Project on cross-border monitoring of Dniester, Prut rivers launched in Moldova

Chisinau, 13 November /MOLDPRES/ - Scientific institutions and non-governmental organizations from Moldova, Romania and Ukraine will carry out a project on the creation of a system of cross-border monitoring of the eco-systems of the Dniester and Prut rivers. Partners of the project informed about the peculiarities and ways of implementing the programme at a news conference today.  

„The creation of a system of innovative cross-border monitoring in terms of the transformations of the eco-systems of the Black Sea Basin rivers – Dniester and Prut, is seen as necessary under the impact of the hydro-energy constructions and climate changes. In the last 30 years, the Dniester river has been facing a string of problems dealing with the management of water resources at the cross-border level. We are set to work out a joint system of environment indicators, essential and long-term ones, which we are to present to officials from the three countries, so that it is taken into account when taking decisions on managing the Dniester and Prut rivers,” project manager, PhD at the Zoology Institute of Moldova’s Academy of Sciences (ASM), Elena Zubcov, has said.         

Asked by MOLDPRES if, given that the complicated situation of the eco-systems of the two rivers had been known for a long time, the scientific and ecological aspect will be able to compete with the economic side, Elena Zubcov said that these risks would be taken into consideration. “We are well-aware in what world we live, just as we understand that many things are omitted, because they are not known. The system elaborated within this project, with the needed strategies and prospects, will be widely publicized, will be brought to the knowledge of the community and we are confident that they will find support at any administrative level, as the ecological problems have already reached the state when they can no longer be ignored,” the project manager said.     

The project HydroEcoNex is financed by the European Union and has a budget of about 900,000 euros. The duration of the programme’s implementation is 30 months, with the participation of more partners: ASM’s Zoology Institute, Lower Danube University from Galati, (Romania), Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Ecology of Sea, Hydrometeorological Centre of the Black and Azov Seas (Ukraine), Eco-Tiras International Association of Dniester River Keepers.     

„It is about an ambitious project, from we which we expect a string of indicators of assessing the impact of the hydro-technical constructions on hydrology, new ways of monitoring, improved knowledge of decision-makers, researchers and students, strategies of bilateral cooperation, a digital platform which will contribute to the spread of knowledge and good practices of sustainable and efficient management of water resources of the cross-border importance rivers, hit by hydro-technical constructions and climate changes,” a PhD from Lower Danube University from Galati, Antoaneta Ene, said.      

At present, more big hydro-technical constructions work on Dniester, such as the water storage reservoir and hydro-electric power station from Dubasari, Novodnestrovsk, dam from Naslavcea and others. Ecologists from various national and international specialized organizations have repeatedly informed that their management must be revised and modernized, in order to maximally reduce the negative impact on the ecological systems.      

(Reporter L. Grubii, editor A. Raileanu)