Orlivka Community Adaptation Plan to Climate Change Impacts Odesa 2015

Overview and Orlivka village territorial community characteristics

Orlivka rural territorial community located in southern Odesa region in Reni district, on the bank of Danube River (Fig. 1). The community itself is surrounded by various water objects (lakes Cahul, Kartal, Hradeshka, and Derwent) and wetlands, which form a unique landscape of the area. Orlivka village has a convenient geographical location on the international route Odessa - Ismail – Reni, between the cities Ismail and Reni. Orlivka community stands out a large coastline of Danube River - 11.5 km.

At the same time, the community can be described as peripheral in relation to major centers of the region / sub-region. Distances from Orlivka to important centers:

- Reni (regional center) - 25 km.

- Ismail (Interdistrict settlement system center) - almost 45 km.

- Odesa (regional center) - almost 290 km.

The Year of village establishment – is 1539, the village Day is celebrated on 22 May.

Actually, Orlivka rural territorial community consists of one village - Orlivka. The community can be described as a compact and enough populated.

A village council represents local government on the territory of Orlivka community.

Fig. 1. Location Orlivka in Reni district on site

Population is - about 3,000 people, density - more than 860 people per square km. at the rate of area within the village. For comparison, the population density in Ukraine is over 75 people per square km., Odessa region - about 72 persons per square km. The percentage ratio of women and men: 52/48. Demographic processes in a community characterized by depopulation - a natural reduction of population. The current labour migration and education outside the community exist. Nationally village characterized by compact residence of the Moldavian ethnos, which is the vast majority (over 95%). Land area of community within the village - 348 ha, the total area, considering areas outside the settlement, is about 7.4 thousand. Ha, what characterizing it as significant.

Basic resources – land and water.

The determining (specific) factor is the high proportion of water fund lands - almost 21% (wetlands - 10.1% under water - 8.2% in hydraulic structures - 2.5%) of the total area (Fig. 2). Thus, the community is provided enough water resources in contrast to communities, located in the plains to the north of Bessarabia sub-region.

Fig. 2. Structure of land resources by type of land use.

The Land Fund is also characterized by rather high (even excessive, as for landscape features) indicator of agricultural land - nearly 69%, including arable land - 64% (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3. The structure of the land fund according to intended purpose

The average size of land share due to the specific land fund is 2.5 hectares; compared to elsewhere in the region the size of share reaches 5 ha (the average size of land share in the country is 3.72 ha). At the same time, in the structure of land resources is the low proportion of pastures, grasslands etc. with a high proportion of agricultural land.

Economic structure of farms is non-diversified, single-industrial and the main profile – is an agriculture (grain and industrial crops). In animal husbandry is observed a substantial increasing livestock of sheep in recent years (since 2011) - almost a quarter. Over the same period, significantly increased the number of pigs - nearly 2.5 times. The herding (cattle) plays a minor role in animal husbandry in the presence of base. Fishing and fish farming as a sector with significant natural potential have no significant expression in the economic structure. In the circumstances tourist potential factors hardly used.

Thus the socio-economic mechanisms have a strategic importance at the community of climate change adaptation process, which are embodied in the relevant programs, plans and projects that take into account local traditions, modern economic and management views.

Strengthening the transit capacity of the village, together with its tourist attractiveness, is associated with project on ferry crossing over Danube River: Orlivka (Ukraine) - Isaccea (Romania).

Social services, infrastructure and accomplishment

There are – 1,011 private households in the village. The village is gasified, in contrast to much of the rural areas of Danube region. Water and sanitation are available. Residential fund – is old, more than half of homes (57%) were built in the period of 1944 - 1970, almost 20% - in 1971 – 1980.

Social infrastructure consists of:

1 outpatient clinic, 1 house of culture,

1 school, 1 museum,

1 kindergarten, 4 sports facilities (1 stadium, 2 sports halls, sports ground).

The effective technologies for collecting, sorting and recycling of waste / rubbish - are not worked out and require proper attention, taking into account the environmental vulnerability of certain territories and natural objects. There is no sewage system and wastewater treatment in the village.

Regarding the information - there is no website or Internet portal village. The tourist information for travellers about the village is absent. Community Passport does not give the information to investors about the perspectives of current and strategic goals and about the objectives of community development.

In natural and territorial terms, the community has two types of landscapes: steppe and bottomland (wetland). It should be noted a significant proportion of areas with high natural / ecological status - the presence of relatively clean areas with significant biological potential. Accordingly, there is a possibility and available reserves of restoring the natural state of these landscapes (ecosystems) using modern approaches to the territory organization. This aspect needs the territorial planning improvement at the local level, particularly during the upgrade of planning documentation and elaboration of programs and plans for community development.

Kartal Lake is a Wetland of International Importance, protected by Ramsar Convention. However, there are no objects of nature preserves of any status in community and Reni district.

Tourism and service infrastructure are not developed. Roadside service is not available.

There is no general plan of the village - basic planning documentation that influences the investment process. Instead, there is outdated documentation - Project Building Plan for the year 1967.

Cultural and historical heritage.

For centuries on the territory, which now belongs to Orlivka village community, were crossings over Danube River - the shortest and convenient route, linking both banks of Budjak and Dobruja. Many times various military divisions made the crossing in both directions. For example, the Persian king Darius I, who was the conquest of Scythia, or Greek military leader Alexander Macedonian, Roman emperor Trajan and more others. This crossing has acquired a strategic importance during the Russian-Turkish wars in the period of late XVIII - the first third of XIX century. It was here that the Russian troops crossed the Danube under the leadership of Nicholas I, on May 27 (June 9) in 1828. Since that, Constantinople hike was began and in 1829 ended by signing of Adrianople Peace Treaty. In memory of these events, in 1888 was set the obelisk between Cartal and Satunove settlements (now, respectively: Orlivka and Novosil's’ke). This iron monument was decorated with a conical profile ordnance weapons and double-headed eagles. The inscription on the pediment reads: “Here, on May 27, 1828, Emperor Nicholas I crossed the river Danube and he pointed to his troops the way to glory and victories”.

In addition, in the twentieth century right in the center of Orlivka was installed a monument – obelisk formed by metal pillars with a cross on the top of fifth. This obelisk is in honour of the villagers of Orlivka-Cartal, evidenced by the inscription: «Intru slava lui dumnezeu si Gloria neamului nostrum de ieri, de azi si de maine, realizat cu contributia cartal enilor».

In the center of the village also is a monument to the fallen in the First World War.

Another one cultural object is St. Nikolas (Sviato-Mykil’s’ka) church. It was built in 1888 on the site of more ancient church, existed a hundred years ago. It is one nave church with one dome and bell tower, decorated per samples of Empire-style.

It should be mentioned, that Orlivka is a kind of historical and ethnographic reserve. Here at this time live the Moldovans - descendants of medieval Roman relic population of Lower Danube region. The toponymy of "Cartal" and the testimonies of "Vlakhs / Volokhs" residence here - are recorded in XVII century sources. Culture and household originality of settlement are clearly traced in preservation of many archaic customs complexes. In particularly expressive on today is a complex of ritual actions that are linked with Christmas (this Holliday is celebrated according to a new style, because of Romanian Orthodox Church transition to a new style). In Orlivka, as well as in neighbouring Novosil'ske are kept the bright traditions of houses circumvent by carnival groups «Moşul» and «Moşul cu baba». This status allows characterizing them as the monuments of national folk culture.

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