WCC 2020 Res 030 - Activity Report

General Information

Resolution
49169
IUCN Constituent
IUCN WCPA World Heritage : Network 2021-2025
IUCN Constituent type
IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas 2021-2025
Period covered
Geographic scope
European Union (EU)
Country/Territory
Romania

Actors involved in implementing this Resolution:

IUCN Members
No other Members are/have been involved
IUCN Commissions
No Commissions are/have been involved
IUCN Secretariat
No
Other non-IUCN related organisations
Fundația Eco-Civica

II. Implementation

Activities carried out to implement this Resolution
Activity
Education/Communication/Raising awareness
Description and results/achievements of activities:
In January 2022 I saw on new satellite images that the world heritage site Danube Delta, protected area in Romania with the code ROWHS0001, is losing its integrity. A unique area, the last stretch of continental seashore in Romania not destroyed by real estate developments, fell victim to a large real estate development. The illegal building works were extending on a very Natura 2000 protected habitat, embryonic shifting dunes, 2110. They were on the beach, at less than 150 from the most advanced line of the sea waves, where building in illegal. They were on public land illegally passed to private ownership. The destruction was carried out with the complicity of the Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. An illegal permit was issued based on a management plan which was no longer valid. Several laws were breached and, as usual, fake impact studies were in the file.
I sounded the alarm, I noticed the journalists about this in-conceivable destruction of the natural heritage. I found out that a lawsuit was already filed (file 37121/3/2021 from București Tribunal), initiated by locals and Eco-Civica (environmental foundation), but the case was not a high profile case yet, as it deserved.
I also wrote an article about it (in Romanian):
https://www.romaniacurata.ro/au-distrus-si-corbu-plaja-salbatica/
Status
On-going
Please report on the result /achievement of the actions taken
After I ”sounded the alarm” it grew like a snowball, the case was presented all around the news, a petition to stop de devastation reached 17 thousands signatures and finally the State Inspectorate in Constructions ceased the works and the prefect of the county filed a lawsuit to annul the building permit.
Identify and briefly describe what future actions/activities are planned for the implementation of this Resolution
Future action / activity
Policy influencing/advocacy
Description
Being a case so severe, impacting the integrity of a world heritage site, the involvement of IUCN and UNESCO is needed.

III. Additional Information

Report status
Published