The main objective of the project is to ensure adaptation to climate change, costal erosion risk prevention and management along the coastal line of the Black Sea in Romania, more specifically in Constanța County.
- 05 June 2019
This is the second phase of a project to protect and rehabilitate a 30.5 km stretch of Romania’s Black Sea coast. It involves artificial sanding of beaches, building, extension and replacement of coastal structures such as breakwaters for beach stabilisation and support walls, rehabilitation of sluices, cliff consolidation, and dredging.
To preserve biodiversity, construction of artificial reefs and introduction of bio-structures and repopulation with marine species are planned. Equipment will be purchased for monitoring purposes.
The Edighiol and Periboina sluices, which control water flow between the Black Sea and Lake Sinoe, are to be restored. Measures will be taken to protect the bases of electricity pylons and erect new coastal protection structures. In Constanta, existing structures that no longer fulfil their initial protective purpose will be demolished and new coastal revetments built to protect a historic area of the city.
Adapting to climate change - Combating erosion
In Mamaia, Agigea, Eforie, Costinesti, Olimp, Jupiter-Neptun, Balta Mangalia-Venus-Aurora, Mangalia-Saturn and 2 Mai, structures which no longer serve their intended purpose, or which contribute to erosion, will be demolished. Beach sanding and remodelling of submerged and emerged slopes of beaches will be done to stabilise the coastline and make it more resistant to erosion. Structures which support adaptation of coastal protection systems to climate change will be built. The work in Mamaia, Agigea and Eforie supplements that done under a previous EU-funded project.
The project provides for the purchase of equipment to implement a programme to monitor work done under the project, support maintenance operations and gain a clearer understanding of the main medium- and long-term environmental factors affecting the area.
Overall, work will be carried out in the coastal areas of: Periboina and Edighiol, Mamaia, Tomis, Agigea, Eforie, Costinesti, Olimp, Jupiter-Neptun, Balta Mangalia-Venus-Aurora, Mangalia-Saturn, 2 Mai. The system designed for each area will protect the coastline by reducing the impact of waves and enhance resilience to extreme weather.
Protecting marine ecosystems
Human activity such as construction of port facilities – on the coast and on the Danube and its tributaries – is the main cause of erosion of Romania’s coastline. To ensure the current project is not negatively affected by work under any other projects, the authority responsible for issuing water management permits for projects implemented in Romania will attach conditions to the granting of such permits.
By protecting land adjacent to the coast, the project should safeguard socioeconomic infrastructure and reduce negative impacts on the local population caused by erosion for the next 50 years.
It should protect marine ecosystems in the Black Sea, the Danube Delta and its marine area, the Razelm-Sinoe complex, the Eforie Nord-Eforie Sud submerged beach, Vama Veche-2 Mai, Mangalia, Cape Aurora, and Costinesti-23 August by reducing the risk of deterioration and loss of habitats over the same period.
Marine species expected to live on the artificial reefs built under the project include Cystoseira barbata, Donacilla cornea, Donax trunculus, Pholas dactylus and Zostera noltii.
The project is expected to reduce the risk of economic damage and damage to real estate. Analyses indicate that losses of more than EUR 829 million will be avoided over a 50-year period. In addition, the project will improve the quality of the area’s beaches and bathing water, creating a basis for development of recreational activities which could generate economic benefits of over EUR 182.5 million.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Protection and rehabilitation of the coastal areas - Phase II” is EUR 841 118 736, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 602 743 199 through the “Large Infrastructure” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management”.