Florentina-Cristina MERCIU¹, Igor SÎRODOEV^1,3*, George MERCIU², Daniela ZAMFIR², Andrei SCHVAB³, Ilinca-Valentina STOICA², Mirela PARASCHIV³, Irina SAGHIN³, Andreea-Loreta CERCLEUX², Natașa VĂIDIANU³ & Ioan IANOȘ¹
4-12 Regina Elisabeta Blv, 030018, Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: ingvarri@gmail.com, *Corresponding author
²University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu, 010041, Bucharest, Romania
³Ovidius University of Constanța, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, 1 Aleea Universităţii, 900470, Constanța, Romania

THE “VĂCĂREȘTI LAKE” PROTECTED AREA, A NEVERENDING DEBATABLE ISSUE?

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“Văcărești Lake” represents an intra-urban area of Bucharest, perceived as a wetland that raises numerous controversies. The area constituted a part of a complex urban hydro-technical project designed to ensure flow for navigation on Dâmbovița River and to increase the city recreation potential. For more than 26 years, this space situated in the pericentral area of Bucharest faced abandonment, leading to its natural development as an area covered by secondary vegetation composed of opportunist vegetal species and adjacent fauna. The study aims to assess the impact of the newly adopted protected area status of Văcărești Lake on the urban quality of life and the sustainable planning of the city. The methodology included the assessment of the forest vegetation of the area using LiDAR technical instruments, the previous results of the authors’ research on the area and a community perception investigation through interviews with local inhabitants. The main findings reveal that the status of “natural protected area” granted to Văcărești Lake was given with no solid investigation on correlation of its features with its best possible usefulness for the city. Representing an encapsulated and abandoned man-made object, without a real and stable landscape value, Văcărești Lake should be planned as a public park, as demanded also by the inhabitants. The conclusions of the study raise skepticism on the evolution of Văcărești Lake as protected area although Bucharest City Hall offered to administrate it.