According to the UN, globally, the number and duration of droughts have increased by 29% since 2000, and if urgent action is not taken, drought could affect more than three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050. Land degradation has a direct impact on people’s incomes and health. A third of Romania’s territory and 40% of the agricultural area are located in areas at risk of desertification. Desertification negatively influences ecosystems, agricultural land productivity and people’s standard of living, especially those already vulnerable, endangering food security, the economy and the environment, Romania’s President Klaus Johannis mentioned.

Johannis says Romania is part of the international efforts to improve the land situation and combat desertification and drought. It is essential to continue the efforts in this regard.

Because at the national level, the increase in average annual temperatures and the decrease in average annual precipitation have become two predominant trends, Romania invests as a priority in increasing the capacity to understand and manage drought effectively. Thus, in a short time, the Regional Agrometeorological Center for Europe of the World Meteorological Organization will become operational in Romania, supporting the sustainable development of agricultural systems in the context of accelerating climate change. In recent years, measures related to the protection of forests, the expansion of forest areas and sustainable agricultural practices have been implemented in our country with the help of European funds. Through the National Recovery and Resilience Program, there are activities of afforestation of degraded and sandy lands and reconstruction of forest habitats.

Klaus Johannis, Romania’s President, on World Environment Day

The head of state stated that attention must be given to the afforestation process, especially to counties with a forest deficit, degraded lands, and areas exposed to an additional risk of desertification in the context of climate change. In his opinion, the development of urban forests and the restoration of green rings around large cities facing increased air pollution are significant.

Climate change is visible. According to Copernicus, the EU’s system for monitoring climate change, the average global temperature over the last 12 months was 1.63 degrees above these pre-industrial levels.

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Some of the amendments to the new Forestry Code, that will help combating illegal logging, refer to the following changes:

• the theft of trees will fall directly under criminal incidence, regardless of the damage;
• trucks carrying illegally cut trees may be confiscated;
• logging will be prohibited in the natural reservations;
• the funds intended for guarding forest areas under 30 ha will increase by over 30%.

The Minister of the Environment also said that the implementation of the new SUMAL (a project regarding a computer system for tracking wood materials in Romania.) is in its latest stage of development: “the acquisition of the monitoring system with satellite maps, the start of the scientific study to identify and protect 40,000 ha of virgin forests and strengthen the capacity of forest guards.”

Earlier this year, Romania announced it would implement the largest afforestation campaign in Europe, all these efforts being directed towards the preservation of nature and combating the illegal logging.

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The international press focused on Romania’s deforestation problems especially after the killing of a dedicated young forester, 37 years old, in Maramures, a county near Ukrainian border. His death sent the Romanian authorities and the whole world a strong message: stop illegal logging!

Belgian publication MO – Mondiaal Nieuws dedicated a reportage to this persistent and yet unsolved problem of illegal logging in Romanian forests. The journalist said it clearly: „Efforts against global warming will be pointless if we cut down Romanian primeval forests”.

Europe’s last primeval forests are turning into timber factories

This is in fact the title of the reportage and it covers the painful story of the Maramures forests, including illegal logging with the complicity of the local mayor who works hand in hand with the local authorities.

„In 2005, the Royal Dutch Natural History Association, with the support of the Romanian government, charted that 218,000 hectares of completely untouched primeval forest remained in Romania.

Half of this was lost through logging, after Romania became a member of the EU in 2007″ reveals the reportage, offering a painful lesson for all the governments which have succeeded in power from 2005.

Is there a solution for Romanian illegal logging?

In fact, there is one, presented in the reportage but also adopted by the Romanian Government in its early days in power: to include all the primeval forests in the National Catalogue of Virgin Forests.

The Romanian Minister of the Environment stated at the end of December 2019 that there were left only 100,000 ha of virgin forests in Romania after the illegal logging, out of which only 29,000 ha are included in the National Catalogue of Virgin Forests. His intention is to protect at least 29,000 ha more in the next 6 months and started by including 1,100 ha in the Catalogue in Deember. Too little? Maybe, but it’s a start.

Yes, illegal logging is a real problem in Romania and the solutions are still in hand, despite the harm already done. Yet, Romania has to react now before it’s too late; otherwise, one day it will have nothing left to defend anymore.

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