KAIZENä for People and Nature – Demonstrating Social Responsibility in Romania Our planet in crisis Our planet is dying. The implication is that the survival of the human race is under threat as we depend on a healthy earth. Today, there are three large forests remaining: Amazon in Brazil, and the boreal forests in Russia and Canada. We are currently consuming more than three quarters of the planet's resources. Pessimistic calculations indicate that if the current rate of deforestation is maintained, the Amazon forest will decrease in size by 40% within the next two decades. We deforest millions of hectares every year, for instance, in Haiti, the forested area has decreased from 60% to less than 2% in a very short time. On average, a tree absorbs 5 kg of air pollutants each year, including 2 kg of ozone and 3 kg of particles; the consequences of deforestation are obvious. The ice cap becomes thinner, we continue to damage the soil, and temperatures are getting higher and increasingly more people are having limited access to drinking water. Deforestation has many negative effects The natural habitat of animals are continuously being destroyed. As a result, many species of animals and plants have disappeared or are on the verge of extinction. In the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2nd edition), 210 species of endangered plants and animals are registered, compared to 55 species from the first edition (published in 1991). Climate change is causing many threats like more frequent droughts and floods. The recurrence and intensity of forest fires is estimated to increase in the next 100 years with sea levels expected to rise by 18-59 centimeters by the end of the century. Hurricanes and other storms will become stronger with soil erosion processes intensifying. As forests are currently covering only 30% of the earth’s surface, landslides have increased, causing serious material losses to the national economy. Romania’s situation The forested area of Romania is below the European average of 30%. Over 28% of our rivers in the country fall into the lower categories of water quality, below the European targeted level. The main pollution factor remains the lack of water treatment plants in large cities. At the same time, Romania has a large variety of mineral resources. The nation has over 15 million hectares of arable land, one of the best in the world in terms of fertile layer. Romanian oil resources amount to 54,882 thousand tons. The entire Danube Delta has been declared a Biosphere Reserve, a unique feature on this planet. Furthermore, Romania is among the countries with the largest variety of mineral water resources in Europe and globally. So, not everything is pessimistic. Natural "wonders" of Romania What can we do HERE and NOW? Some of the solutions to address the challenges related to our natural enviroment includes selective waste collection, less pollution, green energy, planting trees, and depollution of rivers. Kaizen Institute Romania has been taking action since 2012 by offering KAIZENä for People and Nature Events. Actions were taken in stages; preparing work equipment (saplings, tools, gloves, etc.), designating team leaders, training people and team leaders regarding security rules, and allocating sectors to each team. Further activities included the planting of saplings, cleaning work tools and sorting them by category. We also ensured we received feedback from participants to enable us to further improve our efforts. Below are the events we have organized so far: 2012 – Oarda de Sus, Alba County 2013 – Mereteu, (Vintu de Jos), Alba County 2014 – Albac, Alba County 2015 – Dr Ioan Vlad Park, Alba Iulia City 2016 to 2018 – Ciugud, Alba County We look forward to contribute further towards making our planet a better place. KI Romania’s contribution to the earth Statuia lui Decebal .