We were in Moldova within the framework of the project for improving access to drinking water and sanitation in the villages of the Nirnova river basin. On this occasion, representatives of the Artois Picardie and Rhine Meuse Water Agencies (French water agencies), faithful supporters of the project both in its institutional and technical cooperation aspects, participated in the mission.

 

With this action, we wished to mark the resumption of the activities following the COVID and to meet the various stakeholders of the project in Moldova and to see the progress of the various operations carried out in the Nirnova river basin.

It was also the opportunity of taking part in the international seminar on “Water, Waste and Inter-municipalities” led by the French Embassy in Moldova and co-organized with the support of ISW-SWE, and on this occasion to meet the new institutional representatives resulting from the general elections of July 2021.

 

Meetings and visits of the projects implemented in the Nirnova basin

The mission started with a field visit on October 24 in Cotul Morii, with the Lunca Prutului State Project on the Prut River. This project financed by the Moldavian government will be able to ensure water supply for 11 localities of the Nirnova sub-basin. Representatives of Hincesti Region, Apele Moldovei Water Agency, Central Regional Development Agency were present and they presented and discussed the progress of the work on this project.

The delegation then visited the sites of the 3 infrastructure projects we are carrying out:

• Nemteni, a project to set up a reed bed wastewater treatment plant;
• Cateleni, a project for the implementation of a project allowing the controlled consumption of water, by means of the construction of a water conveyance network and the installation of meters for a district of the village and directly connected to the new aqueduct project of Prut;
• Vinatori, a project for the implementation of protection measures for water catchment points, consisting of immediate protection (renovation, consolidation of wells) and close protection (installation of barriers).

These various projects aim at providing concrete solutions adapted to local realities and are carried out in parallel with a work on water governance involving all the officials elected of the basin.

After many months marked by the restrictions imposed by the COVID, these different meetings allowed us to identify the main issues and to draw up a common roadmap for the continuation of our commitments in the basin

Contribution of SIE-SEE and the water agencies to the international seminar

This mission was also the opportunity to contribute to the international seminar led by the French Embassy in Moldova on the theme “Local Development: Water – Waste – Inter-municipality”, which was held from October 25 to 27.

We were co-organizers of this seminar and contributed in particular to the promotion of the French expertise in the field of inter-municipality and integrated water resources management, highlighting at the same time the experience of the French Water Agencies in this field.

The seminar was attended by participants representing the diversity of the water and waste sector, including representatives of various ministries, the national water agency Apele Moldovei, regional development agencies, local and regional officials elected, international donors and technical operators.

Moldova, this seminar allowed highlighting several major priorities that the Moldovan authorities should take into account in order to promote the implementation of a more sustainable water and waste management.

Following this seminar, we organized a platform of the mayors of the Nirnova river basin. The meeting allowed us, among other things, to analyse the situation of the project “Improvement of access to water supply and sanitation services in the Nirnova Valley” in its different components: (i) the establishment of local water governance in the basin, (ii) the infrastructure projects to be implemented, and (iii) the master plan of the Nirnova sub-basin.

Thus, after many months marked by travel restrictions related to COVID19, this mission allowed us to reaffirm our presence in Moldova and to lay a solid foundation for the continuation of the project. We will remain strongly mobilized with local and national actors, especially in order to promote positive institutional changes that will allow a better management of water resources and sanitation in Moldova.

Thanks to all our partners who allow the implementation of our actions in Moldova