OSCE announces winners of the 13th “Colours of the Dniester” competition

The OSCE has announced the winners of the 13th edition of the basin-wide creativity contest "Colours of the Dniester". This competition helps raise children and youth’s awareness of environmental protection and water management, particularly in the Dniester River basin, in Moldova (including Transdniestria) and Ukraine.

Held under the motto "Save Biodiversity – Preserve Nature’s Palette!” the entries submitted this year focused on preserving not only aquatic biodiversity, but also the entire ecosystem diversity. The narratives and paintings prepared by participants reflected the aesthetic beauty and diversity of nature of the Dniester River basin, and touched upon the issues of invasive species, loss of habitat and littering.

Almost 700 entries were received from both Ukraine and Moldova (including Transdniestria) between 26 April and 7 October 2021. Overall, 73% of the contestants were female. The winners of the 2021 competition were selected by a jury from both countries and banks of the Dniester River for the following categories:

• Drawing/Painting
• Photography
• Video film, slide show
• Activity on rehabilitation of water resources
• Essay, short story, poem, popular science article

You can view the full list of winners and their artwork here.

Competition participants continue to inspire, year after year, in their creativity and interest for the Dniester River. The "Colours of the Dniester" competition helps further foster environmental awareness and contribute to Moldovan-Ukrainian co-operation for the preservation and sustainable management of the Dniester River.

In 2021, the competition was carried out with the financial support of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) through the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) and with the support of the State Water Resources Agency of Ukraine.