Journal of Danubian Studies and Research, Vol 7, No 1 (2017)

Abstract

The highly populated geographical area, even since ancient times, the water catchment area of Argeș River has been the subject of some dramatic changes in time, especially during the last 50-60 years, due to demographical pressure. These changes regarding the natural ecosystems have been, in most cases, contradictory to what can be understood through the concept of sustainable development of the natural capital. The pressures made on the environment, through various human activities, such as the animal husbandry, the intensive over-exporting and, sometimes, the illegal exporting of wood, industrial development, the building of communication systems have led to the development of environmental problems, of some negative effects whose costs had been either underestimated or not considered and which had been much higher reported to the benefits of human intervention. Even some activities that were considered clean, from the perspective of their impact on the natural ecosystems, such as tourism, have proven to have mid and long term negative effects. The analysis of the environmental problems generated by the economic activities in the water catchment areas of some tributary waters of Argeș river leads to the conclusion that the negative effects on the environment can be diminished and that the finding of a sustainable development way of the socio-economic system, represented by the local communities, is the only viable long-term alternative.