Anatolie Risina, Dumitru Drumea, Key priorities for national MAB and IHP committees in Moldova Venice, 16-17 December 2021 Overall responsibility for the views and opinions expressed in the slides is taken by the authors

1. Key priorities for national MAB
and IHP committees in Moldova
- To contribute to the nutrient reduction activities, develop relevant case-studies with
best practices on nutrient reduction for the biosphere reserve and adjacent areas
- Educational and training programs on adaptation to climate change as well as on other
cross-sectoral issues like hydromorphological alterations, pollution with organic and
toxic substances etc.
- Knowledge sharing on benefits of ecosystem services for social and economic
development in the region “Lower Prut” with further dissemination of obtained results
in other parts of the country
- International and regional cooperation with biosphere reserves (networks) on best
practices in management of the sites as well as development of joint programs including
monitoring of water ecosystem

2. Areas for collaboration between IHP and MAB
programs
- Strengthening of capacities of local public, sectoral, civil society authorities etc to plan activities relevant to
the status of the biosphere reserve and water management objectives (nutrient reduction, wetland
restoration et
- involvement of different stakeholders in the management of the cross-sectoral issues (climate change,
hydromorphology, organic pollution etc) on local/regional level. Creation of local networks/partnerships
with different actors on these topics.
- Development of joint educational and training programs, relevant case-studies and projects in different
domains of water and biosphere reserve management.
- Involvement of different level of authorities and relevant stakeholders in planning of activities in biosphere
and water resources management: planning of local agendas, stakeholder analysis (including need
analysis), preparing of the list of project files needed to improve the state of environment etc
- Nationallocal level
- Organizing of the joint target oriented planning events for planning of common projects on cross-cutting
issues, supporting of public initiatives on management of water resources based on the ecosystem services,
presentation of best practices on these issues from other biosphere sites
- Development of recommendations on the use of biosphere reserve resources for social and economic
development in the region with further dissemination of results in other parts of the country

3. Key challenges for water resources management in
the Lower Prut biosphere reserve
• Nutrient reduction as well as pollution with organic and toxic
substances (oil fields)
• Climate change. Droughts frequence increased fro last 25-30 years
• Siltation of the water ecosystems of the Beleu and Manta lakes
• Improvement of the connectivity of main river (Prut) with wetlands
• Selection of the most appropriate sites for floodplain and habitat
restoration, especially on small rivers entering to the Prut river
• Insufficient capacities of local communities to plan and support
efficient functioning of water ecosystems as well as use of the
ecosystem services in social and economic development

4. Best practices/innovative solutions for water
resources management implemented in the
biosphere reserve
• Forestation of the ravine areas adjacent to the biosphere reserve to
reduce superficial runoff from agricultural lands and thus reduce
nutrient loads (activities affected by COVID-19)
• Estimation of nutrient loads reaching water ecosystems. Based on
that a number of activities to reduce nutrients could be proposed to
local communities