The Dniester River Basin is highly vulnerable to climate change. In particular, since 2011 there has been a persistent trend of low water levels caused by climate change and increased water withdrawal. Based on recent research prepared by a joint Moldovan-Ukrainian expert group with the support of UNECE, annual flow is likely to decrease by 15-30% under a moderate scenario and by 25-40% under an intense warming scenario by the middle of the 21st century.
UNDP, OSCE and UNECE with GEF support, in close cooperation with the Governments of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, have launched a new project to strengthen transboundary cooperation and integrated water resources management in the Dniester River Basin through the implementation of the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) on 14-15 July 2025 in Chisinau, Moldova.
The initiative will support Moldova and Ukraine to address pressing challenges in the basin, including climate change impacts, ecosystem degradation and water pollution. It will focus on advancing the joint management of shared water resources in line with the principles of the UN Water Convention and the European Union Water Framework Directive.
High-level representatives of Moldova and Ukraine, namely Mr. Gherghe Hajder, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Environment of Moldova and Mr. Serhiy Vlasenko, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, emphasized the importance of the Strategic Framework for Climate Change Adaptation in the Dniester Basin and the need to update it based on the results of expert group's research.
Both countries requested UNECE to lead this process followed by implementation of selected adaptation measures as well as provide support to the development of the Dniester Commission and prevention of accidental water pollution from tailing storage facilities within the current project. Mr. Marco Keiner, Director of UNECE's Environment Division, reaffirmed UNECE's commitment to support the governments in these areas.
The project builds on over two decades of UNECE-facilitated cooperation in the Dniester Basin in partnership with other organizations, including OSCE, UNDP and UNEP focused on the negotiation of the 2012 Dniester Treaty and the development of the SAP.
Photo credit: Ludmila Bizgu, PIXEL PRO SRL, Moldova
