Tulcea hosts jubilee conference marking 100 years of research on Danube Delta wetlands

The Romanian city of Tulcea is hosting the international jubilee conference “The History and Future of Wetland Health — 100 Years of Research for Sustainable Management in the Danube Delta.” The event is organized by the Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development — INCDDD Tulcea, in partnership with ICEM Tulcea and the “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History in Bucharest.

The conference is dedicated to a century of scientific research in the Danube Delta and other wetlands of national and international importance. According to AGERPRES, experts from six countries — Georgia, Germany, Greece, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine — are taking part in the event. The organizers identify 1926 as a symbolic historical milestone, when scientist Grigore Antipa founded the Hydrobiological Research Station in Enisala, which now operates within INCDDD.

Particular attention at the conference is being paid to the role of science in preserving the ecological condition of delta and wetland ecosystems, biodiversity monitoring, sustainable management of natural resources, and the development of modern research infrastructure. INCDDD Director General Marian Tudor noted that the institute’s specialized infrastructure development plan provides for EUR 25 million in investments by 2029. According to him, independent experts who assessed the institute’s activity under Romanian legislation proposed that INCDDD be classified as a Performance Class I research organization.

During the opening of the conference, a cooperation agreement was also signed between INCDDD and Ludovika University of Public Service in Budapest. In addition, an exhibition prepared in partnership with the cultural project Lotca was presented, combining scientific, archival and cultural perspectives on northern Dobruja and the Danube Delta.

For Ukraine, this event has not only scientific but also strategic regional significance. The Danube Delta is a transboundary natural system where ecological processes, water regime, biodiversity, navigation, fisheries, climate risks and security challenges cannot be considered in isolation within the borders of a single state. Therefore, the development of joint research platforms between Ukraine, Romania and other Danube countries is an important element of European policy for the sustainable management of wetlands.

INCDDD Tulcea already performs a number of important functions in this field: it provides integrated physical, chemical and biological monitoring in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, participates in European environmental and research initiatives, serves as a centre of expertise on delta and wetland issues, and is involved in Danubius-RI, a European research infrastructure focused on river-sea systems.

IDR comment

The Institute of Danube Research notes that the jubilee conference in Tulcea demonstrates a fundamentally important trend: the Danube Delta is increasingly viewed not only as a unique natural area, but as a complex transboundary system whose management requires long-term scientific data, interstate coordination and sustainable institutional partnerships.

“One hundred years of research in the Danube Delta is not only the history of a scientific school, but also the foundation for future wetland management policy. For Ukraine, it is especially important to be an active participant in this process, since the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta is an integral component of the shared ecosystem. Water quality, species migration, the condition of floodplains, fish resources, climate adaptation and the impact of infrastructure projects are all transboundary in nature. Therefore, decisions on the future of the delta must be based on scientifically verified data and joint monitoring,” IDR experts emphasize.

According to the Institute’s experts, the Tulcea conference is an important signal for strengthening Ukrainian-Romanian cooperation in three areas.

First, it is necessary to develop joint environmental monitoring systems in the Danube Delta, particularly regarding water quality, biodiversity status, hydrological changes and the impact of wartime risks on natural complexes.

Second, it is advisable to strengthen scientific diplomacy in the Danube Region, where Ukrainian, Romanian and European research institutions can develop a shared evidence base for governance decisions.

Third, it is important to integrate Danube Delta issues into the broader agenda of recovery, European integration and sustainable development of Ukraine’s Danube region, since the region’s ecological resilience is directly linked to transport, economic, water and security policy.

IDR emphasizes that the future of the Danube Delta depends on the ability of states and scientific institutions to combine environmental objectives with the needs of local communities, the transboundary economy and European environmental policy. In this context, the Tulcea conference is not only a jubilee scientific event, but also an important platform for shaping a new culture of sustainable governance of the shared Danube space.