The issue of surface waters represents one of the most persistent and sensitive environmental challenges in the Republic of Moldova, with a direct impact on public health, environmental quality, and the sustainable development of local communities. Small rivers, lakes, ponds, and their adjacent areas are affected by pollution, physical degradation, lack of maintenance, and the uncontrolled use of nearby land. In many localities, these issues also affect the quality of well water, which remains the primary source of water for the rural population.
In this context, youth engagement in addressing environmental issues and in local decision-making processes is becoming increasingly relevant. Beyond their role as beneficiaries, young people can act as active agents of change, contributing ideas, community initiatives, and civic pressure for sustainable solutions. Their participation in practical projects, such as cleaning small rivers and rehabilitating riverbanks, can foster responsible behavior and ecological awareness.
The CRPE report Water Protection in the Republic of Moldova: Youth Engagement and Good Practices – Public Policy Analysis aims to examine the actual level of youth involvement in surface water issues, to analyze the relevant policy and legislative framework in the Republic of Moldova, and to highlight the main causes and consequences of the degradation of these ecosystems. The analysis is based on survey data, youth perceptions, discussions with representatives of public authorities, youth institutions, and non-governmental organizations, as well as on the review of existing strategic and legislative documents.
The issue of surface waters
In the context of climate change, the Republic of Moldova is among the most vulnerable countries in Europe, particularly due to its limited drinking water resources and low forest coverage, which accounts for just over 11% of the country’s territory compared to the European average of 35%. Each year, the country experiences intense droughts, heatwaves, and localized flooding. These challenges directly affect residents, quality of life, and long-term development prospects.
Water quality in the Republic of Moldova reveals systemic vulnerabilities at both groundwater and surface water levels. More than 75% of public wells are contaminated, primarily due to nitrates and microbiological pollution. In the Dniester basin, water degradation is driven by the lack of wastewater treatment plants, household discharges, manure waste, and the intensive use of nitrogen- and phosphorus-based fertilizers, with consequences for potability, eutrophication, and aquatic biodiversity. Of the 156 wastewater treatment plants in the Right Bank Dniester River Basin, only 16% operate in compliance with standards, while 59% discharge insufficiently treated water and 25% are non-functional. Although the Ministry of Environment maintains that the current state of the Dniester River does not pose an immediate risk, the case of the Ichel River illustrates a severe form of microbiological and chemical pollution caused by untreated wastewater, with direct effects on ecosystems and public health.
The role of youth in environmental protection processes
Youth involvement in environmental protection remains concentrated primarily in ad hoc actions rather than in decision-making processes. In practice, young people are mainly engaged through volunteering, clean-up campaigns, afforestation, environmental education, and local projects, while their presence in consultation, planning, and public policy formulation processes remains limited. Existing instruments (grants, advisory support, and the mobilization of youth organizations) support initiatives but do not yet establish stable mechanisms for institutional participation.
At the same time, local experiences indicate that youth interest can increase when environmental topics are presented in an accessible manner and connected to everyday life. However, participation remains constrained by weak communication from authorities, barriers to accessing consultations, and formats that are not adapted to young audiences.
Good practices in riverbank development and their impact
There are, nevertheless, positive examples: in localities such as Ialoveni, Căplani, Coșnița, and Cîșlița-Prut, initiatives have been implemented for the rehabilitation of watercourses, ecological clean-up, planting, and riverbank development, with the participation of youth, local authorities, and the community. These interventions demonstrate that local capacity for environmental protection actions exists.
Leveraging youth engagement in water-related issues
There is clear potential for youth involvement in decision-making regarding surface water management, yet this remains underutilized. Public consultations are often poorly promoted, difficult to access, and insufficiently adapted to the channels and language preferred by young people, resulting in participation that is largely formal. By contrast, local experiences show that engagement is effective when there are clear structures, practical formats, and genuine responsibility granted to young people. The issue is that most of these initiatives remain sporadic and dependent on projects, grants, and local mobilization, rather than being embedded in a broader and permanent framework for participation.
Recommendations for youth engagement in surface water management
1. Establishing genuine mechanisms for youth consultation
- Creating local youth councils for water and environment in each locality, with formal representation in decision-making processes related to surface water management;
- Involving young people in the design of water protection and development projects;
- Developing digital and interactive platforms that enable youth to understand decision-making processes and actively participate in consultations on water resources.
2. Education, civic participation, and active youth engagement
- Organizing workshops, training sessions, and practical simulations on issues related to surface water pollution, conservation, and sustainable management;
- Integrating modules on civic participation and water resource management into schools, youth centers, and environmental clubs;
- Organizing practical activities such as monitoring local water quality, riverbank clean-ups, and recycling patrols in proximity to water bodies;
- Transforming young people into local ambassadors of water policies, in order to increase community impact and civic responsibility toward water protection.
3. Water education and ecological awareness
- Introducing ecological education in schools, high schools, and universities, with a focus on surface water rehabilitation, pollution reduction, and habits related to saving and reusing rainwater;
- Organizing awareness campaigns and community activities aimed at fostering responsible attitudes toward rivers and riparian areas and preventing surface water pollution;
- Implementing monitoring and reporting programs on pollution at the level of households, schools, and communities, involving youth in identifying local problems and formulating practical solutions;
- Promoting water conservation and reuse by encouraging water reuse practices in households, institutions, and small agricultural enterprises.
