Managing the Dniester
Ukraine and Moldova are united not just by common borders and a long history of friendly ties, but also by the Dniester River basin, whose waters serve as a life-giving resource for more than ten million people in the two countries. The Dniester River is one of the largest transboundary rivers in Eastern Europe. It originates in the Ukrainian Carpathians and flows through the Republic of Moldova before it again reaches Ukraine near the Black Sea.
About seven million people live within the Dniester basin, and more than five million of them are in Ukraine. The Dniester and its tributaries are the principal source of water supply for agriculture, industry and population centres in both countries, including Moldova’s capital city, Chisinau. Outside the basin itself, another 3.5 million people use water from the river, including residents of the Ukrainian port city of Odessa.
Managing waters in a transboundary basin is rarely an easy task. It requires an approach that considers the problems and needs of the basin as a whole, regardless of geographical location or the jurisdiction of individual agencies. At the same time, mechanisms and agreements need to be equitable and context-specific, taking local traditions and conditions into account. Trust, political will and national ownership are important factors.
At the present time, thanks to the Dniester, there is no shortage of water in the region as a whole, although during low rainfall and droughts the demand for water in some areas may be difficult to meet. But with the economies developing in Moldova and Ukraine and climate change putting additional stress on the water resources, the future looks less certain. Already today, the river is suffering from pollution, declining biodiversity, floods and sometimes conflicting water needs. The unresolved Transdniestrian conflict adds further complexity.
According to the recently endorsed Strategic Framework for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Dniester River Basin, the uncertainty is compounded by the fact that a shift in climatic conditions is expected to affect the volume and seasonal distribution of the river flow, increase the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts and lead to the challenges associated with water scarcity, including the deterioration of water quality and ecosystems in the Dniester basin. Such impacts pose a potential risk to the security of millions of people living in the river basin or otherwise relying on water from the Dniester.
A basin-wide approach
In Soviet times the Dniester River basin was managed as a united system, but after independence Moldova and Ukraine regarded their parts separately until 1994, when they signed a bilateral agreement on the use and protection of water resources in the basin. However, the agreement concerned only water use in the boundary area and did not cover biological river resources or ecological systems. Its implementation, in the main, involved only a small group of state officials from the water sector.
Basin-wide management of the Dniester began to develop as of 2004. In that year, Moldova and Ukraine requested the OSCE and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to facilitate transboundary co-operation in the Dniester River basin. Since then, within the framework of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) the two organizations have conducted a whole series of projects in the areas of flood management, protection of biodiversity, including fish diversity, transboundary monitoring, information and data sharing and public awareness raising, supported in part by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), also an ENVSEC member. The projects have been implemented jointly with the Ministries of Environment of Moldova and Ukraine, water agencies and other relevant authorities of both countries.
A milestone achievement was the Transboundary Diagnostic Study of the Dniester River Basin in autumn 2005. This assessment of the basin’s geography, natural resources, ecological status and priority environmental issues led to the development and implementation of a Programme of Action for improving water resources management.
Most importantly, the evolving co-operation resulted in the negotiation and signing by Moldova and Ukraine of the bilateral Treaty on Co-operation on the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Dniester River Basin (Dniester Treaty) on 29 November 2012 in Rome. The Treaty has already been ratified by Moldova and its ratification by Ukraine is expected in the nearest future.
The Dniester Treaty broadens the existing co-operation to cover the entire river basin and all major sectors. It is also an important instrument for Moldova and Ukraine for implementing their obligations under the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes and their commitments within the framework of relevant OSCE policy documents. These include: the 2007 Madrid Declaration on Environment and Security; Ministerial Council (MC) Decision No. 7/07: Follow-up to the Fifteenth Economic and Environmental Forum: Water Management; MC Decision No. 9/08: Follow-up to the Sixteenth Economic and Environmental Forum on Maritime and Inland Waterways Co-operation; and MC Decision No. 6/14: Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction. The Treaty will also contribute to the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive by both countries.
Climate change adaptation
Improving resilience to climate change has been an important part of the OSCE/UNECE projects within the framework of ENVSEC. The Working Group on Flood Management and Climate Change Adaptation in the Dniester River Basin was established in 2010 to review their progress, recommend further activities, decide on project-related measures and communicate achievements nationally and internationally.
The Working Group is notable for its inclusivity. Members are nominated by Moldova’s Ministry of Environment, Ukraine’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and water agencies and hydro-meteorological services of both countries. The group includes representatives of sectoral agencies dealing, for instance, with hydroenergy and emergency management, the scientific community and civil society. Representatives of relevant regional and international organizations also take part in the meetings.
From 2010 to 2014, at the request of both countries, the Working Group oversaw the implementation of measures under a major project to reduce vulnerability to extreme floods and climate change: detailed flood risk modelling and mapping in selected vulnerable areas, flood risk communication as well as installation of several monitoring stations in the upper part of the Dniester River. A basin-wide vulnerability assessment, also prepared under this project, made it possible to plan for climate change adaptation measures that span the area as a whole.
These are now being implemented under the ambitious multi-regional climate change project, Climate Change and Security in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus. It is an OSCE-led ENVSEC project funded by the European Union Instrument for Stability and the Austrian Development Agency. Basin-wide measures agreed by the countries are improving data and information exchange for climate change adaptation, restoring and conserving ecosystems and, importantly, raising awareness of the implications of climate change. An example is reforestation, which helps to restore ecosystem productivity, protect watersheds and reduce the likelihood of flooding. A total of 14,000 seedlings have been planted: near the village Glinnoye on Turunchuk Island in Transdnistria/Moldova and on the banks of the Kuchurgan, the Hlybokyy Turunchuk and the Lower Dniester in Ukraine.
Not only is this project generating measures that are benefiting the whole basin, it has also produced, thanks to the joint work of experts from both sides of the border facilitated by the OSCE and the UNECE, the Strategic Framework for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Dniester River Basin. There are currently only a few such strategies existing in the world. It was endorsed by Moldova and Ukraine and launched at the High-Level Event on Climate Change and Transboundary Co-operation in the Dniester River Basin on 23 April 2015 in Kyiv.
Disaster risk reduction
Under another ENVSEC project jointly implemented by the OSCE and UNEP, a group of 16 representatives of environmental authorities and environmental experts from Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine visited Switzerland in September 2015 to learn about this country’s good practices in restoring ecosystems in flood-prone areas. This valuable experience will help to increase the potential for ecosystem restoration in order to mitigate flood risks in the transboundary river basins in Eastern Europe, including the Dniester basin. As part of the broader efforts undertaken by the OSCE to address various aspects of water governance, this project also contributes to the implementation of the Ministerial Council Decision on Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction, adopted at the 2014 Ministerial Council in Basel.
What’s next?
These successes, brought about by patience and perseverance, will require nurturing. A lot has been done, but there is still a lot to do, first and foremost by the countries directly concerned, Ukraine and Moldova. Once it enters into force, the Dniester Treaty will need to be implemented. This means establishing a bilateral river basin commission to facilitate the sustainable use and protection of the river basin and to support flood protection. It also means finding funding to support the operation of the commission and its working groups.
The Strategic Framework for Adaptation to Climate Change will also need to be implemented, according to a plan that the OSCE and UNECE are currently developing with the two countries. Its translation into action will significantly enhance the adaptive capacity of the Dniester basin, contribute to the implementation of the new Dniester Treaty following its entry into force and facilitate the implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive and other relevant international commitments of both Moldova and Ukraine. The OSCE-supported long-term work in the Dniester River basin supports global endeavours to address climate change, advance sustainable development and reduce disaster risks. It contributes to a sustainable and secure future for millions of people and precious ecosystems in this unique region and beyond.
Leonid Kalashnyk is Environmental Programme Officer in the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. Ursula Froese is the Editor of Security Community.