Land use/cover changes along the Romanian Danube Valley Gheorghe KUCSICSA, Dan BĂLTEANU, Elena-Ana POPOVICI, Nicoleta DAMIAN Institute of Geography, Romanian Academy, 12 Dimitrie Racovita, Bucharest, Romania [email protected] 1. Introduction region’s sustainable development makes this approach impera- tive now. Current land use in the Danube Valley is the outcome Looking at the current situation of the Danube Valley, one finds of the territory’s geological and historical evolution, major it strongly affected by human activity, by the diversification and changes being dated to the latter half of the 20th century. They increase of man’s pressure, as well as by the extreme manifesta- were produced by the action of natural factors (climate, the evo- tions of climatic and hydrological factors. Therefore, securing lution of the Danube and its main tributaries, etc.), but primarily the area’s sustainable development means necessarily to proceed by human action which played an essential role in shaping the with analysing past and present land use changes, simulate present-day landscape (Fig. 1). future changes, identify underlying factors, management policies Old cartographic documents, topographic maps and CORINE and estimate consequences. Land Cover database is an important documentary source, which The Danube River, basically the Pan European Transporta- help us reconstitute and analyse historical land use changes, tion Corridor VII, is one of the most important communication as well as construct a land cover account. These results may water ways in Europa. In view of it, the Danube is a “River be a starting point for new interdisciplinary studies and the of European Expansion” and a promoter of the European simulation of future land use changes under different demand Union’internal development (Bălteanu et al. 2013). The Danube scenarios. Strategy introduced by the European Union demonstrates the role of the Danube for the territorial development of the riparian countries and for regional cooperation. 2. Objectives The Romanian Danube Valley, particularly the Danube Flood- plain, has been a topic of discussion of many interdisciplinary stud- The aim of this study has been to assess changes in the land use ies of the environment-society interactions at different spatial and and land cover pattern of an area where the geographical land- temporal scales (natural and technological hazards, community scape has suffered deep-going man-made changes when farm- vulnerability to extreme events, geographical and socio-economic ing land was been extended. The authors have reconstructed analyses, etc.): The Geography of the Romanian Danube Valley the land use and land cover pattern for a period of almost one Sector (1969, coord. V. Mihăilescu); Romania. Space, Society, Envi- hundred years (1912–2006), with highlight on the thresholds of ronment (2006, coord. D. Bălteanu); A Geo graphy of Romania, this evolution that was to modify both the rate and direction in vol. V (2005, coord. Posea et al.); Antipa 1910; Vâlsan 1915; Coteţ which the Danube Valley landscapes were to evolve. The study 1957; Dumitrașcu 2006; Marinică 2006; Enciu 2007, etc. Some is based on the geo-statistical assessment by querying and analys- interdisciplinary studies over the past few years have also been ing the geospatial data obtained from the assessment of land use conducted under different national and international projects dynamics. The results have been quantified into several indica- focussed on the investigation of flooding, sedimentation, contami- tors that designate the amplitude, spatial distribution and major nant history and climate hazards in the floodplains of the Lower land cover flows within Local Administrative Units (LAU2) and Danube River in Romania: ROBUHAZ-DUN (www.robuhaz-dun. in major relief units. eu), SEE-DANUBE Floodrisk (www.danube-floodrisk.eu), Enviro- GRIDS (www.envirogrids.net), ECLISE (www.eclise-project.eu), GLOWA-Danube (www.glowa- danube.de/de/home/home.php), 3. Study area CC-WarterS (www.ccwaters.eu). These studies deal also with some aspects of land use changes at local or regional level. The Danube Valley has an important historical, cultural, economic Since a complex study of land use changes throughout the and geopolitical role in Europe. Since ancient times, the high Romanian Danube Valley has not been undertaken as yet, the physical and geographical potential of the Lower Danube Valley Fig. 1 — Land-use changes in the Greaca Lake area: the Danube flood-prone zone and the Greaca Lake (left — photo Gr. Antipa, 1910), present-day situation following damming works (photo 2014). 7 1 NASTURELU 41 GANGIOVA 81 HOTARELE 121 GOGOSU 161 CEATALCHIOI 201 STANESTI 241 VACARENI I. CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS 2 BUJORU 42 GOGOSARI 82 IZVOARE 122 JIANA 162 RACOVITA 202 ILOVITA 242 LUNCAVITA II. SUBCARPATHIANS 3 ZIMNICEA 43 BISTRET 83 GIUBEGA 123 STELNICA 163 VADENI 203 UDA-CLOCOCIOV 243 PECENEAGA III. TRANSYLVANIAN TABLELAND 4 CIUPERCENI 44 NEGOI 84 GOSTINARI 124 VANJU MARE 164 GRINDU 204 LISA 244 OSTROV IV. MOLDAVIAN PLATEAU 5 FANTANELE 45 GOICEA 85 PERISOR 125 FETESTI 165 INDEPENDENTA 205 CONTESTI 245 SAELELE V. GETIC PIEDMONT AND 6 ISLAZ 46 CATANE 86 OBARSIA DE CAMP 126 DEVESEL 166 GALATI 206 FRUMOASA 246 CERNAVODA MEHEDINŢI PLATEAU 7 GARCOV 47 PUTINEIU 87 CARAULA 127 BORDUSANI 167 FACAENI 207 VIISOARA 247 SEIMENI VI. DOBROGEA PLATEAU 8 BRAGADIRU 48 CIUPERCENII NOI 88 SPANTOV 128 BURILA MARE 168 MACESU DE SUS 208 SEACA 248 GHINDARESTI 9 ORLEA 49 SEACA DE CAMP 89 CRIVAT 129 HINOVA 169 SENDRENI 209 PRISTOL 249 SEGARCEA-VALE VII. BANAT AND CRIŞANA HILLS 10 BECHET 50 OINACU 90 OLTINA 130 PLATONESTI 170 BRANISTEA 210 IZVORU BARZII 250 GIUVARASTI VIII. ROMANIAN PLAIN AND 11 GAUJANI 51 DANETI 91 RADOVANU 131 VLADENI 171 LUNCA 211 DROBETA-TURNU SEVERIN 251 SVINITA DANUBE FLOODPLAIN 12 IANCA 52 BARCA 92 ULMENI 132 MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU 172 CHISELET 212 SIMIAN 252 BERZASCA IX. BANAT AND CRIŞANA PLAIN 13 GURA PADINII 53 POIANA MARE 93 CUJMIR 133 CORONINI 173 MANASTIREA 213 BREZNITA-OCOL 253 VANJULET X. DANUBE DELTA AND RAZIM — 14 PIETROSANI 54 DOBRESTI 94 CURCANI 134 MALOVAT 174 PRUNDU 214 SMARDIOASA 254 ROGOVA SINOIE LAGOON COMPLEX 15 SUHAIA 55 VALEA STANCIULUI 95 MITRENI 135 ORSOVA 175 BUDESTI 215 SARAIU 16 GROJDIBODU 56 GOSTINU 96 VRATA 136 TANDAREI 176 BORCEA 216 OSTROV 17 TRAIAN 57 CALAFAT 97 DARVARI 137 SICHEVITA 177 IANCA 217 LIPNITA 18 VEDEA 58 FRATESTI 98 SOLDANU 138 GARNIC 178 SALCIA TUDOR 218 RASOVA 19 STEFAN CEL MARE 59 URZICUTA 99 BRANISTEA 139 GURA IALOMITEI 179 MAXINENI 219 HARSOVA 20 TURNU MAGURELE 60 AFUMATI 100 GARLA MARE 140 GIURGENI 180 SILISTEA 220 TOPALU 166 165 21 IZBICENI 61 DAIA 101 VANATORI 141 MOLDOVA NOUA 181 UNIREA 221 HORIA 170 169 164 22 CORABIA 62 GIURGITA 102 LUICA 142 TOPLET 182 VIZIRU 222 ALIMAN 179 178 234 23 CALARASI 63 SILISTEA CRUCII 103 CALARASI 143 VICTORIA 183 TRAIAN 223 ION CORVIN D 163 233 Danuanube 24 CERVENIA 64 BAILESTI 104 DICHISENI 144 POJEJENA 184 BORDEI VERDE 224 CIOBANU 186 180 241 162 235 be 25 MALU 65 MAGLAVIT 105 DOROBANTU 145 SOCOL 185 ROMANU 225 GARLICIU 185 242 161 26 VADASTRITA 66 BANEASA 106 ROSETI 146 BERTESTII DE JOS 186 SCORTARU NOU 226 CRUCEA 160 158 157 159 230 238 27 LITA 67 CERAT 107 OPRISOR 147 INSURATEI 187 STANCUTA 227 GHIDICI 153 154 231 229 151 152 239 28 URZICA 68 CIOROIASI 108 CIOCANESTI 148 TUFESTI 188 MARSANI 228 TULCEA 237 228 29 VADASTRA 69 GALICIUICA 109 MODELU 149 GROPENI 189 ROJISTE 229 SOMOVA 183 150 177 236 30 SLOBOZIA 70 DRANIC 110 GRUIA 150 TICHILESTI 190 RADOVAN 230 ISACCEA 181 149 31 TIA MARE 71 GALICEA MARE 111 PUNGHINA 151 MOVILA MIRESII 191 LIPOVU 231 NICULITEL 232 32 VISINA 72 MOTATEI 112 GRADISTEA 152 CHISCANI 192 INTORSURA 232 CERNA 184 182 156 155 243 33 DABULENI 73 GREACA 113 ALEXANDRU ODOBESCU 153 SUTESTI 193 PISCU VECHI 233 JIJILA 148 34 VISINA NOUA 74 SEGARCEA 114 UNIREA 154 TUDOR VLADIMIRESCU 194 RAST 234 I.C.BRATIANU 187 244 35 CARNA 75 CASCIOARELE 115 PATULELE 155 FRECATEI 195 PLENITA 235 SMARDAN 147 145 36 GIGHERA 76 CHIRNOGI 116 INDEPENDENTA 156 MARASU 196 UNIREA 236 TURCOAIA 146 240 144 37 MACESU DE JOS 77 CETATE 117 JEGALIA 157 CAZASU 197 OSTROVENI 237 GRECI 142 38 DESA 78 OLTENITA 118 VLADAIA 158 GEMENELE 198 DUBOVA 238 MACIN 143 138 141 202 39 CILIENI 79 SALCIA 119 CUZA VODA 159 BRAILA 199 ESELNITA 239 CARCALIU 225 136 139 137 199 135 40 SADOVA 80 ISVOARELE 120 CORLATEL 160 RAMNICELU 200 GIURGIU 240 DAENI 140 219 224 215 213 210 134 133 252 132 211 248 221 198 212 131 130 251 167 220 226 129 127 126 254 128 253 124 125 123 247 122 121 120 11 8 246 11 5 11 6 11 7 11 0 111 176 107 11 3 11 9 11 0 94 109 Mountain 101 102 11 4 218 209 100 99 104 195 175 98 105 106 94 173 11 2 103 96 93 97 108 222 86 87 89 95 92 Tableland 190 84 91 172 90 196 82 83 85 80 81 79 75 88 223 77 73 217 71 69 68 192 191 78 216 72 74 76 Piedmont 67 189 65 63 70 66 174 189 188 61 64 59 62 56 57 60 58 Plain 52 55 54 49 51 201 50 46 45 168 47 48 53 194 44 41 193 43 203 200 227 37 40 34 39 38 171 42 Floodplain 35 26 28 32 31 245 24 30 36 26 29 249 33 19 21 214 205 25 197 27 4 23 22 250 17 8 10 7 207 206 18 12 9 20 11 6 4 208 0 20 40 60 80 km 204 15 5 2 16 13 2 14 3 1 Fig.