President about hydrological crisis: We now all have one responsibility: to ensure that people have tap water

President Maia Sandu is warning about the sharp decline in water levels in the Dniester and Prut rivers and is calling on the Government, mayors’ offices, and the responsible institutions to take measures to ensure the water supply of localities. In a post, the head of state drew attention to the fact that drought could become a recurring problem amid climate change.


“Water is becoming an increasingly pressing issue for the Republic of Moldova. Drought has led to dramatic declines in water levels in both the Dniester and the Prut,” Maia Sandu wrote.


According to the president, in several localities in Ukraine, water is already being supplied according to a schedule due to the low water level of the Dniester. She noted that the water level in the Novodnistrovsk reservoir has fallen by more than 10 meters and reached a critical threshold.


“A decision was also made on the Prut River to reduce the water discharge to 14 m³/s, because there are only 72 cm left until the level at which water will no longer be able to be discharged through the hydrotechnical system,” the head of state said.


Maia Sandu noted that several localities in the Ungheni, Cahul, Cantemir, Glodeni, Fălești, and Leova districts are supplied with water from the Prut.


“The Government, together with the mayors’ offices and the responsible institutions in the field, must find common solutions to prevent a crisis,” the president said.


She called for the necessary works to be carried out at water intake stations, as well as for alternative water sources to be identified and prepared for use.


“We now all have one responsibility: to ensure that people have water from the tap,” Maia Sandu emphasized.


The head of state maintains that the authorities must also prepare for a situation in which periods of drought become more frequent.


“In the medium and long term, we must prepare for a reality in which periods of drought will become more frequent, and water will become an increasingly difficult resource to secure,” she wrote.


The measures indicated by the president include adapting water intake infrastructure, reusing water wherever possible, creating reserves, reducing losses in distribution networks, and using resources more efficiently.

Maia Sandu also linked water resource management to environmental protection. “Forests help the soil retain water, reduce erosion, and contribute to replenishing water reserves,” she said, adding that the authorities will continue afforestation, the protection of existing forests, and the restoration of wetlands and ecosystems near rivers.


“We must take better care of the Dniester and Prut basins and of the smaller rivers, because our water depends on this,” the head of state also said.


Maia Sandu also addressed the issue of water resources at the meeting of the National Security Council on September 21. At the time, the president stated that the water inflow into the Dniester was “alarmingly low,” while the level of the Novodnistrovsk reservoir had reached a historic minimum. For the period from September 1 to 20, the average inflow into the reservoir was 23 m³/s, compared with the 100–120 m³/s normally characteristic of this period. 


“The water problem cannot be solved in one year or through a single measure,” Maia Sandu concluded, emphasizing that the authorities must manage the current situation while also building a system capable of ensuring access to water “in 10, 20, or 30 years.”


As of Saturday, September 26, the Republic of Moldova entered a state of emergency in the energy and hydrological sectors. This will remain in effect for 60 days and was instituted to allow the authorities to take rapid action to ensure that citizens have access to energy resources and water.