Focusing on the Prut River Basin
Focusing on the Prut River Basin
The Prut River is the last major tributary of the Danube, with its confluence just upstream of the Danube Delta – but several programmes in three countries are working to make river basin management in the Prut Basin priority.
The Prut River is the second longest and last major tributary of the Danube. Its source is located in the forests of the Ukrainian Carpathians, and the Prut forms the border between Romania and Moldova.
A number of initiatives are currently taking place across the Prut River Basin. From workshops to case studies, there is a focus on strengthening the capacity of the Prut River Basin countries, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine, all contracting parties to the ICPDR, to develop the necessary steps regarding the development of Prut River Basin management.
The concept of cross border cooperation as already implemented in other regions in the Danube River Basin (e.g. Sava, Tisza) offers a much wider scope for the exchange of data and information, methodologies and best practices, especially with regard to the integrated development of shared basin and nutrient reduction. A small project, the UNDP/GEF DRP – Prut River Basin Management Case Study, will assist the Prut River Basin countries with the initiation of a regional approach to the development of the river basin management plan, in line with the EU WFD and the countries’ commitments to the ICPDR. In addition, the project is raising awareness on issues such as pollution from agriculture, helping to change consumer behaviour with regard to phosphate containing detergents and generally improving local stakeholder involvement in environmental issues.
Growing through shared experience. Building on the experience in the Tisza Basin for support by UNDP/GEF and the EC for a project to assist with the implementation of the WFD and the ICPDR’s flood action plan, the countries of the Prut basin have submitted a proposal to build on the initial work conducted by the DRP. It is expected that the ‘PDF-A’ project will lead to a larger ‘Medium Sized Project’ (similar to the one expected to begin soon on the Tisza) in about a year.
With the support of experts from Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Germany and Slovakia two workshops have been held on WFD implementation in Moldova and Ukraine in October and November. These ICPDR –UNDP/GEF DRP meetings were opportunity for all the experts to share their experiences and collectively work to identify priorities for the next steps on implementing the directive.
Getting the public involved. Five NGOs are working on a range of activities supported by the UNDP/GEF DRP Small Grant Programme in the Prut Basin. The one Romanian and four Moldovan organisations are actively developing and implementing programmes on nutrient reduction (e.g. best agricultural practices), awareness raising for the public on environmental issues and providing educational material for schools.
Additional future programmes include the incorporation of the protected areas in the lower Prut Basin within a UNESCO ‘Man and Biosphere’ (MAB) programme and linking this with parallel MABs in Ukraine and Romania in the Danube Delta.
The initiatives in the Prut River Basin are working toward a Prut River Basin Management Plan.
Click here to see the Prut River Basin map.
