The impact on landscape generated by works of improving the navigation conditions on Danube between Calarasi – Braila

The Danube is a strategic transport corridor for Inland Water Transport in Eastern and Central Europe. The section of the Danube, between Calarasi and Braila is an important section of the Pan-European Transport Corridor no. VII. It also ensures the connection of the Fluvial Danube with the Navigable Canal Danube - Black Sea and also with the Maritime Danube. On the Calarasi - Braila sector, the recommendations of the Danube Commission are to ensure a minimum navigation depth of 2.5 m and a width of the navigation channel of 160-180 m. The project called "Improvement of navigation conditions on the Danube between Calarasi and Braila" tries to combine creating optimal conditions of navigation on the above mentionated sector of the Danube with the preservation of the natural state of river. It also tries to ensure a reasonable use of a river through minimum human impact works. The proposed river improvement measures will eliminate navigational bottlenecks on a number of sections on the Danube. As a result, inland waterway traffic flows using one of these sections will be able to realise savings in transport costs. Landscape is dominated by Danube River, with a wide river bed, limited by banks covered with specific vegetation (dedious trees, grasslands, together with sedges, riverside coppices with poplars and willows). Works designed for the improvement of shipping conditions along the Danube are developed in the minor river bed and are not extended to coterminous areas, but nevertheless damage of the natural environment cannot be denied.