The Buzău Land is a sustainable development territory formed by 18 communes in the hill and mountain area of Buzău. It is a project started from the desire and need of the communities to develop economically and socially, and to value their natural and cultural heritage. It is an initiative that aims at the economic, social and educational development of an area where almost 40.000 people live, while maintaining a balance with development and environmental protection. One of the main directions of development of the Land is discovery tourism, being one of the areas with the greatest tourist potential in Romania . It is an initiative started from the grassroots, carried out by the civil and academic environment, with the support of the public-administrative environment.
Răzvan-Gabriel Popa, 31 years old, is a geologist specialized in volcanology and, in addition to this professional activity, he has been coordinating the Buzău County initiative since 2013. He does this out of passion for this area, which he discovered in 2009 and which he couldn't stop separated even when he moved abroad. Răzvan is passionate about photography and literature (science fiction and fantasy as much as possible), and with any luck, he will also become an author soon.
Răzvan, what does obtaining UNESCO geopark status mean for Buzău Land?
UNESCO status offers us three things: visibility, recognition and opportunities. First of all, after obtaining this status, the Buzău Region will become part of the European and Global Geoparks Network. We will benefit from international promotion, but at the same time we will be able to associate ourselves with this brand: the Buzău Region will become the “UNESCO Global Geopark Buzău Region”. We can use the association to increase visitors’ perception of our territory: not every area can become a UNESCO Geopark – it is clear that we have something interesting here, worth visiting, and that we offer an experience worth living. We therefore come to the recognition part: by granting this status, UNESCO certifies on the one hand that the Region has natural and cultural values of international interest, and on the other hand that these values are already actively used in the development of communities and in the development of tourism. Equally, this recognition can become an attractor for investments, both from entrepreneurs who have many opportunities in the area, and from the public-administrative environment, which can support the development of the area through infrastructure projects. UNESCO status gives everyone more reasons to invest in the area, and this is how we get to the opportunities. It all depends on our ability and that of our partners to use this context. If we are passive, UNESCO status will not mean much. But being aware of the above, with a dedicated and active team we will make the Geopark the best thing that has ever happened to the Land.
How will this status help the community in the area? What is the plus?
There are many pluses, a lot of direct and indirect benefits. Once again, it depends on how active we all will be, including community members. The Buzău Land is a “grassroots” initiative, with projects starting from within the communities, for the benefit of the communities. So far, through the Land projects we have managed to attract visitors, promote the area, create a few jobs, build economic opportunities for the communities, invest in education and protect local values. I think a few concrete examples are more valuable. For example, in the Bozioru commune we designated “Babele de la Ulmet” as a protected area of local interest, together with the town hall. As a result of this initiative, the town hall was able to hire a person to be a custodian at the site, but it was also able to charge visiting tickets. With the money raised from these tickets, the community created two jobs: the site custodian and the stoker at the kindergarten and school, who provides heat during the winter. Now we have attracted investors who want to get involved in the long-term development of the area. Together with the Green Ideas group ( Romania Frumosaa), we are building a natural science laboratory for children in the Colți school with microscopes, sensors, digital equipment, and much more. In recent years, with the help of the communities, we have managed to build 4 visitor points. Where in 2013 the region had only 2 museums/exhibitions for tourists, now it has 8: to the 4 inaugurated by us, there are 2 more opened by partners in the community. I can continue with examples, but more relevant is our website, tinutulbuzaului.org , where we talked about a large part of them. How will this status help the community in the future? We will continue to do the same things, but at a faster pace, with more resources, and more sustained. Every four years we have to demonstrate to UNESCO that we are still active in community development, both through reports and to UNESCO specialists who come to the field for periodic assessments. Otherwise, we lose our status. In other words, as long as we want to be a UNESCO Geopark, we have to work and develop the territory in a sustainable way.
What are the next steps you need to take?
The steps will never end. Concretely, however, until the evaluation visit of UNESCO specialists, we will work hard to bring the area as close as possible to international tourism standards. We are preparing road and hiking signs to the sights, preparing hiking and biking trails, working on new visitor points, new protected areas that communities can manage, and looking for other lesser-known local values that we can bring to fruition for tourism (ruins medieval and many others). On the promotion side, we are working on the site of the area in English, to address international tourists, and we are going strong on the creation of video and photographic materials to promote the Land. We currently have extremely talented professionals in both documentary filmmaking and nature photography on our team. We will be doing amazing things in the near future: check out our website, youtube channel and facebook and instagram pages from time to time.
What will Romania gain by obtaining this status for the Land of Buzăului?
A new internationally recognized territory, a lot of positive publicity and an influx of tourists from outside the borders. We are consolidating our country's position on the list of European destinations. Moreover, it will gain a model of sustainable development. Ever since we started this project, our goal has been to develop this territory and create a model that can be adapted and replicated in other areas. We show that we can do very strong things through partnerships and collaboration, as long as there are active communities, specialists dedicated to a cause, and politicians open to change and progress.
Why would I choose to come to Buzăului as a tourist. How do you convince me?
We could write pages and pages about this, the reasons are countless. But in short, in the Land we can see many rare natural attractions in the world: four areas with mud volcanoes, live fires, salt domes with the most spectacular karst reliefs in Romania, red amber that is unique in the world, volcanic ash, trovant rocks, oil springs, stones carried and shaped by glaciers, and many more. Here are added cultural and historical values, including cave settlements dating back to late antiquity. Not to mention one of the wildest natural landscapes in Romania… We can meet amazing people, we can discover a lot of stories, we can learn the secrets of longevity from a “blue zone” of Romania. The Land of Buzău is not a place, it is an experience.
How many UNESCO geoparks are there in Romania?
We have only one UNESCO-accredited Geopark at the moment: the Țara Hațegului UNESCO Global Geopark. There is also a strong initiative, the Oltenia de sub Munte Aspirant Geopark , with a high chance of applying in the near future.
Which type of tourists are you targeting?
We address visitors who want to discover new places, immerse themselves in nature and culture, live authentic experiences . Those who appreciate beauty, and who feel attracted by the natural and traditional values of an area.
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