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Description
Urban sprawl and increase in the residential density deepen the effects of climate change over the cities, compared to the peri-urban areas. The urban protected areas are nature-based solutions which are not approached at the administrative level in Romania, although 50% of its inhabitants live now in urban areas and it is foreseen that this ratio will increase to 70% in 2050. The cities need nature and biodiversity in order to alleviate the effects of climate change. European Green deal dedicate a whole section to biodiversity protection as climate action and calls for measures to increase biodiversity in urban areas and the proposals for green European cities. In Romania a law project has been initiated in December 2019 which opens the way to establishment of urban protected areas and introduces the rule for the municipalities to develop and implement urban biodiversity strategies. Our project aims to push the approval of this law in the Romanian parliament, through a lobby and advocacy campaign planned with the support of our partners from Funky Citizens, and to support its implementation together with our partners in other cities. We aim to ensure the implementation of this law through the identification, assessment and submission of proposals for new urban protected areas, with the support of 10 partners in Bucharest and in other cities. We shall support our partners with training, mentorship and organization development tools delivered by experienced organizations acting in civic activism and system change, as Funky Citizens and Ashoka and also with support in local campaigns to promote the identified urban protected areas. All partners will form a coalition for the establishment of the first national urban protected areas network. We aim to bring the wide public closer to nature in cities through a thematic events program and a web platform that will ultimately become an online hub of the urban nature and biodiversity’ supporters.
Summary of project results
Over the past 30 years, the urban areas in Romania have nearly doubled in size, resulting in a significant reduction of natural spaces within and around cities. This expansion has negatively impacted public health and has limited access to nature, outdoor education, recreation, and sports.
The project''s key activities included both online and offline information campaigns, the documentation and mapping of urban natural areas, advocacy for regulatory protection, the establishment of a new NGO called the Network for Urban Nature, and the organization of an environmental school for journalists.
Key achievements of the project:
- Documented and proposed 18 natural areas for protection by local municipalities, surpassing the initial goal of 10 areas.
- Successfully included the category of "urban natural area" in the draft Government Emergency Ordinance on protected natural areas, which is currently under internal review by the Ministry of Environment, Waters, and Forests (MEWF).
- Established a non-formal learning platform for journalists through the Costești Environmental School.
- Recorded 850 individual visits to urban natural areas.
- Increased public engagement with nature-related news across 10 Facebook pages dedicated to different cities.
- Launched a comprehensive information platform and events focused on urban nature: www.rnu.ro.
- Founded a new organization, the Network for Urban Nature, in partnership with 13 organizations.