Mapping Potential Environmental Conflicts in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

A broad literature deals with the environmental conflicts. One of the frameworks for analyzing them is provided by the concept of “opportunity cost”; when the same resource can be used in multiple ways, the potential uses can generate conflicts among the users. Among the resources, land has one of the highest potential for generating conflicts worldwide. Environmental conflicts determined by land use are amplified in protected areas, where the protection status is potentially conflicting with all economic uses. Previous analyses in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve underlined the fact that the protection status determined over the time social problems through the restrictions imposed on local activities, but also through the pressure of tourism. The present study was aimed at pinpointing the areas with a high potential for conflict using spatial data. Data was freely provided by the Romanian Ministry of the Environment for the reserve limits and for the spatial distribution of birds, other species and habitats representing a priority in conservation, and from the European Union Copernicus Program for the land cover and use. The analyses consisted of spatially overlaying the areas where human activities occur naturally (artificial and agricultural areas) and the spatial distributions of species and habitats important for conservation. The results indicate that the areas where conflicts may appear are situated mostly in the northern part of the reserve and cover almost 450 km2 (8% of the total area of the reserve). Proper planning can provide solutions for harmonizing societal needs and environmental issues.