Moldova and Ukraine commit to improving water and natural resource use for 8 million people in Dniester/Nistru river basin
On 31 March 2021, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine signed a statement on the approval of the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) to ensure 8 million inhabitants of the Dniester/Nistru river basin between the two countries will benefit from the countries’ joint efforts to improve and ensure environmentally sound use of water and other natural resources and ecosystems in the region.
The SAP for the Dniester River Basin for 2021-2035 was developed through a project by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which was implemented by the OSCE in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
The Programme is one of the key documents produced under the framework of the Commission on Sustainable Use and Protection of the Dniester River Basin (the Dniester Commission). The Programme is based on the findings of the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis for the Dniester River Basin.
Both documents, the SAP and the Analysis, were developed using a methodology agreed by the two countries. A draft of the Programme was also made publicly available for six weeks for experts and civil society to provide comments. Some 40 suggestions for improvement were submitted.
The Programme defines several strategic directions from reducing water pollution to strengthening bilateral co-operation in water resources management and promoting sustainable use of water.
It also outlines 74 measures with key actions to be taken by responsible authorities, as well as funding sources (both national and international), estimated budgets, and implementation timeframes. The measures also include assessment indicators.
Progress on the Programme’s implementation will be reviewed annually at the Dniester Commission meeting. A selection of priorities will also be reviewed every five years.
The Programme was prepared in the framework of the GEF/UNDP/OSCE/UNECE project, ‘Enabling transboundary co-operation and integrated water resources management in the Dniester River Basin’, at the request of the governments of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.