Submitted by Juraj on 2 October 2018
Vacaresti Nature Park Reserve
Area characterisation: 

The area used to be a village (including an Orthodox monastery) before the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu decided to turn it into a lake. The structure had some leakages and was never filled with water. Currently, it is a wetland; natural springs are the source of water.

Objective: 

None

Actions: 

Nature colonized gradually a void area turning it into a wetland. An association (NGO) managed to convince the national authority (Ministry of the Environment) to declare it a protected area, called in the Romanian legislation “Natural Park” (IUCN, V), the only one in Bucharest.​

Potential impacts/benefits: 

Green space management (including enhancing/ conserving urban biodiversity

  • Increase accessibility to green open spaces.
  • Changing the image of the urban environment.
  • Increase awareness of NbS solution & their effectiveness and co-benefits. Increase Biodiversity.
  • Increase the quality and quantity of green and blue infrastructures.
  • Improve connectivity and functionality of green and blue infrastructures.
  • Increase achievements of biodiversity targets.
  • Increased cultural richness and biodiversity.
  • Carbon sequestration and storage.
Transferability of the result: 

Depends on the national legislation on protected areas and the way they can be established.

Lessons learned: 

“Nature finds a way.”​

Contacts: 

A_Petrisor (ThinkNature user name)