More than eight months have passed since Romania witnessed a disaster in the heart of Harghita, in Praid, where since May of last year, states of alert seem to continue without stopping. The Praid Salt Mine was flooded after the flow of the Corund stream rose abruptly, and the press reported even then that all the water overflowed into one of the most important tourist attractions in the country. Shortly after this incident, both tourism and production activities at the salt mine were halted.
Consequently, Romania lost control, and authorities and organizations began to worry. We spoke with several representatives of civic organizations to find out how they managed the period when the Praid Salt Mine was flooded, what solutions they propose to fix the problem, and how to prevent possible incidents through awareness of climate change issues.
“Only 4% of Romanians consider climate change a national priority. Awareness of the impact on agriculture, water, economy, and health does not yet translate into a strong demand for climate action,” said Dragoș Tuță, President and Founder of the Sustainability Embassy in Romania. “In a democratic society, messages should be transmitted by citizens to political leaders through collaboration with civil society.”
Public policies are necessary to reduce climate risks, but involvement from everyone is also needed to protect vulnerable communities and contribute to the fight against climate change through initiatives accessible to the general public.
