Bucharest Delta

Before 1988, the area where the Vacarești Natural Park is now located marked the south-eastern outskirts of Bucharest, unpaved, with sparse housing and extensive gardens, connected by a modest network of streets, some of which still exist today.

In 1988, the owners of land and homes were ousted, and the communist government began developing Văcăreşti Lake while also doing substantial hydro-technical work. In 1989, the work on the concrete earth dike leading to the lake and the lake bed was finished. Only 14 km of the 27 km required to feed the lake by gravity from Argeş via Lacul Mihăileşti have been finished.

After this solution was abandoned, the basin was filled by pumping water from Dambovita. Due to execution flaws, infiltrations flooded the surrounding lands, particularly those around the Popești-Leordeni greenhouses, which caused a brief stoppage before the project was finally abandoned after 1989.

Without human intervention, the area is renatured and populated by numerous animal and plant species.

As a result of reporting the existence of an impressive number of bird species, some of which are rare, and extended photographic documentation, in 2012, a team of specialists in protected areas - the future Văcărești Natural Park Association - assumed the mission of establishing the natural park.

A thorough process of research, documentation, lobbying and civic mobilization followed, which led to the declaration of the Vacareşti Natural Park by government decision in 2016.