Human Pressures, Community Perceptions and Biodiversity Conservation in the Danube Delta:

Insights from a Socio-Ecological Survey

Abstract

The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve represents one of the most complex socio-ecological systems in Europe, where environmental pressures, traditional economic practices, and conservation policies interact in direct and often conflicting ways. This study examines residents’ perceptions of the impact of human activities—fishing, agriculture, and tourism—on biodiversity, based on a survey conducted with a sample
of 323 individuals from local communities. The results indicate a high level of awareness regarding ecological pressures: 76% of respondents attribute the decline of certain fish species to intensive fishing, 90% identify poaching as a major driver of degradation, 80% consider stubble burning the principal agricultural risk, and 81% support limiting boat traffic as a measure to protect habitats. At the same time, community perceptions reveal a structural ambivalence shaped by economic dependence on natural resources and by the restrictions associated with protected-area regulations. The analysis, framed
within the pressures–perceptions–policies conceptual model, highlights the need for co-management policies that reconcile biodiversity protection with local development objectives. The findings underscore that long-term sustainability in the Danube Delta cannot be achieved without the active involvement of local communities in shaping conservation strategies and in the sustainable use of natural resources.