Ministry of Environment announces slight improvement in situation on Dniester river following recent rains

The situation on the Dniester River is improving slightly due to rainfall in recent days and increased releases from the Novodnistrovsk reservoir, but the development is not sufficient to resolve the low water level problem in the long term. The announcement was made by Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder.

According to the official, local rains in the Republic of Moldova and precipitation in the Carpathian region contributed to an increase in the volume of water released from the Novodnistrovsk reservoir. On Sunday, releases reached 40 cubic meters per second, compared with an average of approximately 30 cubic meters per second over the previous two weeks.


“This increased flow, together with the recent rains in our country, led to a 14-centimeter rise in the water level in the north, at Cosăuți, over the past 24 hours,” Gheorghe Hajder said.


The Environment Minister noted that a slight increase in water levels along the entire course of the Dniester River is expected in the coming period, as well as higher flows in other rivers.

However, the official warned that the improvement is insufficient to resolve the problem in the long term, as the situation depends on weather conditions.


“This improvement is not sufficient to resolve the problem in the long term, as the situation depends exclusively on weather developments,” the minister stressed.


Gheorghe Hajder pointed out that the precipitation with the greatest impact on the Dniester’s flow is that occurring in the river’s upper basin, including the Carpathian region, where significant water accumulation is necessary. Rainfall in Chișinău or other parts of the country does not have the same impact on the river’s water level.

The authorities assured that they are monitoring the development of the hydrological situation, as the recovery of water levels largely depends on the amount and distribution of precipitation across the Dniester basin.