
Moldova may receive about $ 15 million to combat drought in the south of the country.
This is provided for by a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment of Moldova, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Austrian Federal Environment Agency. In particular, the parties initiated a joint development of the project "Solutions for adaptation to climate change in the southern region of Moldova through ecosystem adaptation measures (EBA)", the estimated cost of which is about $ 15 million. The goal of the project is to reduce the risks associated with climate change for vulnerable rural communities in the southern region of Moldova through the protection and sustainable use of semi-arid ecosystems. “Climate change will have a significant impact on environmental degradation, thereby affecting all sectors of development in Moldova. Thus, the signed Memorandum provides the basis for constructive and effective cooperation between the sectoral department and development partners in order to obtain financial support from the Green Climate Fund aimed at preserving biodiversity and increasing the resilience of the population vulnerable to climate change in Moldova, ”said the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment of Moldova Ion Perju. At the same time, he noted that the project fits into the priorities of national policies in the field of climate change and biodiversity conservation. In turn, the head of the Chisinau Bureau for Coordination of Technical Cooperation of the Austrian Development Agency Gunther Zimmer said that the key issue that the project will solve is to increase the impact of climate change on natural ecosystems and water security in the south of Moldova. According to him, the Austrian Development Agency will act as an organization accredited by the Green Climate Fund for the mentioned project and will allocate 50 thousand euros for the development of a preliminary feasibility study and development of a project concept note for the Green Climate Fund. The project includes 3 components: Integration of Ecosystem Adaptation Measures (AbE); Ecosystem conservation; Climate control. The parties expressed a desire to strengthen institutional capacity for the management of climate resilient ecosystems, including through the active participation of central and local authorities. The estimated budget of the project is approximately $ 15 million, and the project implementation period is about 48 months. // 17.05.2021 — InfoMarket