Ukraine and Moldova endorse Dniester River Basin climate change adaptation strategy

High level government representatives from Ukraine and Moldova, along with parliamentarians, experts and NGONGO
non-governmental organization representatives from both countries, convened in Kyiv on 23 April 2015, to discuss the trans-boundary climate change adaptation strategy and co-operation in the Dniester/Nistru River basin.

Following the signing of the bilateral Dniester Treaty by the Ukrainian and Moldovan Ministers of Environment in Rome in November 2012, this high-level event provided an opportunity for bilateral co-operation through the launch of the Strategic Framework for Adaptation to Climate Change for the Dniester basin.

“Successful implementation of the Strategic Framework will help to reduce negative climate change impacts, and will facilitate sustainable development in the Dniester River Basin,” said Deputy Minister of Environment of the Republic of Moldova Lazar Chirica.

The Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Serhiy Kurykin emphasized that the “implementation of the Strategic Framework for Adaptation will help Ukraine fulfil its obligations under various international agreements and will strengthen overall cross-border co-operation between Moldova and Ukraine.”

The trans-boundary climate change adaptation strategy is the result of the joint work of experts from both countries facilitated by the OSCE and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

“Effective trans-boundary co-operation will become even more important in the future as climate change accelerates the intensity and frequency of floods and droughts with possible implications for the security of people, communities and countries,” stressed the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, Yurdakul Yigitguden.

The Ambassador of Serbia to Ukraine, Rade Bulatovic, said: “By choosing water governance as its main priority in the Economic and Environmental Dimension, the Serbian Chairmanship underlines that water is crucial to the security of people and nations.”  

UNECE Regional Advisor on Environment, Bo Libert, said: “The joint work done by Moldova and Ukraine in the Dniester basin is a unique demonstration of the needs and possibilities for trans-boundary cooperation in the adaptation to climate change that is used by the UNECE Water Convention in discussions world-wide".

The high-level event is taking place in conjunction with the 10^th Meeting of the Working Group on Flood Management and Climate Change Adaptation in the Dniester river.

Both events are organized in the framework of the Dniester component of the project “Climate Change and Security in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus” under the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) and with funding from the European Union and the Austrian Development Agency.