PDD - Romania Afforestation Project

Baseline Study - Romania Afforestation Project

Monitoring Plan - Romania Afforestation Project

Determination Report

The project has been developed in the cooperation between Romania and the World Bank (Carbon Finance Unit) and it is implemented by the National Forest Administration (NFA), the public forest administrator in Romania. Under the project, NFA is afforesting 6,033 ha of State-owned degraded agricultural lowlands in 7 counties in the southwest and southeast of the Romanian Plain. In the southwest, the Project is stabilizing soils through the planting of semi-naturalized species (including Robinia pseudoacacia), depending on site conditions. In the southeast, ecological reconstruction of 10 islets making up a natural park and Ramsar site in the Lower Danube (Small Island of Braila) are occurring through the planting of native species (Pupulus alba, Pupulus nigra, Salix sp., Quercus Sp., etc.)

The project conforms with overall State forest policy and strategy, which identifies degraded agricultural lands for afforestation. The project’s degraded lands have been worked intensively for agriculture since the 1960s, coinciding with the extension of drainage works in floodplain of the river Danube. Initially these lands produced a range of crops including cereals, vegetables, fruits and grapes. Through excessive working and lack of investment in irrigation infrastructure and maintenance, the lands have become degraded and subject to erosion and are now uneconomic for crop production and are either used mainly for pasture or abandoned.

The project provides rural employment (plantation work, tending operations, etc.) and creates opportunities for downstream wood utilization by the local communities. Other co-benefits of the project include reduced surface erosion and improve habitat conditions for local species.