Water pollution prevention actions in Romanian industry

After more than 40 years of communist rule, Romania experienced a major regime change in 1989. Since it began its economic transition in 1990, Romania has taken a hesitant approach to reforms, and sought to protect vested interests and minimize the social costs associated with the transformation to a market economy. This strategy failed to produce sustainable gains in either economic or social conditions, and the costs have been higher than if a bolder approach to structural transformation had been adopted at the outset. Romania continued to face deepening economic recession, rising unemployment, and mounting problems stemming from lack of sufficient restructuring. In the first years of transition to a market economy, many industrial plants in Romania strongly diminished their production, this reduction ranging from 30 up to 80 %. The surviving plants will increase their production in the future. From an ecological point of view, the reduction of industrial production levels lead to a smaller number of pollution sources and smaller quantities of emitted pollutants. The transition period has represented, for the environment in Romania, a break in its fight with industrial pollution. This truce will be ended soon, and the only help for the environment will remain pollution prevention.