Celaru (Dolj County)
Location: Celaru Commune, Dolj County
GPS coordinates: 44.017654, 24.062129
Project start: Autumn 2020
Planted area: 40 hectares
Objective: Establishment of a land improvement belt to stabilize shifting sands affected by wind erosion.
Species planted: Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), white mulberry (Morus alba), cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera), Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), and honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos).
Canopy closure: Autumn 2025 (estimated for the first 15 hectares planted), 2026 for an additional 10 hectares, and 2026 to 2027 for the 15 hectares planted in autumn 2021.
Current project status: Replacement planting and sapling maintenance are ongoing.
Partners: OMV Petrom, through the Romania Plants for Tomorrow campaign.
Why establish land improvement belts?
Celaru Commune is located in the southern part of Dolj County, an area severely affected by desertification.
The plot of land provided by Celaru Town Hall was officially classified as degraded land in 2011 following a pedological study carried out by OSPA Dolj. The study found that the land has low agricultural productivity and recommended its rehabilitation through afforestation.
The sandy substrate in this area forms soils that are unsuitable for agriculture. Without the protection and stability provided by vegetation, these sands become mobile under the action of the wind and can spread over nearby fertile land. Establishing forest vegetation is the most effective solution for stabilising the sands, increasing soil humus content, improving the arid microclimate, and slowing the advance of desertification.
Through the Romania Plants for Tomorrow campaign, Adopt a Tree and OMV Petrom have committed to restoring these degraded lands by establishing forest vegetation.
Latest work carried out: Partial manual weeding, performed in June 2026 only around the saplings planted as replacement plantings in spring 2026.
Photo gallery
