] – Toader, I. , Mardale, A., 1980, Teleorman: monografie, Editura Sport-Turism, Bucureşti

[6]  - http://natura2000.mmediu.ro/site/293/rospa0102.html

[7] - http://ramsar.wetlands.org

Article written by Olimpia Copăcenaru, student at the Faculty of Geography – University of Bucharest, and translated by Mihail-Andreas Mitoşeriu.

Picture: Gabriela Toroimac

Initial article to consult: 

http://greenly.ro/arii-protejate/suhaia-un-paradis-acvatic-in-pericol

Dear friends of Greenly, we are glad to present you a beautiful project! We thank Professor Mioara Clius for this information! But we should let you discover what this is all about…

INFORMATION

“Discovering the Treasure Next to Us – The Bicaz Gorge– Hășmaș National Park” is a project initiated by the Educational Center for Sustainable Development (CEDDu – Centrul de Educație pentru Dezvoltare Durabilă) in Neamț County, Borlești Village, Borlești Commune, Decebal Street no. 61; Website: http://ceddu.ro; E-mail: office@ceddu.ro; Telephone no..: 0723662836) which aims to raise awareness about the natural treasures that can be found in this protected area. The project was initiated in the idea that the city of Bălan, which has suffered from an economic downturn in recent years due to the termination of copper mining activities, can profit from an increase in tourism brought about by its natural assets, thus raising the locals’ living standards. In order to achieve this objective, children and members of the local community must get to know the natural elements that are preserved by the Bicaz – Hășmaș protected area, which lies close to the city, and the local authorities must support these initiatives for developing tourism in the area, regardless of their specific type (eco-tourism, adventure tours, scientific tourism, etc.).

In the following paragraphs, we shall present, in brief, some of the activities and materials created as a part of this project:

1. Teaching materials for primary schools:

Figure 1

• Worksheets about protected plants found in the park, (Fig. 1-2) for primary school pupils.
  

  Figure 2

• A tactile atlas (a one-of-a-kind idea for Romania, or at least a very original one).Each page contains an image of a plant or tree, along with some information about the uniqueness of its environment where it can be found and, next to the image, a piece of tree bark and the imprint of a leaf made of plaster. With this atlas, we have brought a number of plant species inside the classroom in order for children to become familiar with the various species of trees and plants protected within the park (Fig. 3-5). The plant samples HAVE NOT BEEN taken from the protected area.
• Power point presentations and information posters containing the natural elements protected by the Bicaz Gorges – Hășmaș National Park – aimed at gymnasium and high-school students (Fig. 6-7).
  

  Figure 3

   

2. Organizing an indoor competition for more than 200 students from gymnasium and high-school class in order to check the level of knowledge about the park. After this competition, we selected 40 students (20 from gymnasium classes and 20 from high-school) for participating in an outdoor contest (Fig. 8).

Figure 4

Figure 5

4. Organizing an on-line photography competition called “Hășmaș – Nature and Man”. Students captured both the   Hășmaș Mountains and the city of Bălan the way they feel, see and enjoy them. The pictures were voted on the CEDDu facebook page and were rewarded with prizes at a festivity held at the “Geo Bogza” Gymnasium on June 5^th, 2015 (Fig. 13).

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

http://greenly.ro/arii-protejate/descoperim-comoara-de-langa-noi-parcul-national-cheile-bicazului-hasmas

Article written by Valentina Mănoiu and translated by Mihail Mitoșeriu.