Dobrudja (Dobruja) is a strategic historical and geographical region in Southeastern Europe, located between the lower reaches of the Danube and the western coast of the Black Sea . For millennia, this territory served as a connecting link between Europe and Asia, combining the legacies of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. Today, Dobruja is a unique space of cross-border cooperation, shared between four countries: Romania, Bulgaria, and partly Ukraine and Moldova in the Danube Delta.

Dobruja+ in the sense of this “project of projects” based on a systemic approach also includes adjacent states along the Black Sea coast and the European continent. The plus sign in the name of the Dobruja+ project of projects also signifies its focus on the positive transformation of this node of geopolitical contradictions into a field of mutual development and prosperity within the framework of the European Union and the Euro-Atlantic community, while respecting existing borders.

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Geography and territorial division

Modern Dobruja encompasses the territories of four states, each of which contributes to the development of the region:

• Northern Dobruja (Romania): The center of the region with the largest port of Constanta and the main part of the protected Danube Delta.
• Southern Dobrudja (Bulgaria): Fertile lands and developed infrastructure of Black Sea resorts.
• Ukrainian Dobrudja (Odessa Oblast): The far north of the Danube Delta, encompassing strategic ports and protected areas.
• Danubian Moldova: A small but strategically important area in southern Moldova, providing the country with access to the Danube.

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Ukrainian and Moldavian Dobrudja: Strategic Importance

The northern part of the region, encompassing the Ukrainian Budzhak and the Moldovan Danube region, plays an important role in the logistics and ecology of Europe:

1. Natural wealth (Danube Biosphere Reserve): A unique ecosystem in the Danube estuary, home to rare bird species (including pink pelicans) and Red Book fish.
2. “Ukrainian Venice” – Vylkove: The cultural center of the Lipovans Old Believers, a city on canals that is a magnet for ethnotourism.
3. Logistics hub: The ports of Izmail, Kiliya, Reni (Ukraine) and Giurgiuleşti (Moldova) are key trade hubs on the Danube waterway.

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Why is Dobrudja important for the future?

The region has enormous potential for international investment and scientific research:

• Ecotourism: Preserving the Danube Delta as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Renewable energy: One of the leading centers of wind and solar energy in Southeastern Europe due to the climatic features of the coast.
• International cooperation: The projects of the Dobrudja+ association are aimed at strengthening economic and environmental ties between coastal communities.
• Ensuring peace in South-Eastern Europe and adjacent territories

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Quick facts:

• Key cities: Constanta (RO), Dobrich (BG), Izmail (UA), Giurgiuleşti (MD).
• Ecology: The Danube Delta is the “lungs” of the Black Sea region.
• Ethnicity: A unique mix of Ukrainians, Romanians, Bulgarians, Turks, Gagauz, Tatars, and Lipovans.

1. Ecotourism: The untouched nature of the delta attracts researchers from all over the world.
2. Renewable energy: The region is one of the most powerful wind energy centers in Southeastern Europe.
3. International cooperation: The Association “Dobrudja+” is designed to strengthen ties between the scientific and economic communities of the coastal countries. Another important task is the registration and analysis of the state of the ecology of this area (marine ecology and shipping safety), the safety of the use of the steppe zone, the registration and analysis of the impact of human activity on the ecosystem. These tasks go beyond the geography of the Dobrudja region and therefore it is appropriate to use the name “Dobrudja+” for the R&D of the Association.