Les études hydrotechniques nous dissent que, dans le cas ou au fond du lac le volume des sédiments retenus sera plus grand que le volume de l’eau qui circule, les alluvions ne pourront plus passer en aval et le nettoyage de la cuvette lacustre cessera. La pente de l’eau dans le lac change avec le passage du temps, à fur et à mesure que les alluvions forment un éventail qui a sa  base au pied du barrage.

Normalement, dans les premiers ans après la construction, quand le lac est vidé pour générer l’électricité, les alluvions apportées par les crues sont évacuées librement en aval, permettant à l’eau de rétablir son niveau naturel, en fonction du débit de la rivière. Pour maintenir un réservoir pendant plusieurs décennies, l’écoulement doit suivre un régime très proche du régime naturel et, pendant ses premiers ans d’activité, il est normal que les dépôts du lac soient partiellement transportés en aval, ou, au moins, qu’aucun nouveau dépôt ne se forme. Par conséquent, après une longue utilisation d’un réservoir, il faut choisir entre l’abandonnement du lac, qui restera colmaté, et l’aménagement d’un nouveau réservoir, la construction des digues ou la restauration de vieilles structures, afin de continuer l’exploitation de l’hydroénergie. Pour atteindre cet objectif, les débits qui résultent de l’écoulement qui se produit dans le bassin hydrographique de la rivière collectrice et des déversements sont transités à l’aide des équipements hydromécaniques de l’ancien réservoir. Cette solution n’a pas été appliquée très souvent dans la Roumanie (un rare exemple d’emploi est le lac Vidraru, sur la rivière Argeș), mais offre l’avantage de maintenir le fonctionnement des installations hydro-énergétiques en évitant leur colmatage. Ainsi, la capacité de transport des alluvions en suspension s’accroit et le lac sera nettoyé par la force hydraulique, obtenant une élimination naturelle du colmatage.

Le réservoir d’Izvorul Muntelui est affecté par un processus accéléré de colmatage, et, pour continuer la valorisation de l’énergie de Bistrița, il faut créer des nouveaux aménagements. Voila une brève description des hydrocentrales et d’autres installations qui se trouvent au long de Bistrița: en dehors du lac d’Izvorul Muntelui, avec sa hydrocentrale de Stejaru, onze autres usines hydro-électriques moins grandes forment le paysage de la rivière, entre Izvorul et la ville de Bacău. Trois se trouvent dans la région montagneuse (Pângărați, Vaduri, Piatra Neamț), et, pour illustrer leur puissance, il faut mentionner que l’usine de Vaduri a une puissance installe (44.000 kW) deux fois et demi plus grande que la plus puissante hydrocentrale roumaine qui existait avant la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale (l’hydrocentrale de Dobrești). Mais la plupart des centrales hydroélectriques sont situées dans les dépressions subcarpathiques (Roznov I, Roznov II, Zănești, Costișa, Buhuși, Racova, Gârleni), et les dernières (Bacău I et II) sont localisées près de la ville avec le même nom.

Avec un assez long collier de lacs, la rivière de Bistrița  a été décrite par Vintilă Mihăilescu, sans aucune exagération, comme une des plus grandes «voies lumineuses» de la patrie. En dehors de l’usine de Stejaru, le «collier» d’hydrocentrales a une puissance installée impressionnante, de 247 MW. Cette réalisation grandiose a changé profondément l’aspect de la partie du sud de la dépression Cracău-Bistrița, non seulement par l’apparition d’un paysage anthropique inédit représenté par les barrages audacieux, mais aussi par la possibilité d’exploiter d’une manière pratique les terrains qui, autrefois, étaient inondés pendant les crues.

La réponse aux problèmes naturels et anthropiques du lac et de la rivière Bistrița pourrait provenir de plusieurs investisseurs dans le secteur hydrotechnique. Parmi ceux-ci, seulement la société WaterEnergy System SRL a reçu l’avis de Transelectrica pour construire une hydrocentrale de pompage-turbinage à Izvorul Muntelui, avec une puissance installée de 300 MW. L’avis a été émis en mars 2012, et la mise en fonction est prévue pour 2017. Le réservoir d’Izvorul Muntelui, connu mieux sous le nom de Bicaz, a été un des premiers réservoirs de la Roumanie (construit en 1960), qui a sert comme modèle pour les futures hydrocentrales.

Pour des raisons économiques, la Société Hidrotehnica, qui est responsable avec l’administration des aménagements hydroélectriques du pays, ne peut plus assurer une bonne gestion de l’hydrocentrale. Nous espérons que le choix d’une nouvelle société pour rétablir le fonctionnement de l’usine sera opportun et rentable, afin d’éviter le sort des nombreux projets de la Roumanie, hydroélectriques ou non, où les acheteurs et les vendeurs ont ignoré les aspects environnementaux pour chasser le profit immédiat.

Bibliographie:

Tufescu, V., 1066, Subcarpații, Editura Științifică, București.

http://www.rowater.ro/daarges/Documente%20Planuri%20bazinale/21.%20Reguli%20de%20exploatare%20coordonata%20pe%20perioada%20apelor%20mari.pdf

http://www.fabricadebani.ro/news.aspx?iid=42474

Article écrit par Gabriela Morosanu et traduit par Mihail Mitoseriu.

Thus, “Belgica” entered history as the first ship to penetrate the Antarctic ice and spend more than one year there. Further historical information on the discovery of the Antarctic realms can be found here. Also, it is worth reading about the attempts made by explorers in their quest to conquer this land, and the stories that emerged in relation with some of these places.
From the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th right up to our times, this part of the Globe has been studied by scientists from all fields of science, and numerous research stations have been set up, some permanent and others temporary, which host between 1000 people during winter and 5000 in the summer months.

In the “Land of the eternal ice”, as this continent is sometimes named (though the word “eternal” is called into question nowadays), temperatures can plummet to -89 degrees Celsius (as measured at the Russian station “Vostok” on July 21st 1983) and 98% of its surface is blanketed by a layer of ice with a thickness of at least 1.6 kilometres. Therefore, what kind of lakes are we talking about?
With the help of satellites, radars and infra-red imagery, it was possible to discover under the ice cap a number of lakes and subterranean hydrographic networks. Today, in Russian, American and British laboratories, scientists prepare the necessary equipment for exploring the Antarctic through new projects. The mysterious depths of the ice cap will be investigated, together with the ice rivers that flow among 350 isolated freshwater lakes.
Vostok Lake, discovered in 1970 by airborne radars, is by far the largest sub-glacial lake found so far. Its name comes from the Russian station created in 1956. Russian scientists were the first ones capable of drilling down to a depth of 3.769 metres, in a mission that stared more than ten years ago. In 1993, British specialists from university College London managed to map the lake, by means of data provided by radars. Located almost four kilometres below the frozen Antarctic surface, this lake has a length of 250 kilometres and a width of 50 kilometres. In May 2005, an island was identified in its middle region.

It the water samples that were collected, the Russian researchers hope to find new micro-organisms, unknown to science, and clues about the evolution of life in this part of the world.
These organisms have spent a very long time without coming into contact with the atmosphere, devoid of sunlight, declared Valeri Lukin, the project’s leader, who works at the Russian’s Federation Institute for Arctic and Antarctic Studies. But there are voices saying that the microbes collected so far seem to come from the drilling equipment rather than from the lake itself.
Another sub-glacial lake that has enjoyed the attention of scientists is Lake Whillans. Recently, a team of American researchers managed to reach the lake’s surface, according to the BBC. It is to be found 800 metres below the ice cap, in the western part of the Antarctic, and covers an area of 60 square metres. Scientists claimed that the sensors of the drilling installation detected a change in pressure, signalling that the lake’s surface had been reached. Next, a video camera was sent in to verify the discovery. By using a hot water drill, they dug a hole 30 centimetres wide in the ice above the lake. After that, a number of instruments were lowered into the water in order to collect samples and sensors were used to measure the lake’s properties and characteristics.
Some samples were studied on the spot, inside temporary labs located on the ice around the drilling site, whereas others will be sent to participating universities for a more detailed analysis.
It could be the first proof of life from a sub-glacial lake in the Antarctic, declared journalist Douglas Fox for The Crux, as quoted by NBC News.

Until now, more than 300 large water bodies have been identified underneath the Antarctic. The reasons why this water stays liquid are geothermal heat and pressure.

Scientists want to study the sub-glacial hydrological systems of the Antarctic Continent, because liquid water under the ice layer affects the continent’s movement (for example, ice above Whillans Lake moves almost 300 metres per year), and such knowledge could be very useful when creating forecasts and estimations of global warming.
2011 marked the beginning of a new adventure in the American project, this time at Ellsworth, in Western Antarctica, where another “invisible lake” is to be found, a reservoir 10 kilometres long and 3 kilometres wide, beneath 3.5 kilometres of ice. The drilling will not involve aggressive chemical mixtures, but only warm water, filtered and sterilized by ultra-violet radiation. Then, pressure sensors, a camera and a robot for collecting sediments will be inserted in the tunnel. Everything will be perfectly sterilized in advance, so as not to contaminate the potential underwater lifeforms. Experts believe the lake has been “disconnected” from the outside world for a sufficiently long time that its microbial life has evolved independently.
Everything must be done as cleanly as possible, as sterile as possible. We do not want to contaminate this pristine environment, and if we will not keep our experiment sterile, we will end up analysing what we brought down with us from the surface, and that would, of course, be useless, said Martin Siegert, a scientist working on the project.
Massive, but delicate, that is how chief engineer Andy Tait describes the operation.
The water of Ellsworth Lake is kept liquid by heat seeping from the earth’s depths. The lake was mapped using radars and seismic tests, and on this occasion, it was noted that its bottom is soft, which led researchers to assume that the bottom is covered by a thick layer of sediments.
Lake Vida of Antarctica has characteristics that, at first sight, would make it inhospitable to life: its waters are seven times saltier than the Ocean, its temperature is thirteen degrees Celsius below freezing and its depths are pitch-black. And still, after penetrating twenty metres of ice, scientists were surprised to discover that it was teeming with life, reports descopera.ro.
Its life forms are represented by bacteria, and their discovery fuels hopes that someday, life will be found on planets such as Mars or on natural satellites like Europa, Jupiter’s moon.
What happened at Lake Vida, explained scientists from Illinois University and Desert Research Institute of Reno – USA, could happen with lakes on other celestial bodies, when temperatures are low enough to allow the formation of thick ice caps.
Bacteria from Lake Vida, brought to the surface by drilling at depths of 27 metres, belong to species previously unknown to science. These creatures probably survive by metabolising large amounts of hydrogen and nitrogen oxides that are found in the lake’s salty and oxygen-deprived waters.
Scientists have been puzzled by the large quantities of hydrogen, nitrogen oxides and carbon discovered in Lake Vida, and presume that these substances may have been formed by reactions between salts and chemical compound rich in nitrogen that exist in surrounding rocks. More information can be found here and here.
Over time, oxygen-deprived bacteria have adapted to use these substances for energy production. It is believed that the lake’s unusual conditions played an essential role in the evolution its life-forms’ diversity and characteristics.
Scientists now try to find out more, by cultivating some of these bacteria in laboratory conditions. Thus, they hope to better understand the physical and chemical limits these creatures can withstand.

Antarctica remains a land of many unknowns for science, and the results of these resent investigations could alter our theories about the Earth’s history.

Sources:
http://adevarul.ro/news/societate/emil-racovita-roman-polul-sud-1_50ac24847c42d5a663853fe7/index.html

http://www.roxy-world.ro/antarctica_istorie.php

http://www.tribuna.ro/stiri/descopera-lumea/antarctica-un-continent-cu-1000-de-locuitori-si-89-grade-celsius-72298.html

http://salveazamonumentul.blogspot.ch/2012/05/amundsen-si-scott-in-lupta-pentru-polul.html

http://www.revistamagazin.ro

http://www.gandul.info/magazin/descoperire-importanta-la-800-de-metri-sub-patura-de-gheata-a-antarcticii-10526795utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GandulMagazin+%28Gandul_Magazin%29

http://adevarul.ro/life-style/stil-de-viata/lacul-misterios-antarctica-1_50aeb6307c42d5a6639f6dea/index.html

http://www.scienceworld.ro/stiri/lacul-vostok-capsula-timpului-din-antarctica-11695.html

http://www.roxy-world.ro/antarctica_stiri.php

http://www.ziare.com/articole/forme+viata+lac+antarctica

http://totb.ro/a-inceput-cautarea-vietii-in-lacul-ascuns-sub-antarctica/

http://www.publika.md/surpriza-ce-au-descoperit-cercetatorii-intr-un-lac-acoperit-de-gheata-antarcticii_1144951.html

http://www.scientia.ro/blogul-catalina-oana-curceanu/4391-bacteriile-din-antarctica-si-viata-extraterestra.html

Photo sources:
http://adevarul.ro/life-style/stil-de-viata/lacul-misterios-antarctica-1_50aeb6307c42d5a6639f6dea/index.html

http://www.scienceworld.ro/pictures/2012/02/13/186.jpg

http://www.roxy-world.ro/Images/antarctic_map.jpg

http://i0.wp.com/www.rfmromania.ro/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/virus-news.jpeg

http://totb.ro/a-inceput-cautarea-vietii-in-lacul-ascuns-sub-antarctica/

http://www.stiintasitehnica.com/

http://www.credinta-adevarata.ro/2013/01/30/americanii-au-forat-800-de-metri-sub-gheata-antarcticii-proiectul-ar-putea-dezvalui-noi-indicii-despre-viata-extraterestra/

Article written by Răzvan Spiridon and translated by Mihail Mitoșeriu.

Sources:

http://portal.tfm.ro/legenda-fluviului-subteran-de-sub-dobrogea/

http://www.mondonews.ro/Fluviul-subteran-care-strabate-Dobrogea-confirma-teoria-lui-Herodot+id-41771.html

http://www.natgeo.ro/explorari/speologie/9054-misterul-apelor-pierdute-din-dobrogea

http://www.romanialibera.ro/exclusiv-rl/reportaj/legenda-fluviului-subteran-de-sub-dobrogea-articol-integral-252520.html

http://deltadunarii.fotodelta.ro/?p=2372

http://www.recolta.eu/paradoxul-dobrogean-desi-se-confrunta-an-de-an-cu-arsita-agricultorii-stau-pe-un-lac-subteran/

Photo source:
http://www.groundwater.org/kc/whatis.html

http://greenly.ro/apa/rezervele-de-apa-din-adancul-dobrogei

Article written by Razvan Spiridon and translated by Mihail Mitoseriu.

• Framework Water Directive (2000/60 / CE);
• Directive concerning the management of bathing water quality (2006/7 / CE) (abrogated by  76/160 / CEE);
• Directive on underground waters (2006/118 / CE);
• Directive on flooding (2007/56 / CE);
• Framework directive for a maritime strategy (2008/56 / CE).
• EU  Water Policy, 2007
• Drinking water regulation of 2007(n ° 2)
• EU  Environmental objectives (surface waters) Regulation 2009 (SI n ° 272 / 2009)
• EU  Environmental objectives(underground waters) Regulation 2010 (SI n ° 9/ 2010)
• EU  Regulation (best practices in agriculture for protecting water,) 2010 (SI n ° 610 / 2010)

Usually, the regulations concerning surface waters create a vast array of environmental norms for the surface waters of Romania. The environmental objectives that have to be achieved include rules and threshold values for classifying surface and also underground waters, including rules for protecting underground waters against pollution and degradation.

In order to improve the use of existing data, it is necessary both to improve their interpretation and analysis and also to communicate data to the public and to other users in a clear and understandable fashion, thus improving the quality of information without significant expenses.

Among the most influential institutions in the development, implementation and management of the Romanian water information system is the European Environmental Agency, which hosts the Water Data Centre and the thematic pages of the Web WISE (Water Information System for European Countries). In addition to the already well-known specifications for managing hydrological risk situations (both floods and droughts), the European Environmental Agency is responsible for two other complementary sectors, connected to the issue of water use:

a.  The bathing water section of the European Water Information System (WISE), available on the EEE bathing water website (http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/interactive/bathing/state-of-bathing -Eaux) allows the visualization of bathing water quality for more than 22.000 littoral and inland beaches all across Europe. Data is organized and displayed at national level and at resort level. Detailed information for specific bathing sites are given through pop-up windows (which can be activated by clicking on a bathing site) and hyperlinks which open up pop-up windows containing profiles of bathing waters.

b.      Data on bathing water quality for 2013 and previous years can also be consulted, together with any other data on bathing water. The WISE bathing water data visualization instrument integrates text and graphical representations, allowing quick access to the location of both littoral and inland bathing waters, and providing statistical data on their quality. The specific locations of the bathing waters can be visualized with Google Earth, Google Maps or Bing Maps.

Additionally, the INSPIRE geo-portal offers means for researching spatial data series and services for spatial data and imposes restrictions on the access to such data, in order to protect the data series of EU member states within the framework of the INSPIRE directive. Furthermore, in the Black Sea Basin, procedures, transfers, interoperability and data conditions for WISE create a solid technological platform, reliable and already tested for the development of an information mechanism, due to the fact that the above mentioned elements form the basis of any rule and initiative in this field.

In brief, and concerning only Romania, without taking into account the river system of the Black Sea Basin, the gathering and updating of data in the electronic water management system falls within the competence of the national database administered by the National Water Administration Agency ”Apele Romane”, and involves mainly the flood risk maps.

What remains to be done is to go to the heart of our present situation and to present the most important informational resources available today in Romania when it comes to water information systems:

• The maps of floodplains, including the positions and features of flood protection systems;
• The GIS map database – necessary for determining and analyzing the environmental impact of hydrological risks, both natural and man-made;
• Data on existing water information systems, norms/ organizational rules for hydraulic works;
• Recently finalized or ongoing projects on measures for flood protection – the implementation of the action plan adopted by the short-term strategy.

Contrary to existing flood protection plans, the maps of areas at risk from flooding, drafted under the supervision of the National Water Administration Agency ”Apele Romane”, show with great precision the flooded areas. In certain cases, they prove to be a useful water information instrument, able to provide data on water speed, depth during floods, flow for various surpassing probabilities (0,1%, 1%, 5%, 10%) and data on floods that occur once every 1000, 100 or 20 years.

Once provided for both local and national authorities, GIS products based on data from hydrological risk maps will play a decisive role in

-    determining damage and evacuation areas for the population.

-    reducing expenses, due to the fact that data provided is available for a wide range of environmental parameters.

The first results have been significant. The information regarding Europe (WISE) and the countries of the Black Sea Basin are already available and useful. It is important to remember that the time needed for the recovery of aquatic environments and water table is directly affected by the results of the water initiative and the framework directive on water, which have to be addressed at the first level of interoperability (networks, procedures and data transfer).

Sources:

1. Metelka, T., Pryl, K., Suchanek, M., 2010, L’utilisation de la technologie hydro-informatique en Europe centrale et orientale au cours de la dernière décennie. In Novatech 2010, France.
2. AQUASTAT system : http://www.apipnm.org/swlwpnr/reports/y_nr/z_tr/tr.htm
3. Slope basin of the Black Sea. Available at: http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/blanks/assessment/black.pdf
4. Romanian GIS e-platform. available at www.geo-spatial.org
5. EUROWATERNET and Waterbase, European Environmental Agency. Available at: http://edz.bib.uni-mannheim.de/daten/edz-bn/eua/04/Eurowaternet_final_low_res.pdf
6. The international DHI group for the MIKE URBAN Project – mikebydhi.com/Products/Cities/MIKEURBAN.aspx
7. The European Commission website for the environment/ Water section – water.europa.eu
8. Website of the Danube FLOODRISK Project – www.biodiversity.ro/atlas
9. European website for water information at a national level– floods.jrc.ec.europa.eu/national-water-level-information.html
10. Official website of the National Water Administration Agency ”Apele Romane” -  www.rowater.ro
11. UN Environmental Program – The Black Sea : http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/programmes/nonunep/blacksea/
12. WIS for Europe:  http://water.europa.eu/

Article written by Gabriela Moroșanu and translated by Mihail Mitoșeriu.

• Directive-cadre sur l’eau (2000/60 / CE);
• Directive sur les eaux de baignade (2006/7 / CE) (abroge 76/160 / CEE);
• La directive sur les eaux souterraines (2006/118 / CE);
• Directive sur les inondations (2007/56 / CE);
• Directive-cadre sur la stratégie marine (2008/56 / CE).
• Communautés européennes (politique de l’eau) de 2007
• Communautés européennes (eau potable) (n ° 2) Règlement de 2007
• Objectifs Communautés européennes environnementales (eaux de surface) du Règlement 2009 (SI n ° 272 de 2009)
• Objectifs Communautés européennes environnementales (eaux souterraines) Regulations 2010 (SI n ° 9 de 2010)
• Communautés européennes (bonnes pratiques agricoles pour la protection des eaux) du Règlement 2010 (SI n ° 610 de 2010)

En général, les règlements sur les eaux de surface instituent un vaste ensemble de normes environnementales pour les eaux de surface roumains. Les objectives environnementaux à atteindre comprennent des normes et des valeurs seuils pour la classification des eaux souterraines et de surface, ainsi que la protection des eaux souterraines contre la pollution et la détérioration de la qualité des eaux souterraines.

Une meilleure utilisation des données existantes implique une meilleure interprétation des données et l’analyse et communication des données au public et autres utilisateurs sous une forme lisible et compréhensible. à améliorer la qualité de l’information à un coût modéré.

Parmi les institutions ayant la plus grande influence sur le développement, l’application et la gestion du système d’information roumaine dans le domaine de l’eau est l’Agence européenne pour l’environnement, qui héberge le Centre de données de l’eau et les pages thématiques de Web WISE (Water Information System for European Countries). Hors des spécifications tres bien connues sur le management des situations de risque hydrologique (soit les inondations, soit les situations de sécheresse), l’Agence européenne pour l’environnement est chargée avec deux autres sections complémentaires, liées a la problématique d’usage de l’eau :

a.      La section des eaux de baignade du système d’information de l’eau pour l’Europe (WISE), qui est accessible sur le site Web des eaux de baignade de l’EEE (http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/interactive/bathing/state-of-bathing -Eaux), permet de visualiser la qualité des eaux de baignade à plus de 22 000 plages du littoral et l’intérieur des terres à travers l’Europe. Les données sont agrégées et visualisé au niveau national et de la station. Des informations détaillées sur le site de baignade spécifiques sont donnés dans des fenêtres pop-up (peut être activé par un clic sur un emplacement choisi de bain) et des profils des eaux de baignade qui peuvent être ouvertes par des hyperliens dans les fenêtres pop-up.

b.      Les données sur la qualité des eaux de baignade en 2013 et les années précédentes peuvent également être consultés, avec toutes les données des eaux de baignade. L’eau de baignade WISE spectateur de données de qualité allie texte et la visualisation graphique, fournissant un aperçu rapide de l’emplacement des eaux côtières et des eaux de baignade intérieures, ainsi que des statistiques sur leur qualité. Les emplacements spécifiques des eaux de baignade peuvent être observés sur Google Earth, Google Maps ou Bing Maps.

De plus, le géoportail INSPIRE fournit les moyens à la recherche de séries de données spatiales et des services de données spatiales, et soumis à des restrictions d’accès, afin de pouvoir les séries de données des États membres de l’UE dans le cadre de la directive INSPIRE. Aussi, dans le bassin de la mer Noire, les procédures, le transfert, l’interopérabilité et les exigences des données pour WISE fournissent une plate-forme technique solide, fiable et éprouvée à développer le mécanisme d’information, car ils sont basés sur la plupart des normes et des initiatives dans ce domaine.

En bref, seulement pour la Roumanie, sans tenir compte du système riveraine du bassin de la mer Noire, la collecte, la mise à jour des informations dans le système informatique de gestion de l’eau est dans la plupart dans le maintien de la base de données nationale et courus à l’Administration Nationale “Eaux Roumaines” et regardent en particulier les cartes des risques inondation.

Il ne reste qu’aller droit au cœur de l’ensemble de la situation actuelle, et exposer les plus importantes ressources informationnelles disponibles aujourd’hui en Roumanie, en ce qui concerne les systèmes d’information sur l’eau:

• les cartes des plaines inondables avec l’emplacement et les caractéristiques des systèmes de défense contre les risques hydrologiques ;
• la base cartographique SIG – pour la conception et l’analyse de l’impact environnemental des aléas hydrologiques naturels ou induits par la société ;
• l’information sur les systèmes d’information de l’eau existants; règles/ normes de l’organisation des ouvrages hydrauliques ;
• les projets récents et en cours liés aux mesures de défense contre les inondations – la mise en œuvre du plan d’action adopté par la stratégie à courte durée.

Contrairement aux plans de défense déjà existants, les cartes des zones inondables menées sous la supervision de l’Administration Nationale ”Eaux Roumains” (ANAR) montrent la grande précision des zones inondées. Dans certains cas, elles constituent un instrument d’information de l’eau outil, capable de fournir des informations sur la vitesse de l’eau, la profondeur de l’eau à l’inondation, flux correspondant à différentes probabilités de dépassement (0,1%, 1%, 5%, 10%), les données à savoir sur les inondations qui se produisent une fois dans 1000 ans, tous les 100 ans, ou tous les 20 ans.

Une fois mises à la disposition des autorités centrales et locales, les produits SIG basés sur les données de cartes de risques hydrologiques joueront un rôle décisif dans :

-    la détermination des dégâts qui se produiront et les zones d’évacuation de la population

-    la réduction des dépenses, indiquant que les données sont disponibles pour un certain nombre de paramètres de l’environnement.

Les premiers résultats ont été significatifs. Les informations inclues pour l’Europe (WISE) et pour les pays riveraines de la mer Noire peuvent déjà être utiles. A ce sujet, il convient de garder à l’esprit que la durée de rétablissement des écosystèmes aquatiques et des nappes est directement influencée par les résultats de l’initiative pour l’eau et la directive cadre sur l’eau, abordées aux premiers niveaux d’interopérabilité (réseau, procédures et transfert de données).

Bibliographie:

1. Metelka, T., Pryl, K., Suchanek, M., 2010, L’utilisation de la technologie hydro-informatique en Europe centrale et orientale au cours de la dernière décennie. In Novatech 2010, France.
2. AQUASTAT system : http://www.apipnm.org/swlwpnr/reports/y_nr/z_tr/tr.htm
3. Bassin versant de la mer Noire. Disponible a: http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/blanks/assessment/black.pdf
4. E-plateforme roumaine géo-spatiale. Disponible à www.geo-spatial.org
5. EUROWATERNET and Waterbase, L’Agence européenne pour l’environnement. Disponible a: http://edz.bib.uni-mannheim.de/daten/edz-bn/eua/04/Eurowaternet_final_low_res.pdf
6. Le groupe international DHI pour le projet MIKE URBAN – mikebydhi.com/Products/Cities/MIKEURBAN.aspx
7. Le site de la Commission Européenne pour l’environnement/ Section de l’eau – water.europa.eu
8. Le site du projet Danube FLOODRISK – www.biodiversity.ro/atlas
9. Le site européen pour l’information au niveau national de l’eau – floods.jrc.ec.europa.eu/national-water-level-information.html
10. Le site officiel de l’Administration Nationale ”Eaux Roumains” -  www.rowater.ro
11. Programme des Nations Unies pour l’environnement. La mer Noire : http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/programmes/nonunep/blacksea/
12. Système d’information sur l’eau pour l’Europe:  http://water.europa.eu/

The lake’s name speaks for itself, because of the large population of pikes that live here, thus allowing for remarkable catches. Locals say that this lake appeared, strangely, after the collapse of an old salt mine. Nowadays, its waters are fresh as a result of silting, from slopes located nearby and the accumulation of organic sediments in the lake, preventing a direct contact between the waters of the lake and the underlying salt.
The uniqueness of this lake is reflected by several characteristics:
- Low level of human intervention;
- Possibly the greatest depth of any freshwater lake in Romania;
- The only lake in the Transylvanian Plateau where one can find plaur, (a kind of floating reeds) just like in the Danube Delta.

The lake is fed by streams and underground springs which ensure a stable water volume. Its’ surface occupies 26 hectares and the reeds extend for 120 hectares around the lake. Thus, Pike’s Lake and the adjacent reeds, which extend into the valleys of tributary rivers, form a complex of ecosystems, typical for wetlands.

In addition to pike, there are many other fish species, among which we can mention salmon, carp, Prussian carp, tench and common bream. The exact depth of the lake is unknown, but official estimates put it at 10 to 12 meters.

There are countless legends about this lake, most of them linked to the huge pikes caught here or mysterious monsters living at its bottom which swallow a diver each year.
If you love fishing and nature, Pike’s Lake is the right place to visit.

Information sources:
http://turistclujan.wordpress.com/tag/lacul-sacalaia;

http://medias71-72.ro/?p=1128;

http://simplis.wordpress.com/2009/08/06/lacul-stiucilor-sacalaia-cluj/;

http://www.pensiunealaculstiucii.ro/ro/zona/intro

Photo source:
http://www.panoramio.com

L’organisation internationale WWF (World Wildlife Fund), est un des meilleurs amis de l’environnement, et, depuis 1961, elle a organisé un grand nombre d’actions au niveau mondial, pour soutenir la préservation de la nature, dans plus de 100 pays sur 5 continents.

En Roumanie, des nombreux projets ont touché leur but, réalisant ainsi un lien entre les individus intéressés par le bénévolat pour la protection de certains éléments de la nature, les spécialistes de WWF et les communautés locales. Dans notre pays,  WWF a commencé son activité en 2006, ayant comme objectifs la protection des habitats sauvages des Carpates et du Danube. Les projets développés jusqu’à ce moment se sont concentrés sur la préservation des forets, des ours bruns, du Delta du Danube et des esturgeons. En plus, WWF a stimulé la transition vers une ,,économie verte’’ et le développement d’un programme d’éducation sur l’environnement pour les jeunes.  

Dans la période suivante, WWF Roumanie promeut une belle campagne pour la protection des systèmes hydrographiques de la région carpatique et nous invite pour la soutenir. Les prémisses de l’action sont basées sur la compréhension des effets négatifs générés  sur la biodiversité et les communautés locales par la construction chaotique des micro-hydrocentrales (qui sont placées sur des rivières avec une grande valeur écologique, en négligeant la biodiversité, les risques et l’impact cumulatif de la construction sans une planification adéquate)

La campagne ,,Les rivières de montagne – la dernière chance’’ concentre ses efforts sur le changement de la législation, qui implique l’information et l’éducation de la population.

Cette action nous offre aussi des informations importantes: les micro-hydrocentrales, même si elles sont utiles et non-polluantes, sont édifiées fréquemment sur des rivières de la région montagneuse de notre pays, bien que la Roumanie ait accompli déjà son objectif de produire 24% de l’énergie en utilisant des sources renouvelables. Malgré une apparence inoffensive pour l’environnement, un nombre toujours plus grand de micro-hydrocentrales (300 d’eux ont été déjà approuvées sans une planification préalable au niveau des bassins des rivières ou au niveau régional) sont construites près des zones protégées ou même a l’intérieur de ces zones, en altérant, par le changement du régime hydrologique produit dans leur proximité, un grand nombre de caractéristiques de la biodiversité des zones protégées. Cette action nous informe sur le fait que les micro-hydrocentrales peuvent détruire d’une manière irréversible les habitats de certaines espèces, par l’effet de fragmentation, et l’investissement dans ces structures n’est pas justifié du point de vue écologique.

En affectant les lits des rivières et les versants par leur simple existence et aussi à cause de leur réseau de conduits utilisées pour transporter l’eau, les micro-hydrocentrales détruisent l’équilibre des rivières en affectant leur débit.

Selon le modèle de la campagne ,,Sauvez les forets vierges’’ (2011), on envisage la création d’une pression de la part du public sur les autorités, en vue de changer la législation et d’augmenter les exigences relatives à l’autorisation nécessaire pour des futurs projets de micro-hydrocentrales, en ajoutant au cadre actuel des provisions comme:

·    La définition des zones de type ,,no-go’’ (zones où la construction est interdite)

·    L’établissement d’un set de critères de planification pour la construction des micro-hydrocentrales au niveau national.

Cette action aura lieu entre Novembre et Décembre 2013, et va impliquer un nombre de partenaires: des ONG environnementales, des partenaires média, les ambassadeurs WWF, les associations des pêcheurs les institutions d’éducation, et des associations ou clubs d’alpinisme et tourisme montagnard.

Tout le monde peut s’impliquer dans la campagne par la diffusion des newsletters, affiches enligne (banners)  ou en organisant des discussions sur ce sujet dans les réseaux de social média. Pour plus d’information, le site du campagne www.raurileromaniei.ro, le lien vers le communiqué de presse annonçant le début de l’action http://romania.panda.org/?212356/Rauri-de-munte-sau-microhidrocentrale-inutile et la publication électronique sur ce sujet http://romania.panda.org/resurse/publicatii/7_mituri_despre_hidroenergie/ vous aideront pour comprendre les nécessites et buts de la campagne et aussi vous permettront de poser des questions et de recevoir des réponses.

Greenly Magazine soutient la campagne ,,Les rivières de montagne – la dernière chance’’. Rejoignez-nous!

Source de la photographie:

http://www.raurileromaniei.ro/salveaza-raurile/

Article écrit par Gabriela Adina Moroșanu et traduit par Mihail Andreas Mitoșeriu !

WWF (World Wildlife Fund) is one of nature’s most trusted friends, and since 1961, it has been undertaking countless worldwide campaigns aimed at preserving the environment, in over one hundred countries on five continents.

In Romania, many of these projects have been met with success, bringing together ordinary people, eager to volunteer in order to preserve elements of nature, WWF specialists and local communities. WWF began its activity in Romania in 2006, and its objective here is to preserve the wilderness of the Carpathian Mountains and the Danube. Its projects focus on preserving woodlands, protecting brown bears, the Danube Delta and the sturgeons. In addition, it aims to encourage the transition towards a “green economy” and to develop an environmental education programme for young people.

From now on, WWF Romania will promote a remarkable campaign which seeks to protect the hydrographical systems of the Carpathian region and invites us to support it. This campaign is built around the idea of raising awareness about the negative effects on biodiversity and local communities caused by the chaotic construction of micro-hydroelectric power stations (building micro-hydroelectric power stations on rivers with a significant ecological value leads to a neglect of biodiversity by ignoring the risks and the cumulative impact brought by constructing these installations without a thorough planning).

The “Mountain rivers: the last chance” campaign focuses its efforts on changing the legislation, by means of public pressure, which requires informing and educating the population.

This campaign tells us that, although useful and non-polluting, these micro-hydroelectric power stations are more and more frequently being built on rivers in the mountainous area of Romania, even though our country has already fulfilled its commitment towards the European Union to produce 24% of its energy from renewable sources. Even though they seem harmless for the environment, an increasing number of micro-hydroelectric stations are built close to protected areas or even inside them (300 have been approved for construction without a prior planning at the river basin level or at a regional level), thus modifying, through the mere change of the hydrological regime in their proximity, an important part of the biodiversity found in these protected areas. We are also informed that micro-hydro electrical power stations can cause irreversible damage to the habitat of certain species, by fragmenting the habitat, and that the investments made in building such projects are not environmentally sound. By affecting the valleys and the slopes through their existence, and also because of the extensive network of pipes used to transport water, these stations destroy the environmental balance of rivers by affecting their natural flow.

Modelled after the “Save the virgin forests” campaign of 2011, the goal of this campaign is to create public pressure on the authorities, in order to amend the legislation and to enforce a more thorough process of authorization for future projects, which should include the following aspects:   

- Defining no-go areas (areas were construction is prohibited);

- Establishing a nation-wide set of criteria for planning the construction.

The campaign will last between November and December 2013 and shall involve a number of partners: environmental NGOs, media partners, WWF ambassadors, fishermen’s associations, educational institutions and mountaineering and tourism clubs.   

Anyone can become involved, by spreading electronic newsletters, on-line banners or by organising networks on social media sites discussing this campaign. For more information, the campaign website (www.raurileromaniei.ro), the link to the press release announcing the start of the campaign (http://romania.panda.org/?212356/Rauri-de-munte-sau-microhidrocentrale-inutile ) and the on-line article “7 Myths about hydro-electric power” (http://romania.panda.org/resurse/publicatii/7_mituri_despre_hidroenergie/) will help you better understand the requirements and the objectives of this campaign and will give you the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers on this topic.

Greenly Magazine supports the campaign “Mountain rivers: the last chance”…Join us!

Photo source:

http://www.raurileromaniei.ro/salveaza-raurile/

http://greenly.ro/apa/campania-nationala-wwf-romania-raurile-de-munte-o-ultima-sansa

Article written by Gabriela Moroșanu and translated by Mihail Mitoșeriu

As the rainfall in this area is scarce, the only fresh water source which supplies the sea is the Jordan River. Until the 1970s, the river was discharging a volume of 1.5 billion m3 of water each year. Due to the irrigation systems which were built in the area, we are now speaking of generally 80 million m3 of water annually. These data are important, as the concentration of salts and the environmental capacity of sustaining aquatic organisms depend on the amount of fresh water reaching the sea. Currently, the lake is populated only by some bacteria and, in the 80s, some red algae have been reported after a wetter season. Would the Jordan River have a larger and more constant water flow, the Dead Sea water would be more clearly stratified as far as the saline concentration is concerned, thus allowing the existence of certain fish or algae in surface waters. On the contrary, at a lower flow, as it is today, the amount of evaporated water is higher than the “inputs” of fresh water; the sea surface has been decreasing by approximately 1 meter annually, from 1970 until the present day and the sea level has lowered by 23 meters.

After having lost a third of its surface, the Dead Sea is threatened with extinction, an event expected to happen at the middle of the XXI century. The rescue project supported by the World Bank aims to build a canal between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea in order to replenish the latter. The plan is of gigantic proportions and stipulates the construction of a plant on the Red Sea, to pump water, followed by the construction of a 180 km long canal to the Dead Sea. In addition to its function of supplying the Dead Sea, the canal will also have a touristic value. The authorities involved in its construction will create artificial lakes which will allow setting up tourist bases in the desert.

The expert opinions on this project are very diverse and contradictory, with concerns about the mixture of the two seas’ waters, which would completely destroy the Dead Sea through the occurrence of hydrogen sulfide. Accurate forecasts cannot be yet made…

Until then, you can enjoy the full therapeutic properties of the Dead Sea water, and, if you have the opportunity, do not hesitate to visit these places full of history! More on the minerals, mud and salt found in this area and their therapeutic properties, here.

The article was written by Razvan Spiridon and translated by Magda Baidan.

You can read the Romanian version of this article here.

Info sources: http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marea_Moart%C4%83, http://regiuni.famouswhy.ro/marea_moarta_sau_lacul_asflatit/, http://www.crestinortodox.ro/pelerinaje/marea-moarta-120931.html

Image sources: http://www.crestinortodox.ro/pelerinaje/marea-moarta-120931.html, http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306921_2,00.html, http://www.bibleistrue.com/qna/pqna68.htm

Among all the waste in our households, I think plastic is the nastiest and should concern us the most! Why? Because it’s non-biodegradable and its poor management will lead to mountains of trash (watch Wall-E to have a picture of that). Well, if we could only stop to that. But in fact, humans are even more wicked- they also send their plastic trash somewhere they cannot see it anymore… Out of sight- out of mind…

We allow our plastic-useless-former belongings to rest in a beautiful location, a place to which Earth owes being named „The BLUE Planet”. Yep… The Oceans. According to Greenpeace studies, 100 million tons of plastic are produced annually, from which 10% get into the planet’s oceans (80% of these coming from land- the other 20% coming from uneducated pirates).

One of the most severe examples of plastic pollution is the Pacific Garbage Patch (or the Pacific Trash Vortex) – in short PGP. This patch is an alarming phenomenon in the North Pacific, a huge vortex containing different plastic materials in small sizes, floating in the neustonic layer of the water (the surface layer- that is). We can clearly state that the PGP is one of the largest trash bins in the world (and it’s getting even larger!).

When they hear about the PGP, many people imagine that the water surface is covered in large size trash, as shown in this picture:

It’s not like that at all! The PGP is in reality a big soup of “millions of small and microscopic pieces of plastic”. Although researchers have found large plastic items as well, it’s the small ones (the size of a finger nail) that predominate. It’s not the size of the individual items that is concerning, but the small particles altogether! (To find out more about research results- check out this article and watch the video).

Sample from the PGP. Source: protecttheocean.com

PGP water sample. Photo source: knowledge.allianz.com

How does the PGP “work”? Significant quantities of small waste particles that come from land are brought into the ocean by the North Pacific Current, and then the surface currents (produced by the wind) catch the trash into a trap-like spiral, from which they cannot escape. Basically, the edges of the patch are active and attract more and more floating pieces, while the centre is calm and full of trash that will be stuck there forever.

Why is this plastic soup dangerous for the environment? Here are the main issues, I’ll try to explain them in short, since you took the time to read them and haven’t skipped to the conclusion yet.

- Disturbances in food chains: the tiny plastic particles are easily mistaken for phytoplankton, therefore animals such as Phoebastria nigripes (a species of albatross) or sea turtles can die due to ingestion of plastic. Check out this shaking video made by Chris Jordan!

- „Toxic sponge”: plastic particles are not biodegradable, but they are photodegradable- which is bad! It means light (and it’s plenty of it in the euphotic zone) helps them decompose to even smaller levels (molecular levels), transforming them into bisphenol A, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) and polystyrene derivatives, which are toxic and bioaccumulate in marine organisms! Therefore, once these molecules are consumed by the phytoplankton, they become part of the food chain and can eventually get into your yummy ocean fish dinner. Feed on that!

- Scary death traps (how awful is it to die like that??): a lot of various unlucky species get entangled in plastic trash (such as discarded fishing nets and nylon lines)… The followers of Jesus were fishermen, but now we’ve brought fishing to a whole new level… And let’s not forget the plastic bags- they are the new trend! Dolphins wear the fashionable “Thanks for shopping with us” around their necks…

[By the way- WHY ON EARTH would producers wrap Pomelo fruit individually in that unattractive plastic net?? Can someone explain this to me, please? I haven’t found an answer yet and my blood pressure gets high when I pass by the fruit isle…]

Research has shown that over one million marine birds and a hundred thousand marine mammals and turtles die annually due to plastic pollution (UNEP, 2006).

This image is already popular…
Source: wewillblowyourmind.blogspot.com

- Free rides for hitch-hiking organisms: larger floating objects (plastic recipients) can facilitate the transport of invasive species (“ocean hitch-hikers”- such as water skater insects, small crabs, barnacles) to other habitats or onto ship hulls, causing a lot of damage.

Conclusion

The Pacific Garbage Patch is a huge deposit of stinky indifference, sheer rudeness and big fat selfishness from our part… a burden that torments spectacular life forms, marine and winged alike.  Unless you make Robo-Caps (see photo album), plastic is not a resource to mess around with!

Let’s come back to the pharmacy story.

Why shouldn’t I take the plastic bag I was offered for free? You’ll say that this specific bag will not get from Romania all the way into the Pacific. Then what might happen to it?

Well, it might:

-  get to Glina (a Romanian not-so-well-managed waste deposit) and stay there for many many years, until Wall-E comes to the rescue;

- get into the Black Sea (along with our other many sins washed by the rain and carried by the rivers);

- get into a mail package I might be sending to my uncle Aurica in Canada, and from there, perhaps in the Pacific;

-  get recycled if I feel a little creative- but how many ideas can one have for so many bags?

-  Or I might not take it in the first place… (and if you do the same, they might not offer plastic bags anymore- NO TRADING- NO PRODUCTION!).

“- Thanks a lot, but I’d rather put the bottle in my backpack!”

[citeste aici varianta asemanatoare in limba romana]

Documentation

• UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), RegionalSeas Report and Studies, Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Deep Waters and High Seas No. 17, 2006
• Greenpeace.org
• Scripps Institution-  marine biologist Miriam Goldstein, research results
• Time to get drastic about plastic
• Chris Jordan http://www.midwayfilm.com/