The document discusses public participation in transboundary water management in Moldova. It notes that while Moldova has signed international agreements supporting public participation, national legislation does not specifically address transboundary waters. Non-governmental organizations play an active role in environmental monitoring and management of the Dniester River. However, public participation in transboundary water management is still limited, and better procedures and legal frameworks are needed to strengthen stakeholders' involvement in the process. Key challenges include improving access to information, increasing public awareness, and adopting a river basin approach to management.

1. Public Participation in Transboundary
issues in Moldova
Ilya Trombitsky
International Environmental Association of Dniester
River Keepers
Kisninev, Moldova
www.eco-tiras.org

2. Legal Framework for Public
Participation in Transboundary
issues in Moldova
- Aarhus Convention (from 2001);
- Helsinki Water Convention (from 1993);
- Law on access to Information (2000).
- The Concept of Water Policy (non-legally
binding), approved as Regulation of
Parliament (2003) provides some stakeholders
involvement and public participation but not
implemented.
- No specific PP requirements for
transboundary waters in national legislation.

3. Main legal acts regulating NGOs
in Moldova
• Constitution (1994);
• Civil Code (2002);
• Law on Civil Associations (1996);
• Law on Foundations (1999);
• Law on Protection of the Environment
(1993).

4. NGOs and their environment
• The number of NGOs in Moldova is about
3200, from them environmental ones –
about 300 (9%).
• NGOs can be national, international and
local.
• Legislation in Moldova is liberal and do not
creates obstacles for formation of NGOs.
The same is the practice of its application.

5. Examples of NGO involvement in
Dniester River Environment monitoring
& management
• Spheres of NGO activity:
- Biodiversity Conservation (evaluation of status,
development of Concept of National Ecologic Network)
- Formulation of necessity of Ramsar Status for Lower
Dniester Wetlands;
- Management plans for water protection zones;
- Substitution of the Lower Dniester National Park;
- Development of local ecological networks;
- Monitoring of water quality and sediments;
- Environmental education and research;
- Campaigns against unsustainable projects.

6. Multistakeholders’ approach and
public awareness
• Three big international conferences were
organized during last years to attract attention of
politicians, scientists, water users to the Dniester
River environmental problems
• 1998 (Biotica)
• 1999 (Biotica)
• 2004 (Eco-TIRAS)
• 1999 – Draft of the Dniester River Convention to
apply the IWRM to the river basin is proposed.

7. Institutialisation of NGOs River
Basin network
• Eco-TIRAS International Environmental Association of River
Keepers is established in 1999 by the group of Moldavian and
Ukrainian NGOs and registered in 2000 as an international non-
governmental association of NGOs of the Dniester River Basin.
In present it includes 46 NGOs.
• In 2003 in frames of the Fifth Pan-European Ministerial
Conference “Environment for Europe” the Side Event was
organized by Eco-TIRAS on the issue of Dniester Convention
draft.
• In 2004 the International Conference “Integrated Management
of the Transboundary Dniester River Basin” was organized
with participation of 160 people from Moldova and abroad.
• Also in 2004 the Second NGO Forum “Dniester-2004” was
organised by ‘Eco-TIRAS’. Information on site www.eco-tiras.
org.

8. Local NGOs along the Dniester
• There are a serious number of NGOs
working along the Dniester, which educate
the people, elaborate together with the
authorities local management plans,
develop eco- and agro-tourism and
promote sustainable development.

9. • From 2000 started a work to develop
environmental NGOs in Transdniestria. In
present they are 15. There are five Resource
Centers for NGOs in Transdniestria with access
to Internet and libraries. They all are members of
Eco-TIRAS. In 2001 NGO “Eco-Dniester” from
Tiraspol organised together with the university
the International Conference “Geo-ecologic and
Bio-ecological Problems of N.W. of Black Sea”.
• In September 2005 the Second such conference
will be organised in Transdniestria.

10. Transboundary Cooperation
• Moldavian NGOs permanently cooperates
with Ukrainian ones and jointly lobby
publiv benefit interests related to the
Dniester River.

11. PRIORITIES FOR DNIESTER
(From Resolution of Second Dniester River
NGO Forum, 2004)
• Modernisation of legal and institutional framework of Dniester River Basin
cooperation taking into consideration EU WFD and Helsinki Convention;
• Creation of Dniester River Basin Multistakeholder Forum as a consultative
body
• Development of the Strategic Action Plan for Dniester
• Creation of Database of ecological status of Dniester
• Coordination of natural uses policy in the Dniester River basin between
Moldova and Ukraine
• Creation of the Ecological Network of Dniester River basin;
• Development of the Network of Protected Areas in the Dniester River Basin
• Establishing of national parks in both states to protect Dniester River
Wetlands
• Creation of joint transboundary Ramsar sites and biosphere reserves under
bilateral management;
• Involvement of NGOs and local authorities in the Dniester River basin
actions planning and management;
• Strengthening of NGO river community.

12. Institutional arrangements for the
public participation in water
management
The only Water State Concern ‘Apele
Moldovei’ is involved in transboundary
water management. Public
participation is not reflected in its
activity. No website.
The institutional framework should be
changed especially to involve other
state agencies, water users and NGOs.

13. Level of public and stakeholders involvement
into transboundary water management in your
region
• The limited involvement of other state
agencies like Ministry of Environment,
Hydrometeo, Sanitary Service exists
during meetings of Plenipotentiaries.
Public is not presented there and not
informed about the results. The
Plenipotentiaries did not establish any
mechanisms to inform public.

14. Procedures for the public and stakeholders
involvement into transboundary water
management in Moldova
• In fact, the procedures of stakeholders
involvement in water management issues are
not established.
• Annual reports on the state of environment by
the National Ecological Institute under the
Ministry of Environment.
• Sporadic publishing of brochures and
newsletters by state authorities and NGOs.
• Proceedings of scientific conferences, initiated
mostly by NGOs

15. In Moldova already exist some tools / mechanisms of
public participation and information:
• Public information – publications, mailing-lists,
information centres etc. - developed
• Consultations – comments, interviews, public hearings
etc. – less developed
• Discussions – roundtables, conferences etc. - developed
• But:
• Joint decision-making – referendums, public councils
and bodies in the state authorities etc. – almost not
developed
• Independent decision-making – pubic functions of the
water users associations etc. – not developed
• NGO River Forums – developed, but weakly
• River Forums of all stakeholders – not developed

16. List of challenges facing the process of public and
stakeholders involvement in Moldova with
prioritization
• Strengthening of legal framework on stakeholders
involvement and PP in transboundary water resource
management
• Access to information (day to day information on river
status is not available for public)
• Public awareness (actions are sporadic and rare)
• Lack of river basin approach on national and
transboundary levels (no involvement of stakeholders)
• From consultation to participation
• To avoid misunderstanding of the role of public as low
prepared people to be consulted on primitive level.
• Liquidation of monopoly of water issue management by
one state agency

17. Policies, strategies and actions
• Information on river and water status should be open and
available to everybody by Internet and other sources.
• The joint transboundary body should arrange availability of all
own information.
• GIS for river basin should be developed.
• It has to be developed web sites of profile state agencies and
river commission.
• It has to be solved in spirit of Aarhus convention the issue of
access to primary data on water quality, quantity, hydrology
etc.
• NGO river basin associations should get access to information
and to be strengthened and involved in inter-governmental
river basin management structures. Creation of legal and
institutional conditions for constructive public participation.