Environment project financed by EU summed up in Chisinau

Chisinau, 25 August /MOLDPRES/ - The settlement of environment problems is a public exercise in which each citizen must get involved. This was the principal message of the project titled, Improvement of implementation of public environment policies through participatory democracy. The project was implemented by the National Environment Centre on the period August 2020 – August 2021, within the project, Development of civil society locally in Moldova, financed by the European Union and coordinated by the Conrad Adenauer Foundation.      

Seeing an increased interest of the population in ecology-related issues, the project’s implementation team was set to organize a comprehensive information campaign, thereby establishing what is lacking in terms of the present normative framework, as well as to give the young generation opportunities to learn how young people can fulfill a career in the environmental protection sector.  

”We organized public consultations, in which about 150 residents from various districts participated: local public authorities, specialists from institutions for the management of waste and residual waters, civic activists. We found out that there were big gaps in terms of waste management, as the volume, quantity and nature of the waste is different from settlement to settlement. Besides, citizens not always are aware of the fact that the sanitation services, just as other services, cost and that they, being generators of waste, must pay a cost for this,’’ a programme manager at the National Environment Centre, Elena Culighin, said.     

Three online events titled, Enhance Sustainability, were organized in order to get young people interested in the environmental protection field.

”We were happy with the active presence of young people in these events – over 250 participants – who were able to put questions directly to our speakers. We focused on three directions, which we regard as priority in the environmental protection sector: waste management, management and protection of water resources, as well as sources of renewable energy. The online platforms gave us possibility to invite experts and Moldovan students, who studied and made their careers abroad,’’ a communication manager at the National Environment Centre, Anastasia Radu, said.

A vast information campaign on the use of the platform EcoAlert.md was carried out within project, Improvement of implementation of public environment policies through participatory democracy. This is a virtual instrument elaborated by Sweden and launched in late 2020, through which citizens can submit a notification on the environmental problems which they notice. The electronic service is operated by the Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and the number of cases due to be settled increased due to the information campaign.   

photo: Environment Centre