The results of the implementation of the project to develop protected areas in the Republic of Moldova for the period May 1, 2025–April 30, 2026 were presented at a meeting of the Supervisory Committee, according to the MOLDPRES news agency. Funded by the Austrian Development Agency as part of the Austrian International Partnerships program and implemented from 2023 to 2027 by the non-profit organization “BIOTICA” and the non-profit organization EcoContact, the initiative focuses on the “Orhei” (including the “Orheiul Vechi” Cultural-Natural Reserve), the “Lower Dniester” National Park, and the “Codrii” Nature Reserve, integrating investments in social infrastructure, habitat restoration, and institutional modernization.
In the community infrastructure sector, in the Ștefan Vodă district, the pumping systems at two artesian wells in Purcari and Viișoara were rehabilitated, the water reservoir in Viișoara was renovated, and a new 25-cubic-meter reservoir was installed in Olănești. In the village of Săseni, illegal dumps were cleaned up, equipment for collecting and baling plastic was installed, two 730-meter storm drains were constructed, and the local springs flowing into the Cula River were cleaned. In Donici, 366 household waste containers were distributed and protective fences were installed around public water reservoirs; similar work is continuing in Crocmaz, Răscăieți, and Copanca. Small-scale restoration programs include measures approved in Cioburciu, Plop-Știubei, Tudora, Crocmaz, Talmaza, Neculaieuca, Trebujeni, and Lozova, including the restoration of the Pilgrim’s Fountain at Hirova Monastery and initiatives within the “Orheiul Vechi” Nature Reserve. In the fall of 2025, afforestation projects were carried out in Talmaza, Plop-Știubei, Tudora, and Orheiul Vechi, along with compensatory replanting following the drought in Răscăieți, Talmaza, Cîrnățeni, and Palanca. Regarding the conservation and monitoring component, an automatic weather station connected to the national network was installed at “Orheiul Vechi,” and in the “Nistrul de Jos” Park a team of seven experts completed assessments covering an area of approximately 62,000 hectares to develop the management plan, and in the “Codrii” Reserve, 310 artificial nesting boxes were installed for rare bird species. In terms of regulatory measures, in partnership with ProPark Romania and the Ministry of the Environment, professional competency registers, management guidelines, the draft of the new nature conservation law, and the documentation for the Register of Protected Natural Areas, aligned with the requirements of the Emerald Network and Natura 2000.