Good Practice selected example
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Title of Good Practice
selected example:
Link of Good Practice
selected example:
Issues to which the
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Summary of Good
Practice selected
example
Romania
Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park Management Plan
http://www.luncaprut.ro/eng/lunca_prut/plan_management.htm
http://www.ariiprotejate.eu/en/parks-network.html
water quality management ;
flood protection;
biodiversity;,
transport;
spatial planning
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water quantity management;
urban development;;
agriculture;
energy,
others
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Natural Parks represent a compromise solution between the local actors and the decision makers, situated If needed
at the superior levels for the purpose of promotion of the socio-economic development related to the
principles of the conservation and the protection of the environment.
The objectives of the Natural Park of the Lower Prut Flood Plain, resulted from the specific legislation of our
country are:
- knowing, protection and emphasizing the natural and cultural patrimony;
- socio-economic development of human communities from the park;
- assurance of the information and education of the population;
- promotion of the scientific research;
- encouraging the experimental and innovative actions, which do not infringe the previous objectives of the
natural park.
This management plan is aimed, among other things, at the harmonization of the statute of frontier zone
with the social and economic development, as well as with the aspects related to the environmental
protection and conservation. This is not possible without an efficient and sustainable collaboration with the
Romanian Frontier Police, which has among its objectives the environmental protection, too.
The Signing Parties to the management plan are: Central organisms (Ministry of Environment and Climate
Changes, Ministry of the Agriculture, Ministry of the Administration and Internal Affairs) regional organisms
(the Regional Agency for the Environmental Protection), county organisms (Galati County Council, Prut –
Bârlad Water Basin Administration, the Forestry Department - Galati, the Frontier Police, the Agency for
Description of Good
Practice selected
example
the Environmental Protection, the Galati County Association of Sportive Hunters and Fishermen, the
Research and Development Institutes for Aquatic Ecology, Fishing and Aquaculture Galati) and local bodies
(local councils). The management plan should reflect a common position of these institutions, which will
decisively contribute to its application. The signing parties must commit themselves to promote the Lower
Prut Floodplain Natural Park in a unitary conception and to help, through decisions and actions, the
administration of the natural park.
1. Integrative: The management plan is intended to be a stable framework for the integration of the If needed
problems concerning nature conservation and protection with those of the social and economic
development within the Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park and an instrument of dialogue between the
institutions administrating the natural and human resources of this space. Also, the management
plan aims at the integration of the objectives of conservation and protection of the natural resources
within the preoccupation of the local actors and the promotion of a common opinion of the latter.
2. Harmonization: The management plan of the Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park is intended to be a
means of harmonizing the actions of the institutions in charge with the management of the resources of
this space, for the attaining of the objectives of the park, related to the conservation of the resources
and the development of socio-economic activities. The cooperation between the institutions situated at
the same level (local, county, national) represents the key-element on which depends the application of
the management plan.
The purpose of the territorial arrangement and town planning is to harmonize the economic, social,
ecological and cultural policies, established at local and national level, for the assurance of the balance
in the development of different zones. The objectives of the park should be integrated into the Town
Planning and Territorial Arrangement. The integration of the objectives of the Lower Prut Floodplain
Natural Park into the town planning and territorial arrangement is necessary not only for the imposing
of a coherent strategy for the development of this space, but also for the assurance of the success of the
application of the management plan, which should constitute an alternative of social and economic
development of the zone and a means of achieving the protection and conservation of the natural and
cultural resources of this territory. Thus, one must take into consideration the finding of new
alternatives for the development of human communities (e.g. improvement of the technical - urbanistic
network) without creating a significant pressure on the environment. The harmonization of the
provisions comprised in the town planning and territorial arrangements with the objectives of the park
is necessary due to the fact that these documents represent the opinion and the development direction
promoted by the Local and County Councils. The harmonization of the decisions of the Local and County
Councils with the actions promoted by the administration of the natural park represents one of the
absolutely necessary conditions for the management plan to become operational.
3. Crossing sector policy: The unitary knowledge of the values and problems of the Lower Prut Floodplain
Natural Park will allow for an efficient action of selecting the best measures, which must be in
compliance with the aspirations of the decision makers of the local population and with the medium and
long term objectives of the park. The existence of a common general opinion represents an essential
condition of multi-institutional approach of some aspects on which depends the adequate functioning of
the natural park. In this view, the management plan applies the following principles:
- The Maintenance and Development of Sustainable Agricultural Activities, meant to guarantee the
Conservation of the Natural Environments and Landscapes.
- The Promotion of a Harmonious Development of the Forestry Fund
- The Control of the Dynamics of the Built Surfaces
- The Sustainable Transport Management
- The Management of the Communal Household Services
4. Stakeholder engagement and involvement: this is achieved by applying the following principles:
- The Principle of the Integration of the Population in the Actions Related to the Park
The attitude of the population toward the new statute of the zone is the main problem that might lead
to difficulties in the application of the Management Plan of the Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park. In
the management plan will be provided concrete actions for the integration of the local population in the
actions related to the park and for the creation of a co-operative attitude toward it. The actions refer
especially to the promotion of the benefits that might result from the new management regime of the
zone. The local communities must be persuaded not to bring prejudice of a material nature by such form
of territory management. The benefits of the Park must be reflected in the welfare of the local
population and the diversification of its productive activities.
- The Improvement of the Quality of Life, the Assurance of the Continuity of the Existing Activities
with Reduced Impact and the Continuous Assessment of the Impact on the Environment.
The management plan represents an instrument of promoting the activities with reduced impact on the
environment and of restriction of those activities that bring serious prejudice to the environment and to
the local communities. All these are achieved for the purpose of improving the life quality.
The improvement of the life quality of the human communities in the area of the Lower Prut Floodplain
Natural Park with the observance of the values of the natural environment represent an essential
condition for the management plan to become operational. The neglecting of this aspect leads to an
increase of the uncontrolled intervention of local communities in the natural space for the purpose of
the procurement of the resources necessary for the survival, which determines the rapid extension of
the degraded areas.
5. Sustainable management: The Management Plan of a natural park represents a document, which
coordinates and regulates the usage of the resources within the space of the park and the building of
the necessary utilities for human communities. The management plan also aims at creating an optimal
framework for the training of the personnel in order to participate in the process of the planning of the
activities as well as in the process of the information of the public and of the local authorities for the
obtaining of their collaboration. The Management Plans are used for orienting the decisions and, in
certain cases, for the achievement of multidisciplinary teams for planning. They must set up the basic
framework for the functioning of the park: objectives, norms and medium and long arrangement plans
(4 -10 years).
6. Transnational or transboundary management: The existence of the Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park
at the border between Romania and the Moldavian Republic constitutes an advantage (the possibility of
cross-border cooperation in the field of the protection and conservation of the environmental resources
and for the socio-economic development of human communities), but especially some disadvantages
determined by the frontier regime, which the human communities living in this space have to observe.
Although, normally, the frontier zone between two states should constitute a space of sustainable,
common, exploitation of the resources and the creation of some mutual advantages for their economic
development (within the limits of the maintenance of the sovereignty of each state), the border
between Romania and the Moldavian Republic is the eastern limit of the European Union where the
security measures are increased. The frontier zone also comprises the territory of the communes and
towns situated at 30 km in the vicinity of the borders, being named „FRONTIER LOCALITY”. The Lower
Prut Floodplain Natural Park constitutes a space with a real touristic potential conferred by the
existence of certain natural and cultural values. The distance to the populated centers and the existing
frontier regime, as well as the reduced attractivity of the communication ways in the national profile
have determined a very slow and unconvincing development of this economic branch in the said space.
7. Innovative aspects by applying the principle of the observance of local autonomy. The local autonomy is
only an administrative and financial one and regards the organisation, functioning, competences and
attributions of the administration, as well as the management of the resources belonging to the
commune, the town or the county. The local autonomy can represent an instrument of promoting the
activities within their competence in the territory without needing an approval from superior levels. The
importance of the local administration for the Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park is given by the fact
that the decisions taken at this level have a direct projection on the environment. The management plan
takes into account the local autonomy, even if it is promoted by hierarchically superior forums (Ministry
of Environment and Climate Changes). The implication of the administration of the Park in the problems
of the local communities will be achieved only in the moment when the taken decisions infringe the
Regulation of the Functioning of the Park. The observance of this principle supposes the non-implication
of the Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park administration of the Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park in
the administrative and financial problems regarding the local and county councils. The modality of
financing the activities within the park by the local and county public administrations will depend on the
agreements concluded between the two parties.
8. Risk factors: In each human community appear dysfunctions imposed by the improper management of
the resources of the natural environment, by natural or anthropogenic risks, by the increasing or
changing needs of human communities imposed by the appearance of new activities, etc. The solution of
these problems should not be made at random and isolated, but by authorized organisms, to avoid
complicating the situation. The decisions and actions must be connected with the specific of the
problem, with the characteristics of the social and natural environment, with the financial availabilities,
with prognosticated impact of the action etc. The application of theoretical measures for the solution of
some problems encountered by the local human communities may have undesirable effects, reflected at
the natural, social and economic level.