It’s official: Bucharest will have the biggest urban protected area in Europe – Vacaresti Nature Park

The Romanian government has approved on Wednesday the creation of the Vacaresti Nature Park, following a successful campaign of NGOs that was started more than four years ago.

As a result, Bucharest will now have the biggest natural urban park across Europe, said Let’s Do it, Romania, one of the NGOs that has lobbied this project.

“This historic decision for Bucharest and Romania will mean that the area that hosts at this moment over 97 protected species will have a special protection and conservation regime,” said the NGO in a statement.

The park covers more than 180 ha.

The Vacaresti Nature Park association said that the initiative to protect the oasis that spontaneously appeared over 25 years in the center of the country’s capital city was started in 2012, after the publication of the “Delta between the blocks” article in the May issue of the National Geographic.

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This association has worked together with Let’s Do It, Romania and Save the Danube and Delta association to make the park a protected area.

“The members of the initiative group – formalized in 2014 as the Vacaresti Nature Park Association, have carried out the difficult administrative process, obtaining the Notification of the Romanian Academy, the Notification of the Capital City’s General Council and, finally, the Government Decision for the establishment of the protected natural area. Over 100 working meetings in the presence of the authorities in charge were needed in order to complete this project,” said the group.

The group said that following today’s decision, authorities need to enforce measures that eliminate the negative impact on the park. In this area there are stray dogs and homeless. Moreover, there is a problem with the cutting of trees and fires.

There are additional issues with people that are claiming this land in court. These persons will have to be compensated by authorities.

In order to become a functional park, the protected natural area must be developed by the future administrator on the basis of a management plan approved by the Ministry of Environment.

Ovidiu Posirca