National parks and natural areas
Forests cover about 35% of a territory and are home to a high level of biodiversity. The protection of ecosystems, the fight against deforestation and the adaptation to climate change are part of a European strategy. In concrete terms, the country has set up Natura 2000 sites (areas for the protection of habitats and species), which represent about 34% of its surface area. Bulgaria is also home to several natural parks and three national parks.
Pirin National Park: located in the south-west of the country, it is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Crossed by the Pirin Mountains, it is composed of coniferous forests and glacial lakes, and is home to bears, wolves, raptors and other wildlife. Threatened by a project to expand a ski resort in 2017, several associations have appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court of the country, which has canceled its authorization.
Rila National Park: located in the southwest and largest national park in the country, it is home to the highest peak of the Ballkans (Mount Musala). The landscapes are of great beauty and the ecosystems remarkable: forests, glacial lakes, valleys of Maritsa and Iskar.
Central Balkan National Park: located in the center of the country, in the Balkan chain, it is home to an extremely rich floral biodiversity, including endemic species, and intends to reconcile sustainable tourism and nature conservation.
A heavy environmental liability
The communist period saw the development of heavy industry, based on the combustion of coal, the extraction of ores and the production of alloys. Intensive agriculture, associated with synthetic chemistry, has also contributed to a lasting pollution of the natural environment. The contamination of water and soil, especially with heavy metals, is still present.
Structural weaknesses
The country as a whole suffers from dilapidated and deficient infrastructure. The water supply networks have losses (60% on average), coupled with sometimes contentious management. This is what happened between November 2019 and April 2020 when the 100,000 inhabitants of the city of Pernik were imposed a distribution of water - non-drinking - 6 hours a day. The causes of this rationing? A dry season, but above all a mismanagement of the dam of Stoudena, with authorizations of withdrawal that would have been unduly granted to the steel group of the country. The case took a judicial turn and the Minister of the Environment resigned. The country's water purification systems suffered from the same problems, which led to serious pollution of the rivers.
Cities that are suffocating
Bulgaria was condemned by the European Court of Justice in 2017 for recurrent non-compliance with regulatory thresholds for air pollutants. Improving air quality is a real challenge for Bulgaria. The causes of pollution are multiple. The all-car policy and the ageing of the vehicle fleet ("car graveyard" from Western Europe) contribute to significant emissions of pollutants. In addition, there are emissions from industries and thermal power plants. The increase in individual heating since the fall of communism, mainly with coal and wood, generates emissions of particles. Add to this the effects of climate (cold and heat fix the pollutants in the lower layers of the atmosphere) and geography (basin effect of certain areas, trans-border pollution) and you have the conditions that make the Balkan cities among the most polluted in Europe.
The burning issue of waste
The collection of certain types of waste took place during the communist period, then fell into decline after the fall of the regime. The country's entry into the European Union has led to regulations on sorting, reducing and recovering waste. Although the country does not meet its obligations, actions have been taken. One example is the construction of a plant in Sadinata, which aims to recover energy from part of the household and similar waste (to supply the capital's urban heating system and cement factories), but also to recover organic waste (compost for agriculture). Another problem to be mentioned is the presence of waste trafficking, especially from Italy.
Paradoxes in the fight against climate change
Bulgaria has signed a series of conventions aimed at protecting the environment. The country has met the targets set by the Kyoto Protocol, reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% compared to 1990 levels. This result is mainly the result of the partial deindustrialization of the country. In 2018, Bulgaria claimed that it did not want to continue reducing its emissions, in order to preserve its industry and thermal power plants. In 2017, coal-fired power plants provided 46% of the energy in a country that pits job preservation against environmental protection. Bulgaria also has a nuclear power plant, hydroelectric dams, wind and solar farms.
A rise in environmental initiatives and activism
Faced with all these challenges, we are witnessing a growing number and increasing power of environmental NGOs. The WWF acts for example in actions of preservation of the biodiversity (sensitization to the stop of the concreteization of the rivers in urban environment). Surfrider organizes operations to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the Black Sea. More and more young people are also involved in actions, such as demonstrations for the climate.
Travel differently
If you are interested in slow living or another way of traveling, Bulgaria is accessible by train and by bike. Soft mobility is also possible in the country, which offers very beautiful excursions. Specialized agencies, restaurants and accommodations offer a local, organic and responsible offer.
