The restoration of urban rivers in Bulgaria

On April 22 – World Earth Day, “Dnevnik” published an excerpt from the report “Approaches to the restoration of urban rivers”. The authors of the scientific work are Doctor Radoslava Bekova from the Institute of Oceanology and Doctor Milena Pavlova from the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Studies at the BAS. It presents strategies for successful river ecosystem restoration, misconceptions and realistic outcomes in urban river restoration, the factors associated with river restoration practices, and the need to restore urban rivers in Bulgaria.

The report was commissioned by the Ministry of Environment and Water to provide a scientific basis for the initiative to restore the good condition of urban rivers. The “City Rivers” initiative belongs to the former minister Julian Popov and focuses on the rivers of Sofia, but not only. You can read the entire report in the attached file.

In Bulgaria, over 90% of rivers pass through urban or rural areas. Most of them are highly modified and influenced by human activity. The topic of restoring urban river systems is becoming more and more relevant and needs to be given a lot of attention.

One example of the launch of similar initiatives can be seen in the context of the participation of state authorities in the Beli Lom River region (Basin Directorate of the Danube Region, BDDR). In this case, the government authorities carried out inspections and subsequent analysis in order to establish a possible source of contamination. . This is one of the most important stages in starting river restoration processes, namely identifying the sources of pollution.

Analyzes of the obtained results indicate that the waste water discharged into the river and ravine lead to the pollution of the Beli Lom river in the Razgrad region. In order to collect a larger number of data, which will serve for an additional assessment of the contribution of each of the considered sources of pollution, BDDR has commissioned additional exploratory monitoring.

It is planned to simultaneously take water samples from the river and from the separate points of discharge of waste water. The water samples were assigned the same benchmarks to determine the impact of individual streams. Additionally, information will be collected about
the production activity of the individual enterprises in the area and the possible emissions of pollutants in waste water. After receiving the results of the exploratory monitoring, an additional analysis and assessment of the pressure sources and the condition of the Beli Lom River in the Razgrad region will be carried out, and then measures can be taken to prevent pollution, and hence to restore the ecosystem in the river.

The example given for the Beli Lom River is extremely important when starting any project related to the restoration of a river affected by human activity. An example of the good functioning of the state bodies, as with better dissemination of the analyzes made, this can become a good practice for primary analysis of the impacts on the negatively affected rivers.

The Perlovska River (Sofia) is another example of a highly affected and modified river system. Its main purpose at the moment is to be used as a channel for the removal of highly polluted waters (both legal and illegal discharges). The process of restoring its natural appearance can contribute to reducing the risk of possible floods and creating climate islands, which will become increasingly important, especially considering the growing changes in climate and related adaptation plans.

After an analysis by the Environmental Executive Agency (EIA) under the Ministry of Environment and Water, it was found that the river is mainly polluted by illegal discharges. In order to prepare a well-grounded concept for the restoration of the Perlovska River, it is necessary to carry out a longer and comprehensive monitoring.

The restoration of urban rivers in Bulgaria is of paramount importance due to several key factors:

• Preservation of ecosystems: Urban rivers are important components of ecosystems, creating environments that are essential for a diversity of plants, animals and other organisms. The process of
restoration of these waterways helps preserve and restore their natural functions and biodiversity.

• Water resources management: Restoring urban rivers contributes to more efficient management of water resources in cities. This includes regulating water flows, preventing floods and improving water quality.

• Improving water quality: Many of the city’s rivers are polluted with waste and other pollutants, which is a serious problem for the environment and society. The process of restoring these waterways involves purifying the water and restoring their ecological function, thereby improving water quality and protecting human and ecosystem health.

• Creation of natural recreation areas: Urban rivers provide opportunities for leisure, recreation and enjoyment of nature for the urban population. The restoration process of these rivers creates natural and recreational areas that are important to the well-being and quality of life of the urban population.

In summary, the restoration of urban rivers in Bulgaria is critically important for the conservation of nature, the management of water resources, the improvement of water quality and the creation of natural and recreational sites for the urban population.