The Upper Tisa Valley. Preparatory Proposal for Ramsar Site Designation and an Ecological Background Hungarian, Romanian, Slovakian and Ukrainian Co- Operation
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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286732427 The Upper Tisa Valley. Preparatory Proposal for Ramsar Site Designation and an Ecological Background Hungarian, Romanian, Slovakian and Ukrainian co- operation. Book · December 1999 DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3000.3281 CITATIONS READS 14 681 32 authors, including: Ákos Harka Andrey Kovalchuk Hungarian Ichthyological Society Uzhhorod National University 39 PUBLICATIONS 395 CITATIONS 324 PUBLICATIONS 141 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Andriy Mihaly Constantin Drăgulescu Uzhhorod National University Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu 35 PUBLICATIONS 74 CITATIONS 19 PUBLICATIONS 129 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: The Conservation of Insects and Their Habitats View project Environmental history of Hortobágy, Hungary View project All content following this page was uploaded by Andrey Kovalchuk on 13 December 2015. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. monograph series TISCIA The Upper Tisa Valley Preparatory proposal for Ramsar site designation and an ecological background Hungarian, Romanian, Slovakian and Ukrainian co-operation Editors Hamar, J. & A. Sárkány-Kiss Szeged 1999 The Upper Tisa Valley TISCIA monograph series 1. J. Hamar and A. Sárkány-Kiss (eds.): The Maros/Mureş River Valley. A Study of the Geography, Hydrobiology and Ecology of the River and its Environment, 1995. 2. A. Sárkány-Kiss and J. Hamar (eds.): The Criş/Körös Rivers’ Valleys. A Study of the Geography, Hydrobiology and Ecology of the River and its Environment, 1997. 3. A. Sárkány-Kiss and J. Hamar (eds.): The Someş/Szamor River Valleys. A Study of the Geography, Hydrobiology and Ecology of the River and its Environment, 1999. 4. J. Hamar and A. Sárkány-Kiss (eds.): The Upper Tisa Valley. Preparatory Proposal for Ramsar Site Designation and an Ecological Background, 1999. The Upper Tisa Valley Preparatory proposal for Ramsar site designation and an ecological background Hungarian, Romanian, Slovakian and Ukrainian co-operation Editors Hamar, J. & A. Sárkány-Kiss Szeged 1999 The Upper Tisa Valley Preparatory proposal for Ramsar site designation and an ecological background Hungarian, Romanian, Slovakian and Ukrainian co-operation Contributing Organizations Ramsar Small Grants Fund for Wetland Conservation and Wise Use, Switzerland Regional Environmental Center, Budapest, Hungary Regional Water Works, Szolnok, Hungary Editors: Hamar, J. & A. Sárkány-Kiss Cover design and layout: Mária Bodolai Executive manager: József Hamar, Tisza Klub Published by Tisza Klub & Liga Pro Europa Tisza Klub for Environment and Nature 5001 Szolnok, Pf. 148, Hungary Liga Pro Europa 4300 Târgu Mureş, P.O. Box 1-154, Romania Printed by Tisza Nyomda Kft. 5000 Szolnok Himba út 5. Hungary ISSN 1418-0448 ISBN 963 03 7645 8 Preface The River Tisa catchment area is one of the most important regions in the Danube River Basin. Since 1991, we have been studying the transboundary river valleys from their headwaters to their junctions with River Tisa. The Upper Tisza region is not just a culturally and ethnically unique territory, but also has a diverse natural and life history. Prospective social and economic changes, as a result of the transition from one economic and social system to another, now threaten this region where natural resources, forests, water, are of the greatest value to the people living there. This book is a case-study of the Upper-Tisa Valley, where besides surveying the ecological background, we have completed a proposal for the establishment of a 400 km long (about 140 000 ha) transboundary Ramsar Wetland System. The Project has been carried through by non-governmental organisations of four countries: Hungary, Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia. We hope our ambition can contribute to building the Pan-European Ecological Network, furthermore the natural and cultural heritage of the regions can be components of a sustainable development. József Hamar Andrei Sárkány-Kiss Tisza Klub Liga Pro Europa, Environmental Group Szolnok, Hungary Targu Mures, Romania 5 Foreword The basic obligations of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands are the following: - each Contracting Party shall designate suitable wetlands within its territory for inclusion on a List of Wetlands of International Importance; - the Contracting Parties shall formulate and implement their planning so as to promote the conservation of the wetlands included in the List and, as much as possible, the wise use of wetlands in their territory; - each Contracting Party shall promote the conservation of wetlands and waterfowl by establishing nature reserves in wetlands, irrespective of whether they are included in the List or not, and provide adequately for their wardening; - the Contracting Parties shall consult with each other about implementing obligations arising from the Convention especially in the case of a wetland extending over the territories of more than one Contracting Party or where a water system is shared by CPs. They shall at the same time endeavour to coordinate and support present and future policies and regulations concerning the conservation of wetlands and their flora and fauna. In order to streamline and focus the activities for the implementation of the treaty, a Strategic Plan for the Convention was introduced a few years ago. Within the framework of this Plan, international cooperation activities -inter-alia such related to transfrontier wetlands - have been intensified. It was clear also that the Plan needed even greater involvement of the commun- ity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), for instance in identifying wetlands of international importance, including those within shared catchment/river basins. Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine are members of the Ramsar Convention, and the NGO-s, the experts, researchers, and committed individuals of countries who compiled this book endeavoured to put into practice the fourth above obligation as well as the relevant objective of the Strategic Plan. They collected the necessary Ramsar data, carried out surveys and research in the Upper Tisa river catchment. It is encouraging that NGOs took the initiative and intensively cooperated in order to prepare a possible future transboundary Ramsar site. It is hoped that this initiative will be followed-up by the respective governments of the four involved countries. Data collection on the physical, ecological features, hydrological, biodiversity as well as social and cultural values and benefits of a wetland - in particular a 7 transboundary one - is a tedious and complicated work constituting an important first step in conserving, maintaining and wisely using this habitat type. It is well known that the success in any field depends on the willing cooperation of partners fully informed and working together to achieve shared goals. This publication significantly contributes to the revealing and better understanding of the values of the Upper Tisa region. Therefore the efforts of the authors of this book are to be highly appreciated and commended. Louise Lakos Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 8 The Upper Tisa Valley Preparatory proposal for Ramsar site designation by Ruthenia Ecoclub, Uzhgorod, Ukraine Ecological Society of Maramures, Baia Mare, Romania People and Water, Košice, Slovak Republic Upper Tisza Foundation, Nyíregyháza, Hungary and compiled by Tisza Klub, Szolnok, Hungary 9 Dear Reader, The book you are keeping in your hands is the result of a work carried out with great enthusiasm by a consortium of non-governmental organizations. Tisza Klub initiated the process as early as in 1996, with the aim of bringing together people who know and love their own environment, in this particular case River Tisa. First, the aim was to compile a study which can serve as a firm base for the establishment of a protected area in the Upper Tisa catchment, crossing borders and linking regions. This part of the work was supported financially by the Regional Environmental Centre. After an intensive period of work, people concerned came together to discuss the results achieved and further tasks. During the consultations it was realized that the most convenient tool facilitating the establishment of the desired protected area would be the Ramsar Convention, namely the designation of a transboundary Ramsar site. All governments concerned were approached and each of them reacted positively and supported the idea. This gave a new momentum to the process because the consortium realized that it could produce a unique product. This uniqueness has two major features, one is that it involves a long stretch of a river (400 km) together with its floodplains, the second is that it will be a quadrilateral transboundary site (involving Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary). No other similar Ramsar site has been established recently. At the same time the Wise Use concept of the Ramsar Convention have perfectly served the aims of the consortium, because beyond the establishment of the protected area (Ramsar site), through their studies they wanted also to introduce to the area the idea of sustainable use of the river and its catchment. On the other hand, the consortium keeping an eye on recent European developments within nature conservation, especially on ecological networks, supplemented the original idea with such further goals that will end in a design of a complex riverine