WWF Urges Romania to Protect Mahmudia Wetland

February 8, 2024

The Mahmudia wetland is part of the vital Danube Delta ecosystem in Romania. Eight years ago, it was restored into a thriving wetland habitat using EU funds, transforming the area and providing livelihoods and climate resilience for locals. However, recent flooding in 2023 submerged nearly 1,000 hectares of nearby farmland, reverting it back to a wetland area. While 97% of residents support preserving the current wetland, agricultural leaseholders have secured a court ruling to revert the land back to cropland, posing a threat to the entire restored wetland.

The WWF Proposal

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has proposed that the Romanian government grant the Mahmudia wetland the status of a “national interest ecological restoration area” to protect it. This would allow the government to cancel damaging agricultural contracts and compensate leaseholders, as Orieta Hulea, WWF-Romania’s director, explains. The WWF strongly supports residents and emphasizes that healthy wetlands are key to both reversing nature loss and building resilience to climate change.

Broader Implications

The legal protection of the Mahmudia wetland could set an important precedent for safeguarding the entire Danube Delta region. The Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe and provides vital habitat for over 300 bird species and 45 freshwater fish species, according to UNESCO. As the deltas and marshes face biodiversity loss, the restoration and protection of wetlands like Mahmudia is crucial for supporting wildlife as well as local communities and livelihoods.

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