Paper Short Abstract:

Conservation in the Danube Delta, led by the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, prioritizes ecological goals over human security. Locals argue that policies undermine livelihoods, food security, and sustainability, causing depopulation. This study calls for balancing preservation with community needs.

Paper Abstract:

Conservation efforts in the Danube Delta, managed by the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (DDBR), are widely celebrated for protecting one of Europe’s most biodiverse regions. However, the narratives emerging from local communities challenge this idealized portrayal. Residents frequently describe these policies as deeply misaligned with their lived realities, citing restrictive regulations that threaten traditional livelihoods, undermine food security, and contribute to the region’s depopulation. Many argue that conservation programs prioritize ecological goals over human security, effectively marginalizing those who have coexisted with the Delta’s environment for generations. Villages such as Sfiștofca, once vibrant fishing communities, now stand as stark reminders of this crisis. With only 17 inhabitants remaining, Sfiștofca exemplifies the demographic decline that residents attribute to limited economic opportunities imposed by conservation policies. Locals contend that rather than fostering sustainable coexistence, these programs create conditions that compel migration and erode the Delta’s social fabric. This Fulbright-funded research "unwrites" the dominant institutional narrative that frames conservation as inherently beneficial, exposing its unintended socio-economic consequences for vulnerable populations. By amplifying the perspectives of fishermen and long-term residents, this study seeks to challenge the prevailing assumption that ecological preservation must come at the expense of human security. Instead, it calls for a reimagined approach to conservation that integrates environmental and human needs to sustain both the environment and the communities that depend on it. This reflection offers broader insights into the complex dynamics of environmental governance, rural depopulation, and the interplay between conservation and community well-being.