’s western part (Timiş County) between humidity excess and water scarcity. The future of drainage arrangements and wet areas

Hălbac-Cotoară Rareş “Politehnica” University of Timişoara, Timişoara, Romania [email protected]

Abstract Romania’s territory is under the influence of 3 hazard types (geomorphologic, hydrologic and climatic) with direct influence upon soil humidity. Soil humidity excess affects in Romania more than 8.5 million hectares (4 million hectares affected by temporary humidity excess from precipitations, almost 2 million hectares with permanent humidity excess caused by high water-table level, and about 2.5 million hectares with humidity excess from water courses infiltrations or caused by flooding) from which about 52% requests direct measures of drainage. Drainage measures where applied in Romania beginning with the ancient period, but arrangements at large scale were realized starting with the XVIII century, especially in Banat area which includes Timiş County surface. These first arrangements were realized by Habsburgs which drained the marshes around Timişoara. After 1944 started the “golden age” of hydroameliorative works, in Romania being practiced an intensive drainage on large areas with positive, and, in the last years, with negative impacts upon soil fertility. Until few years ago, an important part of Timiş County was affected by humidity excess of different types. As a consequence were designed and installed many drainage and surface drainage arrangements which worked intensive, during the drought periods being created perfect conditions for most of the crops. In the last years the situation has changed. The climatic changes together with the significant decrease of water table (result of intensive drainage) impose in the drought periods to be applied irrigation in order to assure proper conditions for agriculture. The combination intensive drainage - climate heating presents negative impact and upon wetlands. During the last years, as a consequence of land reclamation and improvement works activity (especially of surface drainage works) corroborated with the increased frequency of droughty years, in the perimeter of Timiş County’s wetlands appeared a water deficit. This phenomenon encouraged a fast mudding which generated the possibility of open water surfaces by vegetation and the water quality degradation. The impacts are visible upon trophic chains. The paper will present the situation in Timiş County regarding humidity excess and water scarcity and will also debate problems regarding the wet zones and their future.

Key words: drainage, humidity excess, climate heating, deficit, wetlands, impact

Introduction The last 7 years in Romania presented a distinctive variability regarding the precipitation regime and the temperatures variation. These factors (temperature, precipitation) impose to be as restrictions of agricultural productions from the most Romania’s geographic regions in the same time proving to be drastic limiters or, on the other side, powerful sources with negative effects about the available resources for hydroameliorative measures. Years which had been remarked by a strong drought were followed or preceded by periods with floods with different degrees of intensification. The causes are numerous, the anthropic pressure proving to be the most communes. Land reclamation and improvement arrangements, especially drainage and surface drainage works, if till a few decades ago were indispensable for agriculture in present they are proving to be harmful for the soil fertility. Aridity phenomenon has installed in the aria which is the subject of this paper and stressed the water scarcity and because of it has been practice an intensive drainage which decrease the water table. In the same time, the inadequate maintenance of surface drainage channels proved to be a major cause of the flooding from 2005 with disastrous effects about a large area with significant population. This paper will debate problems of humidity excess and water scarcity in Timiş County also referring to actual legislation in this domain with special references about wet zones conservation, zones with an important role in micro-climate adjustment and control.

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Romania’s western part (Timiş County) climate

Figure 1. Romania’s Timiş County localization on the country’s map

Timiş County is dominated by a temperate climate of moderate continental type and it is characteristic for the south-eastern part of Pannonian Depression, with Mediterranean and oceanic influences. The annual average temperatures presents variability depended on the relief forms, with values from 4º - 7ºC (in mountain areas) to 10º - 11ºC. During spring and summer, the dominant air masses are temperate type of oceanic provenience and they bring the most important contribution regarding precipitation volume. In this sense, an obvious example is the flooding from 2005. The cyclones and warm air masses influence from Adriatic Sea and Mediterranean Sea are felt especially during winter by the frozen and solid precipitation missing while during summer are periods with extreme hot temperatures. The precipitation regime has an irregularly character, with wetter years than the average followed by years with very few precipitations. Regarding the winds, the most frequent are north-western winds (13%) and the western winds (9.8%) results of Azores anti-cyclone activity, with maximum extension in summer. In April – May, a high frequency had the southern winds (8.4% from total). The other directions present low frequencies. As intensity, the winds can reach, sometimes, grade 10 on Beaufort scale, the storms with cyclone character coming every time from west and south-west. [Ardelean V., Zăvoianu I., 1979]

Figure 2. Romania’s Timiş County geographical map

I analyzed the climatological situation for Timişoara area and, according to N. Topor indicator and Hellman criterion, I identified 4 droughty years (at different grades) and 2 years rainy or normal from precipitations volume point of view. It becomes more and more obvious that the aridization will be in the shortest time the most important feature of Timiş County climate. The 2000 – 2005 period analyzis, according to Hellman criterion and N. Topor indicator for Timişoara area, is presented in the following table:

Table 1. The 2000 – 2005 period analyzis, according to Hellman criterion and N. Topor indicator

2000 N=1 P=0 S=11 IA=0,043 Exceptional droughty year

2001 N=2 P=5 S=5 IA =1 Droughty year

2002 N=7 P=2 S=3 IA =0,79 Droughty year

2003 N=3 P=3 S=6 IA =0,6 Very droughty year

2004 N=2 P=7 S=3 IA =2 Rainy year

2005 N=1 P=6 S=5 IA =1,18 Normal year

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Where N – the number of normal months from pluviometric point of view established with the help of Hellman criterion; P – the number of rainy months, S – the number of droughty months, IA – the indicator proposed by N. Topor (1964) and which is computed with the following formula: IA = (N+2P) / (N+2S).

Romania’s Timiş County between humidity excess and water scarcity Even from ancient times, a very large surface of Timis County was occupied by swamps supplied by two important rivers: Bega and Timis. These swamps were drained beginning with the 18th century. After 1950, in Timis County was practice an intensive drainage without taking in consideration any measures for environment protection. Despising these measures, the humidity excess in general and the floods in special continue to affect these zones. Timiş County was affected by floods in April 2000, March – April 2006 and the most severely in May 2005, when a large surface of its territory was covered by waters. During the last years the situation knew a relative change. In zones where we had a humidity excess and it was practiced an intensive drainage, corroborated with the climatic change influences, we have a tendency to aridization and even an arid climate. If two or three decades ago, during warm periods the soil was properly humid now the water table is at dramatically low levels.

Table 2. Natural Disasters - number of people killed at national level (1983 – 2008) [ Disaster type Date Number of people killed Flood 1991 108 Extreme Temperature 2006 68 Extreme Temperature 1998 60 Extreme Temperature 2007 38 Flood 2005 33 Source: EMDAT - The International Emergency Disasters Database

Table 3. Natural Disasters - number affected at national level (1983 – 2008) Disaster type Date Number of people affected Flood July 1997 122,320 Flood April 2000 60,431 Flood September 2005 30,800 Flood March 2006 17,071 Flood July 1991 15,000 Flood July 2005 14,669 Flood July 2004 14,128 Source: EMDAT - The International Emergency Disasters Database

Table 4. Natural Disasters - economic damage at national level (1983 – 2008) Disaster type Date Damage US Dollars Flood July 2005 800.000.000 Flood April 2005 596.000.000 Drought 2000 500.000.000 Flood August 2005 313.000.000 Flood June 1998 150.000.000 Flood June 2001 120.000.000 Flood July 1997 110.000.000 Flood April 2000 100.000.000 Source: EMDAT - The International Emergency Disasters Database

Humidity excess in Timiş County, the floods from 2005 and the causes of floods For Timiş County and other counties from Romania’s western part were realized by a group of researchers from Hydrotechnical Engineering Faculty some maps representing the humidity excess situation. The humidity excess map for Timiş County is presented in the following picture:

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Figure 3. Humidity excess map for Timiş County

As can be seen, many areas of Timiş County are and were affected by humidity excess. It must be mentioned that this humidity excess is temporary, presented only during rainy periods. Beside that, the measure of applying an intensive drainage has as result a dramatically decrease of water table level with negative effects especially upon agriculture. Humidity excess is not the only problem regarding water in Timiş County. As I mentioned before, this area was affected by several floods with different intensities, the most important being the floods from 2005. The floods from 2005 were driven by extreme meteorological events in parts of the Danube River Basin. In April, strong rains in the Banat area of Romania, which overfulfill the anual average value with more than 150%, along with melting snow in the mountain region and soil saturated by water, led to hundred-year floods in the Timiş County and other counties from Romania’s western part.

Figure 4. Map with floods evolution in Romania’s Timiş County during 15.04.2005 – 06.05.2005. The flooded area is colored in grey or blue and in yellow brackets can be seen the villages or the communes flooded in this period [Source: www.cjtimis.ro]

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Some of the floods causes in Romania’s Timiş County from 2005 were: the minor flow path has a reduced capacity. Generally, it is overflowed by the maximum flood discharge with a probability between 30% and 50%; in many situations we can find different construction in the overflow meadow which obstruct it; the flow path is usually improperly maintained; the banking are under dimensioned; the capacity of transport in the bridge section is exceeded due to the under dimensioning as well as due to the obtrusion of the bridge section with floats; abundant rainfall in very short periods of time. [World Bank Report, 2005]

Aridity and water scarcity in Timiş County. Risk maps Romania of the last century presents, from climatologically point of view, a continuous increase of temperatures with a large variation of precipitations. Corroborated with the anthropic pressure, generated in general by deforestation and air pollutants, this situation assures the conditions for the appearance of drought and its two associated phenomenon: desertification and aridity. Even if drought is a normal, recurrent feature of nature, we can consider at the beginning of the 3rd millennium that drought is a meteorological pollution, result of the massive quantities of air pollutants released in nature. Romania, according to the last records of European Environment’s Agency, is close to become one of the greatest polluters in Europe. The climate responds at this situation in a very visible way and with increasing impacts upon the society. If desertification is more common for southern and south- eastern part of Romania, the Western Romania (which includes Timiş County’s territory) is characterized by aridity (which is a long-term feature of climate) and periods with drought. For Timiş County, taking in consideration the climate which is in continuous changing, the frequency of drought – wet year’s alternation, I propose for De Martonne indicator to extend the values for half-arid and half-wet climate. If the international interpretation for De Martonne indicator is: 0 < A < 5 – arid climate, 5 < A < 20 – half-arid climate, 20 < A < 30 – half-wet climate, A > 30 wet climate, I consider that the values for half arid climate must include and the interval 20 – 25 (even 27), and the half-wet climate must have included and the values from 30 to 35 (even 37). The risk maps at drought and aridity for Timiş County were realized by inserting some indicators computed by the author, with the help of records from Banat-Crişana Meteorological Center, or from other sources as Research Institute for Soil Science and Agro-chemistry. I used the aridity indicator Land and De Martonne, D.R. indicator, relative humidity indicator (P/ETP – this indicator presents the climates taking in consideration the average long-term values) and respective the Palfay indicator. For Timişoara and other 3 areas I will present some graphs with the hydro-thermic indicator proposed by Selianinov for Timişoara area. At the level of Timiş County can be observed that the area affected by aridity and with the presence of drought phenomenon cover 35 communes which represents more the 70% of county’s surface. In the following table are presented some indicators computed for different communes of Timiş County. The formulas for De Martonne, Lang and D.R. (Dantin-Revenga) indicator are: P De Martonne (A) = T +10 P Lang (L) = T 100T D.R. = P - where P represents the annual precipitations and T the annual temperature. [4, 11]

Table 4. Values of different aridity indicators for communes in Timis County No. Meteorological station De Martonne Lang D.R. 1 24.92 47.79 2,092131 2 26.55 51.13 1,955459 3 Sânnicolau Mare 26.02 50.12 1,994828 4 27.05 52.34 1,910373 5 25.61 49.56 2,017726 6 Cărpiniş 29.47 57.02 1,753523 7 26.11 50.51 1,979648 8 Grăniceri 29.93 57.91 1,726642 9 Timişoara 29.17 56.69 1,763727 10 29.01 56.13 1,727417

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11 Liebling 28.47 55.33 1,781552 12 Recaş 29.87 58.05 1,807024 13 Orţişoara 26.53 51.8 1,722457 14 28.4 54.7 1,930147 15 Maşloc 29.82 57.69 1,82803 16 Buziaş 30.91 59.8 1,733355 17 33.52 65.16 1,672136 18 Cliciova 32.58 66.17 1,534675 19 Bunea Mare 32.12 65.58 1,511139 20 Coşteiu de Sus 41.94 82.1 1,524778 21 Hăuzeşti 45.28 95.04 1,088365 22 Vişag 31.73 62.25 1,052145

The international interpretation of these values is: For De Martonne indicator: 0 < A < 5 – arid climate; 5 < A < 20 – half-arid climate; 20 < A < 30 – half-wet climate; A > 30 wet climate. For Lang indicator: 0 < L < 20 – arid climate; 20 < L < 40 – Mediterranean climate; 40 < L < 70 – half-arid climate; L > 70 – wet climate. For D.R. indicator: 0 < D.R. < 2 – wet climate; 2 < D.R. < 3 – half-wet/ half-arid climate; 3 < D.R. < 6 – arid climate; D.R. > 6 – desert climate. With the help of the previous table were realized some maps at NUTS V level. [Barbu I., Popa I., 1999]

Figure 5. The aridization degree for Timiş County according to De Martonne (DM) and Lang (L) indicators for 1960 – 2000 periods

Figure 6. The aridization degree for Timiş County according to D.R. (I.D.R.) thermo-rainy indicator for 1960 – 2000 periods

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Figure 7. The aridization degree for Timiş County according to D.R. (I.D.R.) thermo-pluviometric indicator for 1960 – 2000 periods

Figure 8. The aridization degree for Timiş County according to De Martonne indicator for 1960 – 2000 periods

The hydrothermal indicator proposed by Selianinov is determined monthly with the following relation: P k = t' 10 where P represents the total amount of precipitation in the considered month; t’ is the average monthly temperature multiplied with the number of days from the considered month. The international interpretation of the results is: For k < 1 we have arid conditions; For k between 1 and 1.7 we have normal conditions (equilibrium of the hydric balance); For k > 1.7 we have water excess conditions. [Barbu I., Popa I., 1999]

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Table 5. Values of Selianinov indicator for Timişoara area Period Months I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII 1986- 58,45 7,02 3,32 1,62 1,31 1,34 0,62 1,01 0,75 0,68 3,45 14,93 1989 1991- -5,91 -6,9 1,81 0,95 0,74 1,68 0,71 0,62 0,84 2,01 3,18 51,73 1993 2001- -12 6,13 1,07 1,71 1,01 1,28 0,79 0,76 1,67 1,7 3,48 66,13 2004

Selianinov indicator for Timisoara area during spring-summer

8 7 6 5 1986-1989 4 1991-1993 3

indicator 2001-2004 2 1 Value of Selianinov Value of 0 123456 Month (March - August)

Figure 9. Selianinov indicator for Timişoara area during spring - summer

Selaninov indicator for Timisoara area during autumn - winter

6 5 4 3 1986-1989 2 1991-1993 1 2001-2004 0 indicator -1 123456 -2 Value of Selianinov -3 -4 Month (september - february)

Figure 10. Selianinov indicator for Timişoara area during autumn - winter

Irrigation and drainage arrangements in Timiş County According to the records from National Society “Land Reclamation and Improvement”, in Timiş County is arranged for irrigations o total surface of 15.870 ha from which: - in big systems: 9745 ha - in local arrangements: 6125 ha. From the total surface of 15870 arranged for irrigations, in 2005 were effectively irrigated a surface of 5088 ha, from which 4606 ha arable land, 387 ha of hays and pastures and 95 ha orchards, nurseries and fruit bushes. Big irrigation systems in Timiş County are: Şag – Topolovăţ 8614 ha net (number 5 on the following map), Periam – 589 ha net (number 2 on the following map), Beregsău – 542 ha net. In these systems, the irrigation works are realized on the base of agreements.

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For a surface of about 100.000 ha it exist the possibility of irrigation and sub-irrigation (filling with water the existent surface drainage network) in the periods with humidity deficit, being assured in this way a proper water table level for normal development of the crops. The application of irrigation works in arranged systems is badly affected by the lack of interest from land owners for this activity and also by the lack of material resources for watering fittings. [Source www.anif.ro]

Figure 11. Some surface drainage and irrigation arrangements in Timiş County

Timiş County disposes of almost 450.000 ha of surface drainage arrangements from which 2/3 are by pumping and only 1/3 are gravitational. Through surface-drainage is apprehended the first stage of the water excess evacuate drainage from the agricultural grounds, through leakages at surface, with help of surface drainage open channels, the drainage representing the second stage of surface drainage for lowering high water table level (0.0 to 0.5 m) level imposed by agricultural cultures requests towards the air-water regime from the soil profile where these develop their radial system. . [Source www.anif.ro] The main works which do the object of surfaces with surface drainage arrangements are presented the in the following table:

Table 6. Works which do the object of areas with surface drainage arrangements . [Source www.anif.ro] Work UM Timis county Open channels Km 8868,00 Art works, hydro constructions No. 5889 Pumping stations No. 91 Pumping agregates No. 325 Exploitations constructions No. 87

The drainage, which is a component of surface drainage, is made from closed, underground drains in the total surface of 11.225 ha on Timiş county. The material for drains is constituted by tube and as annexes constructions are the drain mouths and the visits chimneys. The principal works afferent to closed drainage presented on Timiş County are:

Table 7. Principal works afferent to closed drainage presented on Timiş County . [Source www.anif.ro] Work UM Timiş county Closed drain km 1383,90 From which – collectors km 34,4 - absorbent km 1349,5 Drain mouths No 8889 Visit chimneys no 53

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The future of drainage arrangements and wet areas According to the Law 137/2004 the surface drainage – drainage arrangements are defined as it follows: arrangements of surface drainage and drainage which has as purpose the prevention and removal of humidity excess from land surface and soil layer in order to assure favorable conditions for land working.” Taking in consideration the increasing phenomenon of climatic change, the drainage role must be review. The costs of irrigation works, which are in a continuous increasing, in the frame of mixed arrangements, can be reduced by practicing the subirrigation with the help of controlled drainage. The areas where the irrigation and drainage works are largely spread constitute the most suitable areas for controlled drainage appliance. Also, we must consider the countries with water scarcity prognosis. This type of drainage can improve the efficiency level of water utilization. It is recommendable to apply this type of drainage in areas with water scarcity periods, with negative effects upon crops development, or in areas where the irrigation appliance supposes high costs. At hydrographic basin level the benefits are higher where the rice is part of the agricultural crops in a high percent and where the re-used water has a low quality. Controlled drainage is a method of integrating irrigation management with the drainage one. It supposes the decreasing of drainage flow in order to increasing at maximum the efficiency of using water. The water is “saved” and will be later re-utilized in agricultural purposes without recording substantial decreases of its quality. At the same time, the controlled drainage prevents the water logging and salt accumulation in the soil profile. Its objective is to manage the water table and the water quality in order to obtain maximum benefits from agriculture and not only. [Abbott et all, 2002]

Figure 12. Control structure for controlled drainage [3]

Figure 13. Controlled drainage – role in subirrigation [Fausey N.R. et all, 1991]

The benefits of controlled drainage are very important. Excepting the main role represented by the water utilization on the fields with land reclamation arrangements (irrigation, drainage), the controlled drainage offers and other advantages as: - Increased quantities of agricultural productions; - Assure the water control in soil by drainage flow in order to maintain the nitrates and phosphates levels and to avoid the degradation of soil fertility because of intensive irrigation or precipitation; - Reduce the nutrients losses in downstream minimizing in this way the danger of eutrophication appearance and pollution risks. By raising the water level after planting, with the help of controlled drainage, the water and the nutrients will be available during the whole growing season avoiding in this manner their discharge in surface water bodies. Researches made in Canada show that using controlled drainage system the drainage flow was reduced with 50% and the nutrients losses with 38% in comparison with a classic drainage system. For better results, at these controlled drainage systems can be attached bio-filters. These are buried structures which interact with the water from drains. Using a mixture composed by gravel with straw, which assure a steady flow and food for bacteria,

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Figure 14. Bio-filter attached to a drainage structure [Cook R., 2000]

- Helps at the wet zones conservation situated in the areas with high risk at drought and aridization. Taking in consideration the fact that only a relative reduced surface of Romania’s Timis County disposes of irrigation arrangements in comparison with the areas with drainage works and the area affected by aridization, we can understand that controlled drainage can be a suitable condition not only for eutrophication avoidance but also for the assurance of an optimum humidity level for the wet zones. [Abbott et all, 2002; Cooke R., 2000, Fausey et all, 1991] Controlled drainage is applicable in relative plain areas where the surface irrigation methods are largely spread and the artificial drainage is assured (or it is in project form). Other conditions for the appliance of this type of drainage are: the water supply is sporadic and uncertain, the existence of large farms or farmers associations which agree to collaborate uncaring of crops rotation, the controlled drainage reducing the conflicts between them, conflicts caused by the type of applied management in their agricultural system. [Abbott et all, 2002, Zucker L.A., Brown L.S., 1998] According to the Ramsar Convention, (Article 1.1), wetlands are defined as: “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters”. Taking in consideration their functions, wetlands can be considered among the world’s most productive environments because they are cradles of biological diversity, they provide the water and primary productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival, they can support high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrate species and not at the end, wetlands are important storehouses of plant genetic material. [Ramsar Convention, 2006] Previously were presented enough reasons to understand the value and the importance of wetlands and why we should take measures to protect them. Even though the Satchinez Swamps from Romania were not designated as a Ramsar Site, they are very important because they form an ornithological natural reservation which is spread on a 242 hectares surface, in northern part of Timiş County as can be seen in the following picture. Satchinez Swamps are named Delta of Banat, protecting 40% of the bird species which can be found on Romania’s territory. [Kiss A., 2002]

Figure 15. The position of Satchinez Swamps on the map with Timiş County’s surface drainage arrangements

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In the last years, as a consequence of land reclamation and improvements works activity (especially of surface drainage works) corroborated with the increased frequency of droughty years, in the perimeter of Satchinez Swamps appeared a water deficit. This phenomenon encouraged a fast mudding which generated the possibility of open water surfaces by vegetation and the water quality degradation. The impacts are visible upon trophic chains. [Kiss A., 2002] Also, the aridity degree in this area presents a continuous increasing, the water being unable to moderate the climatic changes. The De Martonne aridity’s indicator presents values between 24 and 28 while the Lang indicator is lower than 55. For the ecological reconstruction I propose the creation of a human-made wetlands chain around the Satchinez Swamps, were by discharging the water surplus from the periods with humidity excess we can purify this water and conducted to the protected area. These human-made wetlands will help at the maintenance of a high water table level in the swamps.

Figure 16. Proposals for human-made wetlands around Satchinez Swamps

By installing a controlled drainage system in such a human-made wetlands we will supply, only when is necessary, the water volume from the protected area.

Figure 17. Human-made wetlands – nutrients removal areas [Abbott C.L. et all, 2002, [3]]

We can observe from this chapter that the surface drainage and drainage measures must be applied in an integrated conception with the protected areas especially and the management of environment protection in general. As can be seen in the figures 15 and 16, Satchinez Swamps are surrounded by surface drainage arrangements which, with a proper controlled drainage system, may help at the conservation of this protected area. Taking in consideration that drainage arrangements, wetlands conversion to agricultural use and the degradation of wetlands will release large quantities of carbon dioxide (which accounts for at least 60% of the warming effect) as well as other greenhouse gases contributing to global warming we can understand the importance of wetlands rehabilitation and conservation. By example, in the last 55 years, temperature in Timiş County increases with almost 0.7°C, in the same period the drainage arrangements knowing a increasing with more 100.000 ha in surface. [Ramsar Convention, 2006]

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Conclusions The climatic changes, humidity excess, drought and the permanent lack of water are interconnected but these phenomenon/ processes mustn’t be confused. The permanent lack of water is linked by aridity as natural phenomenon in time while a wrong exploitation of available resources (during the normal periods or with a surplus), the missing of an un-sustainable water management can constitute, easily, the way to desertification appearance, result of a major negative impact from anthropic pressure. Drought is acting like a temporary un-balance of request/ water resources report, often in combination with the influences produced by anthropic factor. In Timiş County, the application, at large scale, of surface drainage arrangements in the last decades together with an accentuated degradation of irrigation arrangements, increased the aridity phenomenon which had installed in the last years and having as result frequent manifestation of drought. The west part of Timiş County which till few years ago, during drought periods, assured very good conditions for crops development in now under the influence of aridity phenomenon because of climatic changes and often suffers because drought, result of practicing an intensive drainage. Because of this special situation with alternative drought and humid periods, and with an intensive fertilizing agriculture, the integrated drainage management is a proper solution taking in consideration its advantages. The climatic conditions (global warming) and the water scarcity requests new measures for an efficient water management including here sustainable irrigation and drainage methods. The highest attention dedicated to the environment protection in the last time imposes to adopt strategies in a unitary concept which supposes the satisfaction of human needs with minimum impact upon nature. Wetlands must be rehabilitated and protected against anthropic activities or the anthropic activities must be designed to avoid the degradation of these areas or even to help at their conservation. The economic costs of implementing an integrated drainage management, even they are sufficient high, will be covered by the ability to produce higher value crops and manage salinity and groundwater levels, with positive impacts upon the sustainable development of agriculture and rural space. As a supplementary measure, I must mention the necessity to be created farmers organizations which intend to apply on their lands the principles of integrated drainage management. From legislative point of view, the adoption and implementation of Water Framework Directive imposes to Romanian Government and its structures to adopt and apply strategies in concordance with European legislation and to have in view the transboundary water management plans. Bringing and implementing in Romania new techniques as integrated drainage management can constitute solutions for the central and local authorities in this domain. Despising the fact that Romania adhere at United Nations Convention Against Desertification by the Law 111 from 5 June 1998, the legislative framework is very poor in this sense existing a strategy but without efficiency and effectiveness. Following the floods from 2005, in a relative short time, were elaborated handbooks for local authorities, these including measures and directions for actions in case of calamities. Perhaps that, following the drought from this year, will be elaborated a similar handbook for this kind of situation, unfortunately after its producing and deployment with severe effects over the society. I propose to be prepared and elaborated as soon as possible this kind of handbooks, for drought situation, necessary to the local and central authorities.

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