Rewilding Romania, the organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wildlife and natural habitats, received EUR 74,700 in funding from the Open Rivers Programme to kick off a new project aimed at restoring river flow and biodiversity in the Southern Carpathians. The initiative involves identifying and subsequently removing small, obsolete barriers in five key catchments: Belareca, Pârâul Rece, Feneș, Sebeș, and Bistra.

The project is scheduled to run from May 2024 to March 2025.

Within this drive, Rewilding Romania aims to map the existing barriers and identify those that can be removed with minimal effort, thereby restoring the natural river ecosystems. Throughout the project, the organization will collaborate with local authorities as well as the National Administration of Romanian Waters.

Marina Drugă, Team Leader of Rewilding Romania, explained: “Barriers along rivers disrupt aquatic ecosystems and fragment the natural habitats of several fish species, resulting in declining populations. Removing these small, obsolete barriers is crucial to restoring natural habitats. Increasing the length of free-flowing rivers is part of our long-term strategy to allow nature to recover on its own, ensuring a sustainable future for the region’s natural heritage.”

Rewilding Romania is working to ensure the long-term health of aquatic ecosystems in the Southern Carpathians by increasing river connectivity, improving breeding habitats, and boosting the resilience of key species. Removing obsolete barriers will improve sediment transport and water quality, benefiting several fish species.

The Open Rivers Programme, managed by Stichting European Open Rivers in the Netherlands, began in October 2021. It aims to restore European rivers with funding from the Arcadia Fund, which supports nature conservation, cultural heritage preservation, and open access to knowledge.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Rewilding Romania)