Romania Ignores Eco-Disaster As Protected Danube Delta Lake Dries Up

By Sergiu Nazaru

A picture-postcard Romanian lake has disappeared, due to human neglect, and has now become a lifeless desert, causing irreparable damage to local biodiversity.

Lake Iezer Calarasi is located in southern Romania, in Călăraşi County, in the administrative territory of Cuza Voda commune and the vicinity of the Danube River. It had a water surface of about 1,235 acres three months ago.

Green groups say the Romanian government ignored the crisis, wiping out not just the local flora and fauna, but also threatening thousands of migrating birds. They include rare species, such as the red-breasted geese, which will arrive to their winter-feeding grounds in less than two months. 

During the migration period, the site is a stop for more than 20,000 specimens of birds, including the white stork and the black hawk. Sometimes, they choose to remain for the winter in what is known as the Danube Delta. Now, they will be unable to nest and feed.

Instead, the birds will find a barren wasteland. 

The main cause of the drying of Calarasi Lake is broken equipment at a defective dam, which cut off the water supply. The dam is located between Galatui Lake and the canal that feeds Calarasi Lake, according to the Societatea Ornitologica Romana (SOR-Romanian Ornithological Society).

“A total of 32 protected species in Europe, most of them aquatic, nest, have winter quarters or rest during the migration in the Iezer Calarasi. Due to its biodiversity, the Iezer Calarasi has been declared a protected natural area and “wetland of international importance” by the Ramsar Convention,” stated the SOR.

“This dam needs to be put back into operation quickly in order to bring the Iezer Calarasi back to life,” said Emil Todorov, an ornithologist at SOR.

“The drought we are facing this year is another factor that contributed to the reduction of water flow. In mid-August, Lake Calarasi was completely dried up. Satellite recordings from July to October show how quickly the water disappeared from the lake bed,” he said.

In addition to geese, pelican species that nest in Romania — the curly pelican (Pelecanus crispus) and the common pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) — will suffer.

Societatea Ornitologica Romana reiterates the call to all responsible institutions, the Romanian Government and the Presidential Administration, to urgently find solutions to ensure the hydrological regime of Calarasi Lake will be restored as soon as possible. 

SOR is considered the most important independent bird conservation organization in Romania. An award-winning NGO, SOR has been working to protect wild birds and their habitats for 30 years.

The Nature Reserve was declared a protected area by Government Decree No. 2151 of November 30, 2004. Since July 2012, it is protected by the International Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. 

The Ministry of the Environment for Romania published its sustainability goals in 2018, which address protecting biodiversity, general threats to the region and various species, and conservation challenges the country faces. 

However, since Oct. 16, the government has not publicly responded to pleas to restore the lake.

(Edited by Fern Siegel and Carlin Becker)