Fourth National Report to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

The annual Orders for establishing the prohibition period for fishing, issued by Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Environment – the regulation is updated annually. This law establishes the activities that are prohibited and are considered contravention/penal responsibility and, also, the sanctions according to case.

Implementation modalities related with the above mentioned principle are:

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  To adopt the environmental policies, harmonized with the development programs;
  

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  To enforce the obligatory character of the environmental impact assessment in the initial phase of the projects, programs or activities, including those which change the natural frame of a zone, the trade with wild flora and fauna species etc., to have in view the technical solutions for maintain the natural habitats, for conservation of the ecosystems functions;
  
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  To correlate the environmental planning with the territorial planning use and urbanism;
  
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  To solve, on competency levels, the environmental problems, according to their degree;
  
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  To introduce the economic instruments as incentives or as means of correction;
  
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  To promote the basic and applicable research in the environmental protection field;
  
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  To train and educate the population, as well Non-Governmental Organizations participation at the decision making process.
  

The environmental protection is an obligation for the central and local public administration authorities, as well as for the natural or juridical persons, and the responsibility concerning the environmental protection falls under the central authority for the environmental protection and its territorial agencies.

Based of this law, the central authority for the environmental protection, consulting the central specialized authority responsible elaborates the technical regulations on the biological diversity protection and conservation and for sustainable use of the natural resources.

The holders, with any title, who apply the conservation measures established by the central authority for the environmental protection, are tax exempt; the private holders are compensated, according with the value of the restoration works done.

The protection of the wild species or natural habitats and setting-up the protected areas, as well as the measures established by the environmental protection authorities, are priorities in respect with other interests.

For the conservation of the natural habitats, of the biological diversity which defines the bio-geographical frame of the country, as well as the natural structures and formations with ecological, scientific and landscape value, the national network of protected areas constitute an ongoing process.

The protected areas are declared through acts or regulations with normative feature, including the forest planning;

The local public administration authorities, based on the documentation approved by the Romanian Academy, can put under provisional protection, with the aim of declared protected areas or natural monuments.

Plant gathering and trades, trapping through any means, holding and trade animals declared as natural monuments, as well as dislocation, holding, and trade of minerals, speologic and paleologic pieces from places declared natural monuments are forbidden.

Further this provisions, are stipulate the prerogatives, the responsibilities and the sanctions attracts, according to case

The conservation of the biological diversity and of the woodland scenery are insured mainly by the constitution of national parks and other protected areas in the forest fund and in the forest vegetation outside it. Their constitution is made at the proposal of the specialized institutes and or other scientific bodies on the basis of researches undertaken to these and shall be approved by law.

Violations of the provisions of the Forest Code involve disciplinary, material, civil, contravention or criminal responsibilities according to the law.

Romania belongs, from the bio-geographical point of view, to the temperate European region and is a meeting point between eleven bio-geographic regions - arctic, alpine, west and central European, pannonic, pontic, balkanic, submediterranean and even eastern colchic, caucasian and turanic-iranian.

The country’s geographic position, in conjunction with topographic variation and the Danube Delta has resulted in a high level of bio-geographic diversity.

High level of diversity of habitats reflects also a high diversity of flora and fauna species. Thus, there were identified:

The characteristic grassland species represent approximately 37% of those which are in Romania.

There are also 600 species of algae and over 700 species of marine and coastal plants. The endemic species represent 4%. It was identified a total number of 57 endemic taxa (species and subspecies) and 171 under-endemic taxa.
33,802 species of animals in which 33085 invertebrates and 717 vertebrates.

Among vertebrates, it was identified 191 species of fish (9 endangered species), 20 species of amphibians (9 endangered species), 30 species of reptiles (6 species), 364 species of birds (including 312 migratory species) and 102 species of mammals.

Romanian Ornithological Society, with the support of Birdlife International Organization, has also identified over 44 avifauna areas, covering 3% of total country area, in accordance with the provisions of the Directive 409/79/CEE regarding the conservation of wild birds. It has not been established until now a system for biodiversity monitoring, but some of wild species and habitats are included in programs and research projects of universities, museums, research institutes and some NGOs.

Despite existing databases for biodiversity there is no coordination point to provide for integrated data and information management system for biodiversity conservation in Romania.

The existing efforts are important but not consolidate in support of decision-making.

Therefore a comprehensive Clearing House Mechanism is an urgent priority to overcome the current deficiency in the system. This will be established through UNDP-GEF project “Support to alignment of NBSAP with CBD obligations and development of CHM”

Of the 3,700 higher plant species catalogued in Romania, 23 species have been declared as natural monuments; 74 species have disappeared from Romania; 39 species are endangered; 171 species are vulnerable; and 1253 are considered rare species. Among harvested plants for medicinal use 3 species are endangered, 20 are vulnerable, 40 are rare (of which 18 vulnerable) and 2 are threatened.

Grassland species include 37% of the total species represented. About 600 algae species and a total of over 700 species of marine and coastal plants exist.

A very high percentage of the plant species (4%) are endemic. In total there are 57 endemic taxa (species and subspecies) and 171 sub-endemic taxa (with their territory mostly in Romania).

The inventory of important plant areas (IPA) has identified 276 IPAs of which 210 in protected areas (all or part, covering an area of 426,500 ha. According to biogeographic zones the IPAs are divided as follows: Continental (128), Alpine (98), Steppic (40), Black Sea–Pontic (9) and Pannonic (1). Several IPAs already have international recognition, 3 by the Ramsar Convention and 22 are Biosphere Reserves.

Romanian vertebrates comprise: 211 species of fish of which 17 are endangered, including all native sturgeons; 20 species of amphibians, of which 3 are endangered; 23 species of reptiles which 9 are endangered; 439 species of birds (nesting, migratory and accidentally birds) of which 29 are endangered; 102 species of mammals of which not more than 10 are endangered.

Romania is a critical transit area for birds migrating within Europe. The main migratory flyway of Romania is in the east between the Carpathian Mountains and the Black Sea.

A second, less utilized migratory flyway crosses through Romania’s West Plain which is part of the larger Tisa plain shared with Hungary and Serbia.

A lateral branch runs along the Danube from east to west. This route is used by crane (Grus grus) and Passeriformes species.

A third flyway crosses the Transylvania basin, from northwest to southwest.

Romania is represented by a high diversity of groundwater fauna, the origin of which is fully pre-glacial. These organisms can be found living in subterranean water-filled karst cavities and in water bodies in above-ground caves. This life comprises many ancient species of crustaceans, such Microcharon, Microcerberus, Stygasellus, and the archiannelid Troglochaetus.

A great number of wild species and natural habitats are the subject of the research programs and projects developed by the universities, museums, research institutes and NGOs.
1.3 Review of the Red List

In the Red List of species, are included 17 species of amphibians and 19 species of reptiles.

The status quo of herpetofauna species existed in the Red List is the following:
- critically endangered: 3 species and 2 subspecies of reptiles (Eryx jaculus, Elaphe sauromates, Vipera ursinii, montandoni Vipera ammodytes, Vipera Berus nikolskii)
- endangered 4 species of amphibians (Triturus dobrogicus, Pelobates syriacus, Rana arvalis, Pelophylax lessonae) and 8 species of reptiles and subspecies (Testudo graeca, Hermann testudo, Emys orbicularis, Ablepharus kitaibelli, Eremias arguta, Lacerta trilineata, Darevskia praticola, Vipera Berus, Vipera ammodytes ammodytes)
- vulnerable: 10 species (Salamander salamandra, Mesotriton alpestris, Lissotriton montandoni, Lissotriton vulgaris, Triturus cristatus, Bombina Bombina, Pelobates fuscus, Hyla arborea, Rana dalmatina, Rana temporaria) and 6 species and subspecies of reptiles (Darevskia praticola, Podarcis muralis, Anguis fragilis, Lacerta viridis meridionalis, Dolichophis caspius, Coronella austriaca, Zamenis longissimus)
- threatened: 3 species of amphibians (Bombina variegata, Bufo bufo, Bufo viridis) and 3 species of reptiles (Podarcis tauricus, Lacerta agillis chersonensis, Natrix tessellata)
- without threat: 2 species of amphibians (Pelophylax ridibundus, Pelophylax kl. esculentus) 2 species and 2 subspecies of reptiles (Lacerta agillis agillis, Lacerta viridis viridis, Zootoca vivipara, Natrix natrix)
The Life-Nature Project "Saving Vipera ursinii rakosiensis in Transylvania region" between 2005-2009 is still running.

An area of 365 hectares was declared Nature 2000 site and it was prepared the Management Plan for this scientific reservation taking the custody by the Romanian Herpetological Society.

Following the study funded by the Partnership Foundation, the Romanian Herpetological Society proposed a Nature 2000 site, in the North-West part of Romania with a surface by approximately 24,000 ha (Careiului Plain).

In Batca Doamnei region (Neamţ County) it was saved a few important populations of amphibians (Triturus cristatus, Lissotriton montandoni, Bombina variegata, Hyla arborea, Bufo bufo) and the area was declared as a nature reservation.

The NGO Milvus Group proposed new Nature 2000 sites for the herpetofauna’s species (especially for the Triturus cristatus, Triturus dobrogicus, Lissotriton vulgaris ampelensis, Lissotriton montandoni, Bombina Bombina, Bombina variegata, Testudo hermanni, Emys orbicularis, Elaphe sauromates) and not only.

This activity is financed by WWF and the Environmental Partnership Foundation. In 2008, for controling the invasive specie-Trachemys scripta elegans, the Milvus Group proposed the website (http://www.freewebs.com/trachemysadoption/) and created a forum for keeping the individuals in captivity.

The common threats for the most herpetofauna species are the following:

It has been undertaken the special conservation measures take into account the status of these species, accordingly with the technical and financial support of Bird Life International: creation the protected areas, protection zones surrounded by intermediary zones, establishing the integrated management plans approved by scientific councils etc.

The aim of evaluating the impact of the atmospheric pollutants over the environment is to identify and quantify the potential consequences it has on it.

The air quality in Romania has been monitored by hourly or daily measures in 51 measuring stations, out of which 23 are part of the automatic air quality monitoring network.

The National Air Quality Monitoring Network includes the following types of stations:

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  stations for evaluating the influence of the industrial activities on the air quality;
  
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  stations for evaluating the influence of the “urban establishments" on the air quality;
  
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  regional fund stations – reference station – for evaluating the air quality, far from any type of source, that may contribute to deteriorating the air quality.
  

The evaluation of the impact of atmospheric pollutants over the environment is done by:

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  estimating the emissions of pollutants by performing the inventory of emissions, measurements of the emissions and/or shaping of the dispersion of atmospheric pollutants.
  
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  monitoring the air quality in order to know the effects of these emissions over the population’s health and ecosystems.
  

Estimating the annual emissions of atmospheric pollutants represents the first step in establishing the impact of these pollutants over the environment.

During 2004-2008, the national air quality monitoring was performed by manual samplings, followed by the analysis of the laboratory samples, as well as within the air quality continuous monitoring system.

For 2010, Romania has committed to frame the level of emissions within the limits stipulated by the Gothenburg Protocol.

During the past three years, there is noticed an increasing tendency of the sulphur dioxide emissions, especially due to the increase and revival of the industrial sector.

The sulphur dioxide emissions are featured by a general increase of over 3%, an increase sustained mainly by the sector “combustions in the energetic industry and transformation industries. In this sector, there has been registered an increase of over 5%, of over 6% in the “road transportation” and of 11% in “other mobile sources and machines”.

On the counter pole, there are the sectors "treating and disposing wastes" and "non-industrial combustion installations", where the sulphur dioxide emissions have diminished by 44%, respectively 12%.

In the last years, the NOx emissions have been characterized by a descending tendency, a feature mainly sustained by the modernization of the industrial installations and renewal of the national car fleet.

The NOx emissions originate especially from the energetic industry, the road traffic, as well as from the production processes.

The sectors that represented slight increases are “combustions in the energetic industry and transforming industries” by 3%, "non-industrial combustion installations" by 9% and "other mobile sources and machines" by 14%.

These increases have been balanced by sectors such as “treating and disposing wastes” with a decrease of 47%, “road transports” by 3% and “combustions in the processing industry” by 1%.

The ammonia emissions represent a slight increase in the last years, the greatest quantity of ammonia emissions originates from agriculture (78.53% representing 156,528 t).

The ammonia emissions are especially generated by the “agriculture” sector, which reduce the high oscillation percentages featuring the other sectors such as "non-industrial combustion installations" - 3% and "production processes" - 31%. Increases are also registered in the sectors "combustions in the processing industry", "road transports" and "other mobile sources and machines" by 6%, 7% respectively 12%.

Of the data resulted in the national emission inventory, there may be noticed an increase in the annual cadmium and mercury emissions, with a maximum in 2005, a year where a value of 10 tons is reached, respectively 11 tons, a situation due to the high quantity of industrial wastes incinerated that year (Statistical publication on generating and managing wastes).

For most of the sectors, the tendency is to decrease – “treating and disposing wastes" by 47%, and the “road transports" by 14%.

The emissions of persistent organic pollutants generally have a decreasing evolution for the past years.

The main source of emission for polychlorinated biphenyls is represented by iron and steel works and metallurgy, followed by waste incineration.

The hexachlorobenzene emissions (HCB) are excepted from the decreasing tendency of persistent organic pollutants. The domain responsible for this increase is represented by the production processes.

SO2, NO2/NOx, CO, benzene, suspension powders, lead and ozone pollutants are monitored and evaluated in compliance with the Order of the Water and Environmental Protection Ministry no. 592/2002, which translates the requirements stipulated by the European regulations;

Cadmium is related to the requirements of the Order of the Ministry of Environment and Water Management, no. 448/2007 and ammonia to those of STAS no. 12574/87 – Air in the protected areas.

The values of the emissions are highlighted correlated with the values registered in the continuous air quality monitoring system. The methodology of estimation is in compliance with the CORINAIR Guide, 2007.

The annual limit value has not been exceeded (20 g/m3) for protecting the vegetation of the concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) for the stations destined to monitor the ecosystems and vegetation.

The atmospheric pollution with powders may have natural causes, such as wind involving the particles from the ground surface or anthropic ones: the production processes (metallurgical industry, chemical industry etc.), combustions in the energetic sector, construction sites and road transport, industrial and municipal waste and spoil dumps, individual heating systems, especially those using solid fuels etc.

The values of the annual average concentrations of powders below 10 microns (PM10) exceed the limit value (40 μg/mc) with preponderance in the urban congestions, mainly in the traffic and industrial-type stations and also in some urban fund stations.

The emissions of heavy metals are significant in two areas with historical pollution in Maramureş and Sibiu Counties.

The annual average benzene concentration has not exceeded the annual limit value for the human health plus the tolerance margin (8.7µg/mc) for the monitoring stations.

At the level of all monitored areas, the evolution of the pollutants concentrations, mediated by the stations which represented consistency and comparability of the measures indicate a slight improvement of the air quality, except for the nitrogen oxides.

Therefore it is crucial:

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  To address biodiversity loss and climate change in an integrated manner and develop strategies that achieve mutually supportive outcomes e.g. promote sustainable adaptation and mitigation based on ecosystem approaches. This is the only way to ensure the long-term success of these strategies and to appropriately address the wider ecosystem challenges in the climate change negotiations e.g. by establishing a REDD+ mechanism and by including ecosystem-based approaches in the Framework for Adaptation Action;
  
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  To take urgent action now to conserve and restore terrestrial and marine biodiversity and ecosystems; these are the basis for cost-effective adaptation to and mitigation of climate change and can provide multiple economic, social and environmental benefits. This is the most important and cost-effective measure we can take to increase the resilience of ecosystems and of society. It also includes developing and implementing actions to support adaptation of biodiversity and ecosystems to climate change;
  
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  To ensure true buy-in from other sectors e.g. agriculture, finance, transport, spatial planning, water, fisheries, forestry, tourism, development policy etc. with regards to increasing and maintaining ecosystem resilience;
  
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  To raise awareness of the linkages between biodiversity and climate change by communication and education campaigns, and build capacity and partnerships;
  
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  To strength the knowledge base on the climate change-biodiversity nexus. This implies increased research effort, long-term monitoring, ecosystem assessments and valuation;
  
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  To appropriately address the issue of biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate change in upcoming financial reviews.
  

Adaptation measures will be necessary to ensure that nature conservation objectives are met under changing climatic conditions.

At the same time, nature conservation contributes to maintaining healthy ecosystems essential for any climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy.

In many cases changes in ecosystem composition and especially in ecosystem structure and function, have important implications for the interactions between the biosphere and the climate system, as well as for the ecosystem services on which society depends.

Terrestrial and marine ecosystems currently absorb roughly half of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. This is a vital ecosystem service to humanity, free of cost, without which the effects of global warming would be far greater.

The carbon storage capacity of oceans, forests, grasslands, bogs and soils is essential for mitigating climate change.

Conversely, destruction and degradation of these ecosystems can lead to the release of significant amounts of greenhouse gases.

In fact, there is now growing evidence that the capacity of the Earth's carbon sinks is weakening due to the continuous degradation of ecosystems caused by anthropogenic emissions and activities such as deforestation, soil erosion, over-fishing and poor management of fresh water and marine resources.

These multiple pressures, which interact in different ways, reduce the resilience and buffering capacity of the ecosystems to respond to future stresses.

As the loss of biodiversity continues it compromises the achievement of the climate change goals and continued delivery of ecosystem services.

Urgent action now to halt the further loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystems will help to maintain ecosystem services and retain future options for reducing the extent of climate change and managing its impacts.

Ecosystem-based approaches represent potential triple-win measures: they contribute to preserve and restore natural ecosystems, mitigate climate change by conserving or enhancing carbon stocks or by reducing emissions caused by ecosystem degradation and loss and provide cost-effective protection against some of the threats that result from climate change.

To reduce emissions there are "low cost co-benefit" measures that may also contribute to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. They include restoration of degraded land, forests, organic soils and wetlands, reduction in conversion of pastureland, less slash and burn practices, and improved grassland management.

These ecosystem-based approaches also help to maintain ecosystem services that are important for human well being and vital to our ability to adapt to the effects of climate change.