Außer Kontrolle
Urwaldzerstörung in Europa
Rumänien beherbergt noch große Ur- und Naturwälder. Aber sie werden brutal abgeholzt. Sogar in Nationalparks und Natura 2000 Gebieten. Die Regierung muss endlich handeln.
Ein Waldmeer bis zum Horizont...
Europas einzigartiges Naturerbe
Nirgendwo sonst in der gemäßigten Klimazone in Europa haben so viele Ur- und Naturwälder überlebt wie in Rumänien. Doch sie werden zerstört. Jeden Tag. Unsere Video-Doku's zeigen das Ausmaß der brutalen Zerstörung...
ZU DEN VIDEOS!In das wilde Boia Mica-Tal führt kein Weg ...
Europas wildestes Gebirgstal...
Obwohl im Natura 2000 Gebiet Fagaras-Gebirge gelegen, war der Schutzstatus dieses Naturjuwels heftig umstritten. Die Erhaltung dieser einmaligen Wildnis und Naturtourismus werden der lokalen Wirtschaft weit mehr nutzen als die (unwiederbringliche) Abholzung der Urwälder ...
WeiterlesenEuropa's größtes Naturschutzdrama.
Europäisches Naturerbe im Sterben
Rumänien beherbergt den größten Urwaldschatz der EU. Doch der wird unter den Augen von Regierung und Behörden geplündert. In rasender Geschwindigkeit. Der Hut brennt!
WeiterlesenNera-Urwald: 6000 Jahre alt, 5000 Hektar groß.
Der größte Rotbuchen-Urwald der EU
Ein Fenster in die Urzeit Europas: So hat das natürliche Mitteleuropa einmal ausgehen. Urwälder sind von unschätzbarem Wert für die Wissenschaft.
WeiterlesenMonster-Kahlschläge im Europaschutzgebiet.
Ökologischer Notstand
Angeblich war es wegen dem Borkenkäfer. 2013 donnerten die Holztrucks ohne Pause ins Tal. Jetzt ist der ganze Bergrücken nackt - fast 100 Hektar Kahlschlag. Bahn frei für Erosion, Fluten und Muren...
WeiterlesenMotorsägen und Traktoren im Anmarsch.
Akut bedrohtes Paradies
Unberührter Buchen-Tannen-Wald im Natura 2000-Gebiet Fagaras-Gebirge: Im benachbarten Sinca-Tal wurde ein UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe-Gebiet eingerichtet. Im Stramba-Tal (Bild) wird ökologisch gleichwertiger Urwald aber abgeholzt ...
Aktiv werden!Weltklasse Wildnis
UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe Buchenurwald.
Rotbuchen-Urwälder gibt es nur in Europa. Vor 5000 Jahren war Europa das Reich der Buche. Eine UNESCO Weltnaturerbestätte bewahrt die letzten Reste. Der herrliche Iauna Craiova-Urwald im Domogled Nationalpark ist einer davon.
WeiterlesenWaldverwüstung im Nationalpark
Sag mir wo die Bäume sind.
Unweit des geplanten UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe-Gebiets im Iauna Craiova-Tal im Domogled - Valera Cernei Nationalpark ist vom Urwald so gut wie nichts mehr übrig: Bäume abgeholzt, Boden verwüstet. Diese Wunde wird erst in Jahrhunderten heilen.
Jetzt aktiv werden!Wie in einem Fantasyland
Europas wirklicher Märchenwald.
Von den unberührten Wäldern Europas ist fast nichts mehr übrig. Der Fichten-Urwald im rumänischen Sambata-Tal ist echter Paradieswald. Und er ist viel älter als sämtliche Märchen und Sagen...
WeiterlesenUnwiederbringliches Ur-Europa
Jahrtausendelang getestet und optimiert.
Europas Urwälder gedeihen kontinuierlich seit der letzten Eiszeit und werden von der Evolution laufend optimiert. Sie sind daher extrem stabil. Wenn man sie abholzt, dauert es viele Jahrhunderte, bis sie diesen Zustand wieder erreichen.
Jetzt aktiv werden!Endstation Sägewerk
Hackschnitzel statt Naturerbe?
Der Holzhunger internationaler Groß-Sägewerke und die Gier von Land- und Holzräubern hat die Waldzerstörung in Rumänien in den letzten 10-15 Jahren an die Spitze getrieben. Gesetze wurden missachtet, Verstöße kaum geahndet. Jetzt geht es um die letzten Urwaldflächen!
Jetzt aktiv werden!EU-Programm Natura 2000 missachtet
Europaschutzgebiete als Abholzungs-Hotspots.
Ein Holzernte-Traktor schleift einen Biotop-Baum aus dem Stramba-Urwald im Natura 2000-Gebiet Fagaras-Gebirge. Wie ist die großflächige Urwaldzerstörung mit EU-Schutzzielen vereinbar?
Jetzt aktiv werden!Rare Lebesformen
Ohne Wildnis verloren.
Der stark bedrohte und streng geschützte Eremit kann nur in Wäldern mit Altbäumen und Totholz überleben. Die letzten Urwälder sind Rettungsinseln für viele unserer natürlichen Mitbewohner. Werden die alten Wälder umgeschnitten, bedeutet das ihren Tod.
Jetzt aktiv werden!Luchs, Bär und Co.
Die Erde gehört auch ihnen.
Ohne wilde Wälder haben unsere prächtigen europäischen Mitbewohner keine Chance. Wollen wir ihnen wirklich auch noch die letzten Reste an Lebensraum stehlen?
Jetzt aktiv werden!Kohlenstoffspeicher
Klimaschützer Urwald.
In Bäumen und im Boden speichern Urwälder gewaltige Mengen Kohlendioxid. Durch Kahlschläge und Holz-Verbrennung wird das Gas freigesetzt. Urwälder taugen daher nicht als "Bioenergie". Vielmehr tragen sie selber massiv zum Klimaschutz bei.
Weiterlesen
More than 4.000 people in Bucharest and several thousand from other cities in Romania and also in Europe protested on Sunday, 03rd November, against illegal logging and criminal violence on forest rangers in Romania.
The Forest March, a peaceful protest, was initiated and organized by three Romanian environmental organizations – Greenpeace, Agent Green and Declic. Additionally, other protests were voluntarily initiated in more than 20 other Romanian and European cities such as Brasov, Cluj, Timisoara, Corabia, Iasi and Zürich.
People marched toward the ministry and chanted „Thieves” and „Ministry of deforastation” and carrying signs which said „Forest is life”, „Stop the logging mafia” and „Climate emergency”.
The current Romanian forests situation is critical and time is running out to save these natural treasures in Romania. Protesters requests that Romanian authorities act immediately and push harder against illegal logging of these precious forests. According to the PRIMOFARO report (commissioned by Euronatur), Romania still shelters more than 500.000 ha of primary and old-growth forests. These are extremly valuable forests, for biodiverstiy conservationa and for climate security as well as for different supports for the livelihodd of the local population. For this reason, many Romanians joined forces in the street and asked the Ministry of Water and Forests to put an end to illegal logging and to strictly protect the big Romanian parts of Europe’s last primary and old-growth forest.
The Forest Rally had an enormous international echo, big media like BBC and Reuters have written about this green movement and also environmentalist Leonardo Di Caprio shared a picture on his Instagram page/account expressing concern about the serious situation in Romania.
Romania’s Presidency of the European Union has ended on the 30th of June. Tens of meetings with EU representatives have taken place all over Romania on a diversity of topics. But there was something crucial that was missing from each public agenda, especially from the environment meetings: the actual situation and a firm conservation plan for the last European virgin forests, located in Romania. Besides their impressive and unique biodiversity, their all-time inestimable value for the country and local communities and for climate security, these forests become a stringent priority.
The six months have been used by Romanian activists as a full opportunity to reach officials who can make a difference for Romania’s precious natural heritage:
The first official environmental meeting took place in Timisoara where experts on climate change met to address issues, but unfortunately, they did not focus on the old-growth and virgin forests, which are, one of the best and most powerful weapon against climate change.
The first protest, which took place in Timisoara, stopped before it started, being blocked by the police, despite the peaceful approach of the two activists who were wearing a double-head T-shirt with a clear cut and the message “Welcome to Romania.” This turned into a media story, as the action was fully legal, peaceful and justified.
The next meeting was in Brasov, where all EU Directors on nature met in a hotel’s conference hall. Agent Green had reserved a room for a press conference on forests in the hotel as well but the room was denied one day before the conference. But for dedicated activists who care for their and the next generation’s future this is not a barrier. The conference did take place, but in the middle of the street, in front of the building. The action brought big media converage as the many journalist had the chance to face the EU directors with the true infromation they had just received from the activists outside. A similar action was done by Agent Green activists during a EU representatives Meeting in Bistrita.
The EU leaders meeting in Sibiu was preceded by an official public letter sent by Agent Green and EuroNatur to all the leaders – a call for help and intervention, referring to the latest IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services report. Unfortunately, only two answers were recieved. These were extremely appreciated, but the problem of Europe’s last virgin forests is a matter of continental interest and it is sad that, especially the environmental-related delegates, seam not to care. The rest of the 26 countries should be aware that they are also responsible for the natural heritage protection and that these are Europe’s last virgin forests and several thousands of years old.
Furthermore, the environment ministers met in Bucharest at the Palace of the Parliament. This time, the organization called for those whose future they are fighting for: the children. Special occasions require special measures: a huge collective painting event, where families and children were invited to paint the entire street from the front of the Palace of the Parliament. The painting had tremendous success among pedestriants, employees of the Parliament and internet users, having been photographed hundreds and hundreds of times.
Commissioner Vella’s press statement following the event was a light of hope that the efforts reached the goal: “The IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services session made this starkly clear. Let’s be blunt: if we fail to alter the fate of biodiversity and ecosystem loss, achieving the Paris Agreement objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals is nothing more than an illusion… We need to rapidly improve the implementation of existing policy instruments…The link between climate change and biodiversity loss is clearly on everyone’s radar.”
Last but not least, the Meeting in Gura Humorului was dedicated exclusively to forests. All the forest directors in the EU met in Romania’s most forested area. Included in the agenda was a trip to a beautiful virgin forest. Agent Green requersted to accompany the trip to ensure that also the reality of many other forests in Romania would be presented, was denied. Therefore, the activists launched an online call for the public – send emails to the ministry in order to ask them to show transparency for such meetings. Hundreds of people responded and wrote to the ministry but still the meeting remained closed. So, the activists found out the trip area and managed to hand out newly released leaflets with data to the situation of Romanian forests to the Ministers. This data is extracted exclusively from official documents, which were deliberately omitted in a meeting that could prove essential for the future of the next generations.
Even after the Romanian EU presidency, Agent Green And EuroNatur together with activists, other NGOs and civil Society will continue to put pressure on the Romanian Government and the EU until the Romanian virgin forests are seariously protected.
by Alina Florescu
Action in BistritaAction in BrasovAction in Bucharest: The dear in front of the parliamentAction in Bucharest: Children drawing to raise awarness to the ministers to take action to save their futureAction in Bucharest: Children drawing infron of the parliament