Restoration on Comana wetlands, Romania

NWRM

Application scale

River

Installation date

2011-04

Lifespan

Age

Performance timescale

Immediate

Area (ha)

1180

Area subject to Land use change or Management/Practice change (ha)

1180

Design capacity description

increase of the river depth by more than 1.50m and to achieve a permanent retention rate of 43.60 mMB at Comana pond; extending the water surface to 490 hectares and maintaining the shallow water area below half a meter.

Constraints

N/A info

Favourable preconditions

N/A info

Public consultation

Design contractual arrangement

No data

Design consultation activity

Activity stage	Key issues	Name	Comments
		caravans for promoting biodiversity conservation presenting information about nature and its protection, about Comana Natural Park (flora and fauna);	The project had the support of local public authorities and business people who have invested in the area.
		dissemination of materials with key messages;
		round table for capacity building and improvement of cooperation with local authorities and stakeholders from the Comana Natural Park area
		thematic seminars with key messages: "protecting nature - protecting life" and "to teach both young people and local community, how important is the conservation of environment"

Design land use change

No data

Design authority

Authority type	Role	Name	Comments
Other	Implementation	the Giurgiu County Council	County Authority / The project developer
Other	Initiation of the measure	Comana Local Council
NGO	Other	Administration of Comana Natural Park	Initiation of the measure; Determination of design details of the measure; Implementation; Monitoring
Private property owners		Business people who have invested in the area
Regional / sub-national water authority	Monitoring	Local Environmental Protection Agency
Farmers		Land users from the area of Comana wetland restoration area

Key lessons

The project is the first wetland restoration and the first example of green infrastructure development in the region. The process of public procurement for contracts regarding the supply/works/services, might cause a barrier, delaying the implementation.
Strong awareness raising campaigns creating the necessary local support for restoration is essential.

Financing difficulties

Financing difficulties information

The funding was sufficient for project implementation and the financial framework conditions support the financing of the nature conservation activities. Without the EU funding, the project would not have been possible. Comana Wetland restoration was initially funded through a LIFE Nature project (2002-2004). While the LIFE project did not yet achieve the planned restoration it was key to the successful planning of the restoration work (including identification of measures in view of increasing the wetland area, drafting a series of management recommendations and proposal to declare the site as a natural park) and laid the ground for the declaration of the area as a National Park in 2004.

Success factor(s)

Success factor type	Success factor role	Comments
Financing possibilities	main factor	The funding was sufficient for project implementation and the financial framework conditions support the financing of the nature conservation activities. Without the EU funding, the project would not have been possible.
Attitude of relevant stakeholders	secondary factor	Strong actors / The project has the support of local public authorities and business people who have invested in the area. Also the County Council Giurgiu has a good collaboration with Local Environmental Protection Agency and land users from the area of Comana wetland restoration area. They are supported by Administration of Natural Park Comana who is also one of the partner within the project.
Other	secondary factor	Communication / The Comana wetlands project also benefited from the strong awareness raising campaigns taking place since 2000, which have created the necessary local support for restoration (regional and local authorities, business and the local population). The Giurgiu County Council has a good collaboration with the Local Environmental Protection Agency and land users on the Comana wetland restoration area, and they are supported by the Administration of the Comana Natural Park.

Financing

Financing type	Comments
EU-funds: LIFE+
National funds	European Regional Development Fund, Sectorial Operational Programme Environment 2007-2013

Barrier

Barrier type	Barrier role	Comments
Other	main barrier	Barriers for the implementation of the measures were due to the process of public procurement for contracts regarding the supply / works / services, which consisted in appeals and had as a consequence procedures which led to delays in the project implementation. Addendum were necessary in order to extend the implementation period. This resulted from the inflexibility to redistribute savings and so required using beneficiaries own funds.

Driver

Driver type	Driver role	Comments
Availability of subsidies	main driver	available EU funds

Financing share

Financing share type	Share	Comments
European funds	67	ERDF Sectoral Operational Programme for the Environment (SOP ENV) in Romania
National funds	33	State budget + County Councy Giurgiu has contributed separately ; € 27,579

Policy description

Prior to 1990, three fourths of the wetlands were drained to be used for agriculture. This had a significant negative impact on biodiversity.Comana wetlands were restored between 2009 and 2011, to improve biodiversity and ensure the conservation of natural habitats and wild species of flora and fauna. The area covered by the restoration project was 1800 hectares.

Quantified objectives

1) construction of a dam with sluice on Neajlov River, downstream of Comana Lake, in order to increase the river depth by more than 1.50m and to achieve a permanent retention rate of 43.60 mMB at Comana pond; extending the water surface to 490 hectares and maintaining the shallow water area below half a meter; 2) construction of a fish scale downstream of the dam to avoid aquatic habitat fragmentation and the disruption of the migration route of some fish species.

Part of wider plan

Policy target

Target purpose
Improved Biodiversity
Increase Water Storage

Policy pressure

No data

Policy area

Policy area type	Policy area focus	Name	Comments
Primary	Environmental Policy	Lower Danube Green Corridor strategy

Policy impact

No data

Policy wider plan

Wider plan type	Wider plan focus	Name
Local	Environment & Biodiversity	Management Plan of the protected area
Local	Environment & Biodiversity	Visit Strategy of the protected area
Regional	Environment & Biodiversity	Giurgiu County Development Strategy
Local	Environment & Biodiversity	Region Development Strategy.

Policy requirement directive

No data

Direct benefits information

The restoration of the Comana wetlands greatly improved biodiversity in the area. The construction of the dam on the Neajlov River, downstream of Comana Lake, increased the level of water in the floodplain area and has maintained it at a constant level, which has had positive effects on avi-fauna. New feeding sites for duck and heron species in the area previously occupied by reeds were established. It is estimated that the land available as habitat for bird species was increased by at least 30% and the number of birds increased by at least 5%. Moreover, the improved ecological conditions increased the quality of habitats and hence species richness for fish and invertebrates.

Ancillary benefits information

20 temporarily new jobs were created during the construction of the dam. Permanent economic benefits from establishing ecological research area in cooperation with nearby scientific institution. More permanent economic benefits are to be expected from the development of tourism (the restoration of Comana wetlands is attracting an increasing number of tourists, especially during weekends) and from collaboration with scientific institutions in nearby cities.Business investment is coming also to the area. The park administration organises guided visits for school children and other groups, and thematic seminars and workshops with local authorities and interested local stakeholders.Benefits: 1. Tourism and recreation †“ 10.000 visitors to protected sites per year; 5.000 users for camping, nature walks, jogging, water sports, cycling per year 2. Education †“ 500 educational excursions per year 3. Conservation benefits - existence value of habitat, species and genetic diversity

Costs investment information

N/A info

Costs operation maintenance

N/A info

Costs total

1807319,125

Costs total information

The funded measures were the following:
- Ecological restoration of habitats and reinforcement of species population, through 1) construction of a dam with sluice on Neajlov River, downstream of Comana Lake2) construction of a fish scale downstream of the dam; - Setting up monitoring systems for the Natura 2000 sites and protected areas,
- Construction and improvement of the infrastructure of the national protected areas and Natura 2000 sites (building of visitors and information centres and of information panels, risk management / fire prevention and control etc.).
- Preparation of information and publicity materials to contribute to awareness raising on the issues of protected areas and Natura 2000

Ecosystem improved biodiversity

Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity

The construction of the dam on the Neajlov River, downstream of Comana Lake, increased the level of water in the floodplain area and has maintained it at a constant level, which has had positive effects on avifauna. New feeding sites for duck and heron species in the area previously occupied by reeds were established. It is estimated that the land available as habitat for bird species was increased by at least 30% and the number of birds increased by at least 5%. Initially there were 157 species, and after
project implementation were inventoried 212 species, of which 78 species protected at national and European level.Moreover, for fish populations and their invertebrate prey, the new conditions such as oxygen concentrations, changing water levels and their daily fluctuations have improved the quality of habitats and species richness.

Ecosystem provisioning services

Information on Ecosystem provisioning services

-increased tourism

Ecosystem impact climate regulation

No information available

Information on Ecosystem impact climate regulation

N/A

Information on retained water

retention rate of 43.60 m.a.sl. at Comana pond

Information on increased water storage

n.a

Information on runoff reduction

n.a

Water quality overall improvements

Positive impact-WQ improvement

Information on Water quality overall improvements

Traps sediments and retains excess nutrients and other pollutants such as heavy metals. This is important as the Comana wetland is connected to groundwater sources used by local communities for drinking, and surface water sources (rivers and lakes) used for swimming, fishing, or other activities. These same functions are also critical for the fish and other wildlife that inhabit these waters.

Soil quality overall soil improvements

N/A info

Information on Soil quality overall soil improvements

N/A info

Monitoring impacts effects

Monitoring parameters

Monitoring system of bird species and environmental factors that will allow instantaneous observations and the opportunity to explore areas of avifauna interest without the presence of an operator; - Databases for monitoring environmental parameters characteristic for wetland habitats: precipitation, temperature and humidity in two areas of the pool and the monitoring of bird species, which constitute a source of information for those interested; - Storage all information received from the observatories within a Dispatcher and use the data in research activities.

National Id

Romania_11

Site name

Comana Forest

Summary

The main objective of the project is to conserve the biodiversity, the natural habitats, the wild species of flora and fauna and to assure an efficient management of protected natural areas, in particular, management of the ecological network Natura 2000 through reconstruction of Comana Wetland within Giurgiu County.

NUTS Code

Sud - Muntenia

RBD code

RO1000

Transboundary

Data provider

Imola Koszta, REC

Longitude

26.158891

Latitude

44.138207

EEA core metadata

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