Recently appointed Romanian environment minister Diana Buzoianu underlined that environmental projects focused on creating more green spaces and conserving rare species, like the \u201cGreen Belts\u201d initiative, will continue despite recent budgetary constraints.<\/p>\n
The statement comes after the official met with mountaineer and conservationist Alex G\u0103van, founder of the projects \u201cTogether for the Green Belt\u201d and \u201cThe Asprete Lives,\u201d and with Ciprian G\u0103lu\u0219c\u0103, executive director, on Wednesday, July 23.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the meeting, minister Buzoianu noted that the Ministry of the Environment supports the inclusion of green belts, essentially large green areas surrounding Romania\u2019s cities, in future European funding axes, as well as the completion of the subsequent legislation to facilitate implementation at the national level.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe in partnership with civil society and in the role that active and well-informed people have in accelerating ambitious environmental policies. I\u2019m glad we can continue the work started in Parliament for the Green Belts, a project I have been connected to since the legislative phase, as an initiator alongside civil society. Romania needs clear and coherent legislation, but also a firm commitment to the future of nature and public health,\u201d said Diana Buzoianu.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, the current ruling coalition, comprising the Social Democrats (PSD), Liberals (PNL), USR, the Hungarians’ party UDMR, and the national minorities, included “the development and adoption of the methodology for creating green belts<\/a> at the national level within a 6-month period” in the 2025-2028 government program.<\/p>\n At the same time, the discussion between the two conservationists and minister Buzoianu addressed the issue of saving the asprete (Romanichthys valsanicola<\/em>), the rarest species of freshwater fish in Europe, found only in a restricted section of the V\u00e2lsan River, in the F\u0103g\u0103ra\u0219 Mountains. To date, only 154 specimens have been identified in the field.<\/p>\n While the \u201cGreen Belts\u201d project enjoys support from across the political spectrum, the situation regarding the asprete \u201chas become dramatic,\u201d Alex G\u0103van noted. \u201cI requested that the chronic pollution of the V\u00e2lsan River, one of the country\u2019s emblematic waters, be stopped; otherwise, it will not be long before it becomes a dead river,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n