HYDROGRAPHY AND WATER RESOURCES OF ROMANIA: STATE, USE, MANAGEMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2721.2026.96.2Keywords:
river, lake, reservoir, Danube, Black Sea, hydrographic zoning, water resources, management, RomaniaAbstract
Background. The article assesses the hydrographic conditions, water resources and institutional forms of their management in Romania, a member state of the European Union that shares transboundary river basins (the Danube, Tisza and Prut) with Ukraine.
Methods. The article uses materials posted on the official websites of relevant Romanian institutions: the Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Forestry, the National Administration «Waters of Romania» and the Institute of Hydrology and Water Management. Information from international organisations, in particular the Aquastat-FAO (Romania profile) and others, was also used. The country's total and internal water resources, along with their specific indicators per person per year, were assessed. The results obtained were evaluated using statistical methods.
Results. The hydrographic conditions of Romania's territory were shaped by its location in the temperate continental climate zone and by the presence of the Carpathian Mountains. Almost the entire country lies within the Danube basin. The exception is the narrow Black Sea strip of Dobruja (4.68%), which is directly connected to the Black Sea. In the east, the country is washed by the Black Sea (coastline length 275 km), where a specific coastal landscape has formed. The Romanian part of the Danube Delta was added to the UNESCO
World Heritage List in 1991. In Romania, 2,741 rivers totalling 78,905 km are registered for water management purposes, with 98% originating in the Carpathians. The largest rivers in Romania are: the Danube (length 2,860 km / within Romania 1,075 km); Tisa (966 km / 65 km); Prut (953 km / 742 km); Mures (789 km / 761 km); Siret (706 km / 559 km); Olt (615 km). According to the hydrographic zoning of the country's territory, carried out in accordance with the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive, 11 hydrographic units have been established in Romania: Somes – Tisa; Crisul; Mures; Banat; Jiu; Olt; Arges – Vedea; Buzau – Ialomita; Siret; Prut-Bârlad; Dobruja-Litoral.
There are about 3,450 lakes in Romania, with a significant predominance of lakes smaller than 1 km2 (90%). In the south of the Danube Delta, there is a complex of Razelm lagoon lakes, including the largest lakes by area. More than 200 reservoirs have been built in the country, mainly for hydroelectric power generation. The largest are the transboundary reservoirs Iron Gate I and Iron Gate II on the Danube (shared with Serbia).
According to Aquastat-FAO data, Romania's average annual total renewable water resources amount to 212 km3/year, of which 20% are internal (local) water resources (42.38 km3/year) and 80% are external water resources (169.6 km3/year). The total water resources per capita in 2024 will be 11,099 m3/year, and internal water resources per capita will be 2,019 m3/year. Compared to the threshold values of the Falkenmark water stress indicator (water resources stable > 2500 m3/year; water vulnerability – 1700–2500; water stress < 1700; water deficit < 1000; absolute water deficit < 500), this means «water vulnerability» in terms of internal water resources and «water resources stable» in terms of total water resources. The country has a high external water resource dependency ratio of 80%.
Between 1990 and 2016, the country saw a significant reduction in water use. Total water abstraction fell by 3.2 times, from 20.41 billion m3 in 1990 to 6.374 billion m3 in 2016. The structure of water use in 2016 was as follows: industry – 64%; agriculture – 20%; municipal water supply – 16%.
Conclusions. At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, Romania saw a significant reduction in water use – water abstraction decreased by 3.2 times, in line with European trends. A modern institutional structure for water resource management has been established in the country. The main management organisation is the National Administration «Waters of Romania», which is subordinate to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forest Resources and relies on 11 basin administrations in its activity.
Downloads
References
Administrația Națională Apele Române (2025). Apele Române. https://rowater.ro/
Administrația Națională de Meteorologie – Meteo Romania/ (2025). https://www.meteoromania.ro/
Agreement on cooperation in the field of security between Ukraine and Romania. (2024, July 11). President of Ukraine [in Ukrainian]. https://www.president.gov.ua/news/ugoda-pro-spivrobitnictvo-u-sferi-bezpeki-mizh-ukrayinoyu-ta-92117
Aquastat: FAO. Country Profile – Romania/ (2025). https://www.fao.org/aquastat/en/countries-and-basins/country-profiles/country/ROU
Bîrsan, M.-V. (2017). Variabilitatea regimului natural al râurilor din România. Bucureşti. Ars Docendi.
Bîrsan, M.-V., Zaharia, L, Chendes, V., & Branescu, E. (2012). Recent trends in streamflow in Romania (1976–2005). Romanian Reports in Physics, 64(1), 275–280.
ClimateChangePost: Romania. (2025). https://www.climatechangepost.com/countries/romania/
Csagoly, P., Magnin, & G., Hulea, O. (2018). Danube River Basin. In: C. Finlayson, G. Milton, R. Prentice, N. Davidson (eds), The Wetland Book (pp. 885–896). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4001-3_87
Gălie, A.-C., Mătreață, M., Tănase, I., & Rădulescu, D. (2021). The Romanian Ecological Flow Method, RoEflow, Developed in Line with the EU Water Framework Directive. Concept and Case Studies. Sustainability, 13(13), 7378. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137378
Gâştescu, P. (2010). Resursele de apa din România. Potenţial, calitate, distribuţie teritorială, management. în vol. Resursele de apă din România-vulnerabilitate la presiunile antropice. Târgovişte.
Ielenicz, М. (2005). Geografia fizica a Romaniei. Editura Universitară.
Ilinca, C., & Anghel, C.G. (2023). Re-Thinking Ecological Flow in Romania: A Sustainable Approach to Water Management for a Healthier Environment. Sustainability, 15(12), 9502. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129502
INHGA. (2025). Institutul National de Hidrologie si Gospodarire a Apelor. https://www.hidro.ro/
Institutul Naţional de Cercetare – Dezvoltare Marină “Grigore Antipa”. (2025). https://www.rmri.ro/Home/Home.html
Khilchevskyi, V.K. (2022). Features of European hydrography: rivers, lakes, reservoirs. Hydrology, Hydrochemistry and Hydroecology, 4(66), 6–16 [in Ukrainian]. https://doi.org/10.17721/2306-5680.2022.4.1
Khilchevskyi, V.K. (2023a). Hydrography and Water Resources of Europe: Textbook. DIA [in Ukrainian].
Khilchevskyi, V.K. (2023b). Water resources of European countries: characteristics based on the FAO-Aquastat database. Hydrology, Hydrochemistry and Hydroecology, 1(67), 6–16 [in Ukrainian]. https://doi.org/10.17721/2306-5680.2023.1.1
Khilchevskyi, V., Bejenaru, G., & Grebin, V. (2025). Hydrography and water resources of Moldova: condition, use, management. Meteorology. Hydrology. Environmental monitoring, 1(7), 59–70 [in Ukrainian]. https://doi.org/10.15407/meteorology2025.07.059
Legea Apelor/ (1996). Portal Legislativ. https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/8565
Lege. (2004). Nr. 310 din 28 iunie 2004 pentru modificarea şi completarea Legii apelor nr. 107/1996. https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/53317
Ministerul Mediului, Apelor și Pădurilor. (2025). Official website. https://www.mmediu.ro/
National Admnistration “Romanian Waters”. (2010). Romania key input to the Second Assessment of Transboundary Rivers, Lakes and Groundwaters under the UNECE Water Convention.
Negm, A.M., Romanescu, G., & Zeleňáková, M. (Eds.). (2020). Water Resources Management in Romania. Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22320-5
Negm, A.M., Zaharia, L., & Ioana-Toroimac, G. (2022). The Lower Danube River. Hydro-Environmental Issues and Sustainability. Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-03865-5
Pekarova, P., Gorbachova, L. , Bacova Mitkova, V. Pekar, J., & Miklanek, P. (2019). Statistical Analysis of Hydrological Regime of the Danube River at Ceatal Izmail Station. IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth and Environmental Science: Vol. 221. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/221/1/012035
Physical map of Romania. (2006). Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Physical_map_of_Romania.jpg
Planul naţional de management aferent porţiunii din bazinul hidrografic internaţional al fluviului Dunărea care este cuprinsă în teritoriul României. (2016). Sinteza planurilor de management la nivel de bazine/spaţii hidrografice. https://www.mmediu.ro/app/webroot/uploads/files/2016-04-12_PNMBH_sinteza_planuri%20bazinale.pdf
Strategia națională. (2023). Pentru gospodărirea apelor România 2023–2035. https://www.mmediu.ro/categorie/strategia-nationala-pentru-gospodarirea-apelor-2023-2035/444
Tudor, I.-M. (Ed.). (2015). Ghid metodologic de monitorizare a factorilor hidromorfologici, chimici şi biologici pentru apele de suprafaţă din rezervaţia biosferei Delta Dunării. Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Delta Dunării. Tulcea.
Worldometer: Romania Water. (2025). https://www.worldometers.info/water/romania-water/
Zaharia, L., Ioana-Toroimac, G., & Perju, E.R. (2020). Hydrological Impacts of Climate Changes in Romania. In: Negm, A., Romanescu, G., Zeleňáková, M. (Eds.), Water Resources Management in Romania. Springer Water. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22320-5_10
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Валентин ХІЛЬЧЕВСЬКИЙ, д-р геогр. наук, проф., Герман БЕЖЕНАРУ, д-р геогр. наук
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Read the policy at the link: https://geography.bulletin.knu.ua/licensing_copyright
