Sustainable planning in the transformation process: Romanian and Swabian perspectives on environmental issues

Environmental issues and global warming are now almost constantly in the public eye. Since the 1970s, awareness of environmental concerns has grown steadily. This is not least due to numerous studies on the finite nature of non-renewable resources. The buzzword for the responsible use of both raw materials and nature is nowadays ‘sustainability’. During a visit to Swabia in the summer of 2014, mayors from the Romanian part of Bukovina were also able to exchange views with their Swabian counterparts on environmental issues and how to address them at local level.As part of this research project, these mayors were interviewed and the situation in the Romanian municipalities was assessed on site. Issues relating to water supply and waste management were repeatedly raised. Both systems are currently under development. A historical analysis of the development of water supply and waste disposal in Swabian municipalities from a sustainability perspective aims to identify and critically examine Swabia’s experiences. The resulting findings will then be made available to the Romanian mayors. Furthermore, the exchange of experiences between local officials from Swabia and Bukovina is to be evaluated and, where possible, refined.