Moldova to rehabilitate hydrological infrastructure with support of Austria, UNDP

Chisinau, 27 March /MOLDPRES/ - Moldova will consolidate its resilience, in the context of the boosting of the extreme meteorological phenomena dealing with the climate changes, such as the floods and winds, which trigger losses of human lives and material damage. For this, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) will provide about 4 million euros for the building of national systems of hydrological monitoring and early warning and to enforce an integrated approach of the management of water resources of five hydrographical basins.  

The funds are provided through the project, Rehabilitation of the hydrological infrastructure for attenuating the vulnerability to extreme events triggered by the climate changes in Moldova, of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), due to be implemented till late 2027.   

„They estimate that the climate changes will enhance the appearance of intense precipitation in Moldova, with potential consequences of harmful floods, taking into account the hilly relief of the country and the current models of lands’ use. The new project which we launch today will bring into force knowledge, capacities, infrastructure, regulation policies and frameworks, which will contribute to a long-term impact through the strengthening of the country’s capacities to manage extreme events caused by precipitation and triggered by the climate, in order to prevent the floods,’’ the head of the Chisinau-based Office of the Austrian Development Agency, Gunther Zimmer, stressed.     

Given that the climate vulnerability of the residents from the rural settlements depends on the integrity and functionality of the dams along the water courses from the hydrographical basins from Moldova, the project will make an analysis at each of the five pilot areas (Copaceanca, Solonet, Bahu, Ialgug and Lapusna), will identify the infrastructure with high risk of defection and will propose measures of remedying.     

„We are delighted to start a new project with Austria, in order to improve the risks’ management in disasters, relying on the success of an earlier initiative which backed the creation of the pools for collecting rain water as efficient measure of adaptation to the climate changes. Another result was the setting up of posts of community firemen volunteers, which shortened the response time of the fire extinguishing interventions. These posts serve 65 communities with a population of more than 60,000 people. In the long run, we will contribute to the attenuation of the floods’ risk for at least 65,000 people from areas which are directly exposed to the floods’ dangers,’’ UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova Daniela Gasparikova said.   

Locally, those five beneficiary communities will be assisted to implement participatory plans of management of hydrographical basins, which focus on the diminution of the floods’ risk. Small grants will be provided for such activities as afforestation, restoration of wet areas, soils’ conservation, agro-forestry, etc.   

The project, Rehabilitation of the hydrological infrastructure for attenuating the vulnerability to extreme events triggered by the climate changes in Moldova, is a continuation of an innovating initiative earlier implemented by UNDP, with the financial assistance of ADA and Estonia. The initiative was focused, on the one hand, on the creation of more community posts of firemen volunteers in the most vulnerable districts of the country, with high fire risk and, on the other hand, on the construction of pools for collection of rain water.