Dniester and Prut rivers face critical water level declines

water crisis Dniester River Novodnestrovsk reservoir drought Moldova water supply

Moldova and Ukraine are facing a severe hydrological crisis as water levels in the Dniester and Prut rivers decline to critical lows. The Novodnestrovsk reservoir has dropped by more than 10 meters, reaching a level of approximately 111 meters, well below its normal 121.5-meter mark. This deficit is driven by low inflows from the upper basin in the Carpathians and western Ukraine.

In Ukraine, the situation has already forced some localities to implement scheduled water delivery due to the low Dniester levels. Ukrainian authorities have informed Moldova that they cannot increase water discharge from the Novodnestrovsk reservoir without risking the total exhaustion of local reserves, as natural inflow has dropped to approximately 27 cubic meters per second.

In Moldova, the water level at the Cosăuți intake station has fallen to 2.16 meters, threatening supplies to northern regions including Bălți, Soroca, and Florești. On the Prut River, water discharge has been reduced to 14 cubic meters per second to protect remaining reserves. President Maia Sandu has called for urgent government action to identify alternative water sources and prepare infrastructure for a future where such droughts may become more frequent due to climate change.

Chișinău Mayor Ion Ceban has requested the acceleration of construction for a new water intake station at Vadul lui Vodă, a project supported by the German government through KfW, to bolster the water supply for the capital and surrounding districts.

Entities

Dniester River · Gheorghe Hajder · Ion Ceban · Maia Sandu · Mihail Horev · Ministry of Environment · Nistru River · Novodnestrovsk Reservoir · Petru Vinari · Prut River · Republic of Moldova · Ukraine

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] The water level at the Cosăuți intake station has dropped to approximately 2.16 meters. radiomoldova.md · tvrmoldova.md
[● 9 SOURCES] Some localities in Ukraine are already receiving water on a scheduled basis due to low Dniester levels. tv8.md · ziar.md · radioorhei.media · radiochisinau.md · www.zdg.md
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Vadul lui Vodă water intake station is the most vulnerable infrastructure in current conditions.
[● 5 SOURCES] President Maia Sandu called for joint action to prevent a water crisis. tv8.md · ziar.md
[● 4 SOURCES] Water flow on the Prut River has been reduced to 14 cubic meters per second. tv8.md
[● 7 SOURCES] The water level in the Novodnestrovsk reservoir has fallen by more than 10 meters. tv8.md · ziar.md · www.zdg.md
[○ 1 SOURCE] Ion Ceban requested the acceleration of works for the new water intake station at Vadul lui Vodă. democracy.md
[● 4 SOURCES] The natural inflow to the Novodnestrovsk reservoir has dropped to 27 cubic meters per second. radioorhei.media · ziar.md · radiochisinau.md · www.zdg.md