Description

We are asking for solutions that resolve the issues of waste management and safe drinking water for fishermen refuges in the Danube Delta in an eco-friendly manner, improving working conditions for fishermen and offering access basic facilities for them, their families and for the tourists that use the refuges when visiting Danube Delta.

Access to basic services, such as piped water and sewage is lower in the villages from the Delta than in the rest of the country. Due to limited accessibility to Tulcea city, waste management is not done accordingly, with low waste collection rate, low recycling rate, and infrequent and high waste transportation costs between Tulcea and the Delta. This is why normal systems do not work and why centralized solutions do not exist. Locals are using alternatives that are more cost effective, but do not use any treatment.



Because the main activity of locals is fishing, followed by tourism and agriculture, the population living in the Delta spends a large amount of time in the wetlands where basic resources are completely missing. Fishermen have built refuges in order to create some basic work condition for themselves, but they do not have drinkable water or any type of waste water management and solid waste management.

Due to harsh conditions, most young people chose to leave the Delta, resulting in the ageing of the general population. Through this challenge, the Association addresses the issue of inadequate working conditions for fishermen in the Delta, in order to reduce depopularisation in the region. However, it is also important to not forget the importance of protecting the natural spaces.

Danube Delta is the best preserved delta in Europe, with large protected areas. Due to its ecological significance, the economic and social challenges faced by the area require a special strategy in order to guide sustainable development in the region.

