BULGARIA

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Development pressures diverse habitats and species

Bulgaria boasts a wide diversity of species and habitats, ranging from coastal wetlands to alpine meadows, but several types of commercial activities put pressure on the environment and this pressure is likely to grow with economic development.

According to an OECD Environmental Performance Review of Bulgaria, the country features 3,500 species of higher plants, more than 22,000 species of invertebrates and 500 species of vertebrates. The number of indigenous flora and fauna is noteworthy: Approximately 170 plant species, 1,130 invertebrate species and 23 vertebrate species are endemic to Bulgaria, according to the OECD review.

More than 50 per cent of the country retains areas of native and semi-native vegetation, due to the extent of forest cover and the mountainous landscape: More than 45 per cent of the country is higher than 200 meters above sea level and forests cover 35 per cent of the country. Around half of the land is used for agriculture. Estimates suggest that 60 per cent of the forests consist of native species and that 9 per cent of the total is within protected areas.

Bulgaria has several natural areas of international importance, notably certain types of forest and high mountain grasslands as well as alpine vegetation. The forests include the only example of Pontic beech forest in Europe. The ornithological community has identified about 50 sites of importance, and these sites can be considered candidates for the European Union Bird Directive’s Important Bird Areas. The Danube River valley and the Black Sea coast include important wetlands, but the number of such areas are being reduced by human activities.

Pressures on nature in Bulgaria come from industry, agriculture, forestry and development.

Industrial complexes have created severely polluted hot spots, and soil contamination from heavy metals particularly affects certain lowlands areas. Imported air pollution – principally in the north and west – together with domestic pollution, may have an impact on forests, including decreased botanical diversity and losses of invertebrates and insect-eating mammals such as bats, according to the OECD review. Industrial effluent and municipal sewage are major sources of water pollution.

Much of Bulgaria's electricity is produced by the Kozloduy nuclear plant, which is based on an old Soviet-style design. In reaction to safety concerns, Bulgaria has invested a great deal of money into upgrading the plant, but EU officials have been pressuring for early closure of the plant. The government's current plan to keep some reactors at the Kozloduy plant open as long as 2010 may be a point of contention during Bulgaria's negotiations on EU accession.

Damage caused by agriculture includes that from intensive farming, which, along with excessive and improper use of fertilizer, has caused high nutrient loading and eutrophication of water bodies. Although pollution levels have decreased in recent years, this is due to a decline in agricultural activity, an unwilling return to traditional practices, or simple land abandonment, the review says.

Forests have become increasingly monocultural with replanting, and there is much young growth as a direct result of excessive harvesting and the practice of clear cutting, especially during the 1970s.

About 5 to 15 per cent of the country, including farmland and forest, is affected by acidification. Little study has been made of acidification damage to the natural environment and the contribution of long-range transport of pollution, according to the OECD review.

Development especially takes a toll on water-related resources. Most major rivers do not satisfy the criteria to be suitable for recreation and fish farming. Concerning marine resources, fish stocks have suffered significant losses due to the over-exploitation and pollution; of the mammals, two of three dolphin species and the monk seal are decreasing, according to the OECD review.

The wetlands, already limited to the Danube valley and the coast, have been greatly reduced in area through damming, dike-building and drainage. And development also affects coastal areas, which have undergone heavy industrialization and mass tourism-related development. The centralized planning system of the past controlled the land use pattern along the coast so that immediate coastline development was in well-defined tourism complexes and communities, separated by large stretches of agricultural and forest land and protected areas, according to the OECD review. But now land reform and the transition to a market economy stimulate strong pressures for development on and near the coast.

Considering the limited human and financial resources available, Bulgaria has made impressive achievements in enlarging protected areas and developing conservation strategies and plans. But economic growth is expected to bring stronger pressures from pollution, development and tourism.