PHOTO // Moldova’s protected areas strengthened through restoration works, planting and new management tools

Interventions in social infrastructure, habitat restoration works, planting, equipment for nature monitoring and the development of new tools for protected-area administrations were carried out from May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026, as part of the project - Improving the management of protected areas in the Republic of Moldova through institutional development, capacity building and habitat restoration. The results were presented on September 24 at a meeting of the project’s Supervisory Committee.

The project is being implemented between 2023 and 2027 and targets Orhei National Park, including Orheiul Vechi Cultural-Natural Reserve, Lower Dniester National Park and Codrii Nature Reserve. The activities aim to improve protected-area management, restore habitats, strengthen institutional capacities, and carry out interventions in communities located in protected areas.

In Ştefan Vodă district, Purcari commune, pumping systems at two artesian wells in the villages of Purcari and Viișoara were rehabilitated, while the water reservoir in Viișoara was renovated. In Olănești, the old drinking-water reservoir was replaced with a new one with a capacity of 25 cubic metres. In Săseni, illegal waste dumps were cleared and equipment for collecting and baling plastic was installed.

In Donici, 366 household waste containers were distributed and protective fences were installed around public water reservoirs. Three other interventions to improve social infrastructure are under way in the localities of Crocmaz, Răscăieți and Copanca.

As part of the small-scale restoration intervention programme, six measures were approved in Cioburciu, Plop-Știubei, Tudora, Crocmaz, Talmaza and Neculaieuca. They include the rehabilitation of wells and springs, the development of a multifunctional green area, and the restoration of the Pilgrim’s Fountain at Hirova Monastery.

Subsequently, two other initiatives were approved in Trebujeni and Lozova.

In Săseni, two stormwater channels with a total length of 730 metres were cleaned and improved. Local springs were also cleaned to facilitate the flow of water into the Cula River. Other restoration works are under way on the grounds of a forestry enterprise and in Orheiul Vechi Cultural-Natural Reserve.

In autumn 2025, planting works were carried out in Talmaza, Plop-Știubei, Tudora and Orheiul Vechi. On land planted earlier in Răscăieți, Talmaza, Cîrnățeni and Palanca, supplementary planting and replanting works were carried out following losses caused by drought.


„To strengthen the capacities of protected-area administrations, a system-level competency register, a professional competency register for protected-area staff, and a guide for preparing management plans were developed in cooperation with ProPark Romania. The guide was proposed for public consultation in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment,” explains EcoContact.


At the same time, following the submission to the Ministry of Environment of the first consolidated version of the draft new law on nature protection, technical consultations to finalize the document are continuing.

Three documents intended for local public authorities were also developed, concerning forest administration and management, stormwater collection and management, and community greening. The technical documentation for the information system of the Register of Protected Natural Areas was also adjusted. The technical concept and the regulation on system maintenance, which include data on the Emerald Network and Natura 2000, were submitted to the Ministry of Environment, according to the cited source.

Meanwhile, the research needed to prepare the management plan for Lower Dniester National Park continued.

A group of seven experts assessed the park’s natural values and the pressures affecting it. The structure and content of the plan were prepared, along with the methodology for identifying and assessing pressures and threats.

Field research was conducted throughout the vegetation season and covered the park’s territory, which spans approximately 62,000 hectares.

An automatic weather station and related equipment were installed at Orheiul Vechi Cultural-Natural Reserve. Staff members were trained to use the system and exchange weather data, and the process of integrating the station into the national meteorological monitoring network was initiated.

Artificial nest boxes were installed to support bird species in Lower Dniester National Park, Orheiul Vechi Cultural-Natural Reserve and Codrii Nature Reserve.

 


„In the coming period, planting works, ongoing restoration interventions and activities to strengthen the capacities of protected-area administrations will continue. New interventions to improve social infrastructure in localities within Orhei and Lower Dniester national parks are also planned, along with information activities on protected-area management and biodiversity conservation,” EcoContact states.


The project is being implemented by BIOTICA association and EcoContact and is funded by the Austrian Development Agency as part of Austria International Partnerships.