Moldova declares hydrological emergency amid severe river water shortages

hydrological crisis water scarcity Dniester River Prut River Moldova drought

Moldova has declared a 60-day state of emergency in the hydrological and energy sectors due to a severe water crisis affecting major rivers, including the Dniester (Nistru) and Prut. The crisis is driven by a lack of precipitation in the Carpathian Mountains and a significant drop in water levels in Ukraine's Novodnestrovsk reservoir, which has fallen from 121.5 meters to below 111 meters.

On the Dniester, a Red Code warning has been issued for the sector between Naslavcea and Camenca, where water flow has dropped to approximately 15% of the multi-annual average. The Cosăuți water intake station, which supplies Bălți and other northern regions, has seen a water level drop of 10-15 centimeters. While Minister of Environment Gheorghe Hajder states there is no immediate danger to the population's water supply, authorities have urged rational water consumption.

The Prut River is also facing critical conditions. The water level in the Costești-Stânca reservoir has dropped by 1.28 meters in a single month, falling from 83.5 meters to 82.22 meters. Consequently, authorities have reduced the water discharge into the Prut to 14 m³/s to preserve remaining reserves. This river is a primary water source for several districts, including Glodeni, Fălești, Leova, Ungheni, Cahul, and Cantemir.

Entities

Costești-Stânca Reservoir · Cosăuți water intake station · Gheorghe Hajder · Ministry of Environment · Ministry of Environment of Moldova · Naslavcea · Nistru River · Nistrul River · Novodnestrovsk Lake · Novodnestrovsk Reservoir · Ocnița District · Prut River

Claims

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

[● 4 SOURCES] The reduction in water flow is most acute in the upper sector of the Nistru, up to the Dubăsari reservoir. albasat.md · tv8.md · safenews.md
[● 4 SOURCES] A Red Code warning has been issued for the Nistru river sector between Naslavcea and Camenca. safenews.md · moldova1.md · radiomoldova.md
[DISPUTED] The water level in Lake Novodnestrovsk in Ukraine has dropped from 121.5 meters to below 111 meters. albasat.md · tv8.md · ziar.md · www.prensa-latina.cu
[● 3 SOURCES] Reduced water flow in the Nistru, Prut, and most small rivers is expected to persist until October 2. moldova1.md · safenews.md
[● 5 SOURCES] The water level at the Cosăuți intake station has dropped by approximately 10-15 centimeters. ziar.md · albasat.md · tv8.md
[● 4 SOURCES] There is currently no immediate danger to the water supply for the population. ziar.md · albasat.md · tv8.md
[● 5 SOURCES] The water level in the Costești-Stânca reservoir has dropped by 1.28 meters in one month. democracy.md · politik.md · telegraph.md · tvrmoldova.md · www.zdg.md
[● 2 SOURCES] Moldova has declared a 60-day state of emergency in the hydrological and energy sectors. tvrmoldova.md · voceabasarabiei.md