CHISINAU, October 22, 2025 - The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved today a grant of US$7.9 million for the Restoring Ecosystems for Marine Pollution Prevention Project (RE-MAP). This transformative investment project will be financed through the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The RE-MAP project aims to increase the area under sustainable landscape management practices within the Dniester River Basin, an environmentally and socio-economical critical watershed in Moldova. Through nature-based solutions, the RE-MAP will restore degraded landscapes, prevent land-based pollution, and enhance biodiversity and climate resilience.
"This project marks a significant step toward Moldova's sustainable development goals and its commitment to regional environmental cooperation," said Ulrich Schmitt, World Bank Group Country Manager for Moldova. "By restoring ecosystems and preventing pollution, we are investing in the health of communities and the resilience of country's environment."
The Dniester River Basin is a critical watershed for Moldova's environmental and socio-economic resilience. The project is part of the broader Clean and Healthy Ocean Integrated Program, contributing to regional efforts to combat marine pollution and land degradation. The RE-MAP project represents a critical step for Moldova to restore its natural landscapes, protect water resources, and build resilience communities and environment.
The key components of the project include:
- Forest and wetland restoration, afforestation, and integrated crop-livestock-forest systems.
- Policy harmonization for pollution prevention and sustainable land use.
- Capacity building for institutions and communities to implement and monitor restoration efforts.
- Socio-economic benefits for approximately 99,200 people, including 40 percent women, through improved natural resource conditions and employment opportunities.
Since Moldova joined the World Bank in 1992, over US$2.3 billion have been allocated to more than 70 operations in the country. Currently, areas of World Bank support include a large program in energy, support to regulatory reform and business development, investments in land registration and valuation, education, roads, and the health and social sectors, as well as agriculture, water and sanitation. Current engagements by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), members of the World Bank Group, include projects in the financial sector, private and public sectors advisory, and risk insurance.
