Desertification in Oltenia

The Desertification in Oltenia affects parts of the Walachian Plain, in the historic Romanian province of Oltenia) covering the area between the city of Calafat to the town of Dăbuleni, spanning an area of about 80,000 hectares (200,000 acres), or 6% of Dolj County . This is the only desert in Romania.

Labeled by the press as The Oltenian Sahara' (Romanian: Sahara Olteniei) [1], the sandy areas in the region have extended because of the deforestation that occurred in the 1960s. Consequently, due to the sudden desertification in the area, the name "Oltenian Sahara" has quickly caught on among the locals. Dăbuleni has likewise gained the nickname the "capital" of the Oltenian Sahara and it is the only place in Europe where an official Sand Museum exists. Fortunately this desert won't expand due to the planting of trees and other plants in the area.