Since its foundation, against the backdrop of today's climate challenges, Anima Mundi has championed both the human right to an unspoilt natural environment and nature's own right to exist and regenerate.
At the heart of this vision lies the cultivation of respect for water and an understanding of its essential role in the planet's entire web of life.
Beginning with water, we broaden our perspective to embrace respect for biodiversity, invite awareness of far-reaching climate change and help create a culture of cherishing life.
Water is essential to the entire planetary ecosystem.
Wherever there is life, there is always water.
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Humanity / Homo Naturans
Humanism – Education – Creativity – Compassion
Together, we discover new dimensions of our humanity.
Anima Mundi opens up access to essential discoveries in neuroscience, biology, medicine and physics. These help us understand more deeply how we function as human beings, and how profoundly we are influenced and shaped by the wider whole to which we belong.
Through these interconnected discoveries, which broaden our horizons, humanity is redefining itself at an ever faster pace. More than ever, we are becoming aware of the mysteries within our cells and of our true place in the ecosystem. New rights are thus emerging, such as the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, recognised by the UN in 2022.
Through courses, workshops and educational activities, Anima Mundi shares these discoveries and nurtures participants' curiosity about the new, their creativity and their compassion.
Human health is closely bound to the health of our surroundings and our relationship with nature.
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Networking / Communitas
Solidarity – Partnerships – Social innovation – Community
Together, we build a network that cherishes life.
Working title
Across the planet, we are living through a severe climate crisis, with ever more of its dimensions becoming visible. The planet's temperature is rising, the climate is changing, and biodiversity is increasingly under threat. Against this backdrop, a water crisis is already taking shape, calling for an entirely different approach: water is not a commodity, and it is more than a resource. It is the source of life on Earth. And when we see it in this way, we see the planet's entire web of life differently.
Paradoxically, in these times of crisis, more and more people are becoming aware of nature's importance and purpose. Quietly but surely, empathy for nature is blossoming within humanity.
Anima Mundi takes part in this process of bringing humanity closer to water and biodiversity and, through projects, events and courses, helps create a network that cherishes life.
Aqua Mater. The essential role of water in the ecosystem
The central idea: water connects and nourishes the planet’s entire web of life. It brings together the ecosystem, health, climate and economy, and its relationship with mountains and forests is the most tangible expression of this bond.
Every contribution matters. You can support the whole project or one part of it through money, goods or services: measuring equipment, materials for panels, transport, architectural services or accommodation for camps.
100% of the oxygen released by plants comes from water.
How this relates to the programme
Through Terra Mirabilis, we step into the simplicity and grandeur of nature and discover the essential role of water and forests in the planet's web of life.
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Terra Mirabilis
Mountains and forests
Mountains give us up to 60% of the world’s fresh water, and forested river basins provide 75%.
How this relates to the programme
Through Terra Mirabilis, we step into the simplicity and grandeur of nature and discover the essential role of water and forests in the planet's web of life.
References:·
Terra Mirabilis
River flows and imbalances
Only 1 in 3 of the world’s river basins recorded normal river flows in 2024, with the rest experiencing drought or flooding; in August 2026, the Danube was reported to have fallen to a historic low of 1,370 m³/s.
The figure for the Danube and its description as a “historic low” remain to be confirmed against the INHGA reference.
How this relates to the programme
Through Terra Mirabilis, we step into the simplicity and grandeur of nature and discover the essential role of water and forests in the planet's web of life.
References:·
Homo Naturans
Longevity
Global life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2024, an increase of 8.4 years since 1995.
How this relates to the programme
Through Homo Naturans, we discover that we are a living part of nature and learn to listen to the wisdom of our own bodies.
References:
Homo Naturans
Our connection with nature
And we can live better when we connect with nature: a quarter of an hour’s walk in the forest reduces the stress hormone by 16% and doubles the activity of the part of the nervous system that calms the body.
How this relates to the programme
Through Homo Naturans, we discover that we are a living part of nature and learn to listen to the wisdom of our own bodies.
References:
Homo Naturans
Caring for children
And when we care for the most vulnerable among us: in Romania, obesity among children and young people aged 5–19 rose from 2% in 2000 to 9% in 2022, while worldwide, the number of children and adolescents living with obesity increased from 31 million in 1990 to 170 million in 2024.
How this relates to the programme
Through Homo Naturans, we discover that we are a living part of nature and learn to listen to the wisdom of our own bodies.
References:·
Communitas
A changing climate
In 2024, the global annual average temperature exceeded the 1.5°C threshold above the pre-industrial level referred to in the Paris Agreement for the first time.
How this relates to the programme
Through Communitas, we create a network that cherishes life, where people, communities and institutions meet and work together for water, biodiversity, understanding the human body and social harmony.
References:
Communitas
The web of life
Nearly 50,000 species of animals, plants and fungi are now threatened with extinction.
How this relates to the programme
Through Communitas, we create a network that cherishes life, where people, communities and institutions meet and work together for water, biodiversity, understanding the human body and social harmony.
References:
Communitas
Shared responsibility
In its unanimous advisory opinion of July 2025, the International Court of Justice confirmed that states have a legal obligation to prevent significant environmental harm caused by global warming.
How this relates to the programme
Through Communitas, we create a network that cherishes life, where people, communities and institutions meet and work together for water, biodiversity, understanding the human body and social harmony.
References:
Source and context
Oxygen released through photosynthesis
Original study · JACS, 1941
Experiments by Ruben, Randall, Kamen and Hyde using isotopically labelled oxygen established that the oxygen released through oxygenic photosynthesis comes from water.
This percentage refers to the origin of the oxygen released in this process. It does not mean that 100% of atmospheric oxygen is currently produced by plants. The article’s metadata have been confirmed; the publisher’s full text requires access.
The report Mountains and Glaciers: Water Towers shows that mountains supply around 55–60% of the world’s annual fresh water flows. Water from these regions sustains communities and ecosystems downstream.
The estimate refers to annual fresh water flows, rather than all the planet’s water reserves.
State of Global Water Resources 2024 · published in 2025
The report shows that only around one third of the world’s river basins recorded normal conditions in 2024. In the others, river flows were above or below normal.
The observations refer to 2024. “Above or below normal” does not mean that every river basin experienced both drought and flooding.
The figure of 1,370 m³/s and its description as a “historic low” in the supplied text remain unconfirmed. Official bulletins for Baziaș report 1,400 m³/s on 11 August and 1,350 m³/s on 13 August 2026, compared with the long-term August average of 3,900 m³/s.
These sources confirm very low daily river flows, but do not confirm the exact figure of 1,370 m³/s or a historic low for the month as a whole.
The UN Population Division estimates life expectancy at birth at 73.3 years in 2024, an increase of 8.4 years since 1995.
This indicator describes mortality across a population. It does not represent a guaranteed lifespan for an individual or the number of years lived in full health.
The study included 280 healthy male students with an average age of around 22. After walks lasting 16 ± 5 minutes, salivary cortisol was 15.8% lower in the forest than in the city. The HF component of heart rate variability was 102% higher.
These are average, immediate responses within this sample. The HF component is an indicator associated with parasympathetic activity; the result does not mean that the activity of the entire nervous system doubled, nor does it guarantee the same effect for every participant.
UNICEF Romania reports an increase in the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged 5–19, from 2% in 2000 to 9% in 2022. The national estimates are coordinated by NCD-RisC.
The data are modelled population estimates. Obesity and overweight are different indicators; the figures here refer to obesity.
The Obesity and overweight fact sheet, updated on 7 October 2026, reports 170 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 living with obesity in 2024, compared with 31 million in 1990. It cites the NCD-RisC analysis published in Nature in 2026.
These are population estimates. These figures should not be confused with the 1990–2022 series in the earlier publication or with other projections for 2025.
The analysis, based on six datasets, estimates the global annual average temperature in 2024 at 1.55 ± 0.13°C above the pre-industrial level. It was likely the first calendar year above 1.5°C.
A single year above this level does not constitute a breach of the Paris Agreement’s long-term temperature goal, which is assessed over decades.
The IUCN Red List includes 175,909 assessed species, of which 49,505 are threatened with extinction, according to the update of 9 July 2026.
The figure refers to species assessed by IUCN. It is neither an inventory of all species on the planet nor the number of species that have already become extinct.
The Court unanimously confirmed states’ obligations to exercise due diligence and cooperate to prevent significant harm to the climate system and the environment.
The opinion is advisory. The binding character belongs to the obligations under international law that it clarifies; it does not make the opinion itself a binding judgment.
Terra Mirabilis is Anima Mundi’s long-term programme dedicated to the natural and cultural heritage of Romania and the Balkan Peninsula.
Through Terra Mirabilis, we step into the simplicity and grandeur of nature and discover the essential role of water and forests in the planet's web of life.
As an expression of its commitment to water and forests, and after several years of preparation, Anima Mundi launched the project “Aqua Mater. The essential role of water in the ecosystem” in the Apuseni Mountains.
Communitas is Anima Mundi’s long-term programme dedicated to solidarity, partnerships and social innovation.
Through Communitas, we create a network that cherishes life, where people, communities and institutions meet and work together for water, biodiversity, understanding the human body and social harmony.
To build an active network, Anima Mundi began a series of collaborations in 2026. In the first part of the year, it supported Rost Institute in organising the Rost de Umanitate festival. In October 2026, it began a long-term collaboration with ADI Iti Moții Țara de Piatră to carry out projects in the Apuseni Mountains. Their first joint action is the submission of the project “Protecting the Arieș Basin through Community Engagement and Institutional Dialogue”. Anima Mundi is also developing ideas for joint activities and projects with the newly founded Asociația Producătorilor din Apuseni (APA).
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Vision · A
Evolution.
From the great adventure of progress to a civilisation that cherishes life.
Anima Mundi believes in a continuous evolution that seems to be one of nature’s living laws: to flourish, to keep creating the conditions for life to perpetuate itself.
We are capable of progress and, fortunately, we have created culture and technology that have helped us develop and reach beyond our limits, especially over the past two centuries. And the great adventure is only just beginning.
Yet the flourishing of civilisation has also left deep marks on the planet’s ecosystem and on humanity, and continues to leave them.
We have cleared forests, polluted, poisoned the waters and the air, and profoundly harmed the planet’s Great Garden. We have created social inequity and still perpetuate it. And to counterbalance these wounds of progress, it is essential that we become aware of them and of the negative effects of our own actions on the environment and our fellow human beings.
And then to become actively involved, each of us doing as much as we can, in regenerating the planet and humanising today’s social architecture.
In this way, we can create together, person alongside person and action after action, a society that cherishes nature and people.
Let us create a civilisation that honours the entire web of life, beginning with cherishing water, this fundamental substance of existence, and that places human rights and the rights of nature at its heart and in its foundations.
The very progress that has left such deep marks can become the means of bringing us into harmony with nature. We need only dare to set ourselves bold goals and act wisely.
Vision · B
The heart of the vision.
Water, humanity, the planetary web of life, harmony.
To contribute to this change, Anima Mundi has, since its founding, run programmes of education, research and community engagement dedicated to water and biodiversity, as well as to understanding the human body and redefining the human relationship with nature in an age shaped by technology, major scientific discoveries and increasingly challenging climate change.
For Anima Mundi, it is vital to shape a way of life that begins with understanding water’s role in the ecosystem and cherishing this primordial resource. In doing so, we become more aware of the bond between water and all living things, and better able to give both water and the planet’s entire fabric of life the respect they deserve.
It is equally important that we learn about our own bodies and understand how they function at their best.
The more harmoniously we live with ourselves and our surroundings, the more prosperous our lives become and the more we truly evolve. And from this relationship with ourselves and with nature, new forms of economy, culture and civilisation can emerge, far more balanced, sustainable and prosperous in the true sense of the word.
Vision · C
Beyond ecology.
From awareness of the ecosystem to respect and affection for it.
Anima Mundi devotes much of its work to education, especially for children and young people, and to practical action in the field alongside them.
While grateful for what ecology has given us, Anima Mundi believes in a stage beyond it, born of growing human empathy towards nature, within a culture of cherishing life as a whole.
Becoming aware of our own bodies within the ecosystem transforms us and deepens the empathy that helps us show greater respect for water and for the entire web of life it sustains.
We all live in the Great Garden, and our way of life is closely bound to its condition, to how much we care for and respect it.
Ultimately, this is what it comes down to. Not only ecology, sustainability or sustainable development, but learning to care for the Great Garden and for our own lives.
Vision · D
The questions.
From water to creating a harmonious civilisation.
Anima Mundi encourages us to ask ourselves a few simple questions. What is water? What is its role in the ecosystem? How can we honour it? Does cherishing it and the other fundamental substances that make life possible show how far we have evolved? And what does dishonouring them say about us?
We can ask ourselves equally simple questions about the human being. What does it truly mean to be human? What would a society that respects both the human being and humanity look like? Can we build such a society? Can we make today’s society healthier and more balanced? Can we eliminate or reduce social injustice?
How dependent is humanity on nature? Is it aware that it is part of nature? Is human society ecocentric or egocentric? Is it sustainable or destructive? Do we have the capacity to transform it? Do we want to?
And ideally, the answers would be as practical as possible and become the stones with which we build a civilisation that honours nature and the human being.
Vision · E
Today.
From the Apuseni Mountains to projects with a global reach.
Today, Anima Mundi works locally in the Apuseni Mountains, supporting educational activities that encourage respect for water and biodiversity and an understanding of the human body. It studies the Arieș Basin, organises events and hikes, writes educational materials and lays the groundwork for projects with local, national and global reach. The first of these, Aqua Mater, dedicated to the essential role of water in the ecosystem, is already under way.
Anima Mundi also organises online courses, taught by Petrea Ciortan, on water and the human body.
New activities and projects will follow soon, and Anima Mundi invites you to join this journey of cherishing life.
Aqua Mater · 01
The idea and the mission
The central idea: water connects and nourishes the planet’s entire web of life. It brings together the ecosystem, health, climate and economy, and its relationship with mountains and forests is the most tangible expression of this bond.
The mission: Anima Mundi promotes water’s essential role for the planet’s entire web of life, including humanity, and cultivates an appreciation of water as a substance indispensable to existence: real respect, not merely professed respect.
Through information panels placed at 13 springs in the Arieș Valley, we convey to the community a continuous message of respect for water, which we reinforce through tailored brochures for children in schools along the river.
Together with some of the children, we are creating the NaturAma Club, which regularly carries out educational and artistic activities, field observations and clean-up sessions.
It is involved in organising a festival, Arieș Day and camps through which the message of respect for water and biodiversity becomes national and, gradually, international.
In time, some club members will become guardians of the Arieș Valley through their chosen professions and their passions.
Amid today’s climate crisis, every local action has global implications, because everything within the ecosystem is connected. Water evaporating in the Arieș Valley may fall as rain thousands of kilometres away. And the Aqua Mater model can be replicated in any valley in the Carpathians.
The main beneficiaries are the people of the Arieș Valley and those who take part directly in the project’s activities.
Yet the ultimate beneficiaries may be all the people of the planet, because climate and water know no borders and are not local phenomena, but global ones that call for our attention, especially in these hot times.
By acting intelligently at a local level, we send positive ripples around the world. Everything is connected.
Together, for people and nature
