Location
Brașov, Central Romania 

Local Context
Romania’s forests cover approximately 6.5 million hectares (almost 30% of the country’s surface), with Brașov being one of the most significant areas in terms of forest coverage and species variety. The region’s economy relies heavily on tourism and agriculture, with wood harvesting and processing ranking third—accounting for more than 25% of the country’s wood processing. The reinstatement of private property rights in Romania has led to conflicting interests between state and private forest owners, creating issues such as uncontrolled, and often illegal, forest exploitation, which impacts the environment, economy, and community well-being. 

Planned Actions
The primary aim of this case study is to bridge gaps between knowledge brokers, the local community, authorities, and market representatives to raise awareness of forest protection and ensure environmental compliance. The project will inventory and assess decision support systems (DSS) used at local and national levels for sustainable forest management. These assessments will address the functionality and compatibility of these tools for formulating policies and implementing actions that address forestry challenges. ENFORCE will test and incorporate additional datasets and tools to enhance stakeholder engagement, increase awareness, and strengthen the capacity to resolve conflicts between private and public interests in forestry management. 

Expected Impacts
The project aims to improve the functionality of decision support systems for sustainable forest management, increase forest resilience, and safeguard biodiversity. ENFORCE will foster cooperation between local communities, authorities, and market representatives, facilitating citizen participation and enhancing the region’s capacity to address environmental challenges. The creation of a “living lab” will connect different DSSs, enabling collaborative learning, knowledge sharing, and improved governance. The initiative will contribute to the European Green Deal Data Space, developing a model for engaging citizens in forest management. 

Partners Involved