About Buzău Land
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What is Buzău Land?
Buzău Land is a sustainable development territory from the Carpathian’s Bend Area, marking the transition between hills and mountains. It’s a rural territory covering approximately 1036 km2, which overlaps with the administrative boundaries of 18 communes. About 45,000 people live here, the earliest signs of habitation dating back to the Bronze Age. As a sustainable development territory, Buzău Land is a place where strategies and tools for sustainability are developed, experimented and improved. These all aim at developing the social, cultural, educational, civic and economic life of local communities, by using the natural, cultural and human heritage in an inclusive, sustainable and positive way.
Buzău Land is currently an Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark.
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Buzău Land as a visiting destination
One of our strategies is to develop Buzău Land as an alternative visiting destination, based on exploration and discovery. We aim at building sustainable and equitable tourism, in a way that brings benefits to visitors, locals and to the natural and cultural environments. The harmonious blend of rural and wild landscapes is one of the main resources this area has. Hence, we’re actively developing the visiting infrastructure and managing the flux of tourists to reduce the negative impact on the environment and on the very values that make this place attractive: nature, culture, peacefulness and wilderness. Buzău Land is a rural destination that attracts, hosts and needs travelers. However, Buzău Land is not a touristic resort. This means that preserving the purity of nature and culture, along with the traditional lifestyle of the locals are more important than providing extra facilities. If you want an authentic, rich and unforgettable experience, or if you want to live in a truly special place where people develop in harmony with nature, Buzău Land is the perfect place for you.
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Name and symbol
Buzău Land is a branding name that was used for the first time in 2007. Since then, it has defined this part of the Buzău Mountains. The word “land” is used to express coherence, steadiness and the connection to “Earth”. In the same time, a “land” is a place historically inhabited by people, the word suggesting the most valuable resource this area has: the tangible and intangible connection between people and Earth. The place-name “Buzău” acts as a landmark, referring to the mountains and the river that share this name and that define the local landscape. Our logo, used to brand the territory, the initiative and our team, can be interpreted on multiple levels. It depicts two hills that host an emerging salt dome: a phenomenon frequently seen in this area. The hills also resemble the wings of a bird, and the salt dome its head and beak. The bird is the symbol of life and freedom. In turn, the bird resembles a flame. On one level, it brings to mind the “Eternal Flames”, an important attractor of Buzău Land. On a symbolic level, this reminds us of the fire-bird, the Phoenix, which symbolizes rebirth. Our logo stands for the rebirth of the communities living in Buzău Land, and their flight towards the future.
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Short overview of the initiative
The development initiative began in 2007 with a partnership between the University of Bucharest and the Buzău County Council. This is the moment when the Global Geopark strategy was considered for the first time. Based on the preliminary studies conducted between 2007 and 2010, the boundaries of the territory were set and the primary landscape resources were identified. In 2010, the “Buzău Land Geopark” concept was accepted at a regional scale through County Act no. 51/29.04.2010. In 2013 we assembled a team to take over the sustainable development project of the area, and we therefore created a dedicated group of professionals, combining knowledge and approaches specific to the academic, entrepreneurial and non-governmental civil domains. Since then, Buzău Land has been defined first and foremost as a sustainable development territory, following the Geopark strategy. The initiative gained a transdisciplinary character, being strongly anchored within the local community. It now combines a social entrepreneurial approach with know-how from the research and development academic sector. Buzău Land gained a strong tempo as a result of the Romanian-Norwegian cooperation that started with the GeoSust project (2014-2017, EEA Grants). This cooperation set the modern sustainable development approach that we are now implementing, and helped develop concepts such as Landscape Resource Analysis and Geo-entrepreneurship. In 2017 our team established a dedicated NGO, Asociația Ținutul Buzăului (Buzău Land NGO), to run the initiative on a long-term basis. In 2020 we reiterated the partnership with the Buzău County Council and the University of Bucharest, and we officially applied for the UNESCO Global Geopark status. The evaluation visit took place in September 2021, and in April 2022 Buzău Land was officially validated and has become part of the UNESCO family. Now we continue the implementation of this project, together with our partners, the Buzău County Council and the University of Bucharest, together with the mayoralties and local communities, and with the sponsors that support this sustainable development initiative.
