During a training organized by the Millennium Challenge Account Moldova and the Ministry of Environment on 4-5 December, 2013, in the context of activities of Compact Program, representatives of central public authorities responsible for the management of water sources in the country will learn how to plan an effective management of the Dniester river basin district that includes the Dniester River and its tributaries. Representatives of all authorities responsible for the condition and the management of water sources were invited to the training: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Agency, “Apele Moldovei” Agency, the State Hydro-meteorological Service, Agency for Geology and Mineral Resources, Fisheries Service, National Public Health Center, the Agency for Land Relations and Cadastre, Civil Protection and Emergencies Service, Institute of Ecology and Institute for Geology and Seismology. 
In the opening speech, the Deputy Minister of Environment Valentina Tapis explained that the River basin district management plan would be the main tool for the management of water resources, protection and efficient use of water resources and related ecosystems of the river basin district.
The development of river basis in districts’ management plans is provided for by the Water Law, which entered into force at the end of October 2013. According to the new law, the river basin district is the main unit responsible for the management of surface water and groundwater, and in Moldova there are two river basin districts: the district of the Dniester river basin and the district of the Danube -Prut Rivers and the Black Sea basins.
On November 29, 2013 the Ministry of Environment published the announcement on the initiation of development of the Dniester River Basin District Management Plan and the Management Plan for the Danube-Prut and the Black sea basin districts. This included the following:
1) The priority aspects that are to be approached and the objectives to be accomplished through the Management Plan;
2) The stages and the terms for Management Plan development;
3) Procedures for consulting stakeholders.
In the following period, public consultation on the issues covered by the announcement will be conducted. At the same time, the analysis of the state of water resources, as well as delimitation and classification of water bodies; formulation of environment objectives etc will continue.
“As this is the first time experience of developing Water Basin District Management Plan for Moldova, we believe the workshop initiated with the specialists of public authorities concerned with environmental monitoring will contribute to a deeper understanding of key issues and the river basin district management plan itself will be the main tool for the management of water resources, for protection and efficient use of water resources and related ecosystems”- the Deputy Minister Valentina Tapis pointed.
The trainees were assigned the task of initiating the development of environment objectives that would concern the condition of surface water, groundwater and protected areas of the river basin district in order to protect, improve and restore water bodies. At the same time, the workshop aims to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the following issues:
- The goal of the planning activity in the river basin district
- analysis and particularities of the water sources status;
- Monitoring network assessment;
- Economic issues related to water use;
- Pressure – impact analysis;
- Formulation of environment objectives.
Note: Improving water management is part of the irrigation sector reform carried out under the Compact Program. The Compact Program of the Millennium Challenge Corporation is implemented by the Millennium Challenge Account Moldova and has a total value of USD 262 million, provided due to the generous support for poverty reduction and economic growth in Moldova from the American people.
