GS Paper III

News Excerpt:

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has urged the Romanian government to classify Mahmudia wetland as a ‘national interest ecological restoration area’ to protect its natural progress and foster community prosperity.

About Mahmudia Wetland and Importance of the Danube river Delta:

• Mahmudia is situated along the southernmost canal of the Danube Delta, where the famous river empties into the Black Sea. 
• The Danube River is the most international river on the planet - its course runs across, or forms a part of the borders of ten countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, and four capitals: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade.
• The Delta is formed around the three main channels of the Danube, named after their respective ports: Chilia (in the north), Sulina (in the middle), and Sfantu Gheorghe (in the south).
• The unique ecosystems of the Danube Delta consists of a network of river channels, shallow bays and hundreds of lakes. 
• It forms a valuable natural buffer zone with extensive marshes, reed-beds, islands and floodplains, and it also filters out pollutants from the Danube River.
• The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve has the third largest biodiversity in the world (over 5,500 flora and fauna species), exceeded only by the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Galapagos Archipelago in Ecuador.
• It is often called ‘the pearl of Romanian tourism’ due to its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• International Designations of Delta:

• 1991: Inscribed on the World Heritage List under Natural Criteria vii and x.

• 1979: Designated a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man & Biosphere Programme, extended in 1992 (580,000 ha).

• 1991: Designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention (647,000 ha).
• 1998: Designated part of a transboundary Biosphere Reserve with Dunaisky in Ukraine (626,403 ha).

What is the issue:

• The controversy erupted iIn June 2023, a dyke that surrounded the Mahmudia ecological restoration area failed, and waters overflowed from the restored area onto land leased for agriculture. 
• This happened eight years after an agricultural area near Mahmudia had been reconstructed as part of a project in which WWF-Romania contributed and which was financed with European funds. 
• The restored area had become a thriving wetland, full of biodiversity, contributing significantly to the development of tourism in the area.
• A sociological survey in 2023 found that 97% of the local community wants to keep the extended wetland and does not agree with draining it to be used as farmland again.   

The significance of ecological restoration in wetlands: 

• The global importance of wetlands, including floodplains, marshes, and deltas has been studied extensively, their diverse benefits are following: 
• Sequestering carbon, and strengthening socio-economic resilience among local communities. 
• Wetlands also provide critical habitat, breeding grounds and sources of food for shellfish, fish, birds, amphibians and other organisms.
• Wetlands play a crucial role in fishing economies.
• Wetlands are also preserved to provide feeding and resting grounds for migratory birds and to create habitat corridors for wildlife populations.
• These services generate commercial, recreational and aesthetic benefits as well.
• Wetlands also control erosion, limit flooding, moderate groundwater levels and base flow, assimilate nutrients, protect drinking water sources and buffer coastal areas from storm surges.

Way forward:

Preserving Mahmudia wetland in the Danube Delta is critical for biodiversity and local community’s well-being. WWF's plea to designate it as a ‘national interest ecological restoration area’ highlights the pivotal role of wetlands in climate resilience and sustainable development. This underscores the urgent need for global and regional efforts to recognize and protect wetlands which are facing increasing threats amidst the challenges of climate change.