Communities on both banks of the Nistru River will receive support to implement local initiatives in areas such as climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and improving energy efficiency, IPN reports.

At the same time, women who wish to start and develop environmentally friendly businesses will be encouraged, along with their involvement in local decision-making processes related to climate resilience. All these efforts are part of the project “Resilient Communities through Women’s Empowerment (Phase Two),” implemented by UNDP and funded by Sweden and Norway, benefiting 34 communities on both sides of the Nistru River.

“The project promotes multidimensional well-being by facilitating access to financial resources and opportunities to adopt more sustainable practices with a lower environmental impact, especially for women,” said Katarina Fried, Sweden’s Ambassador to Moldova, during the event where partnership certificates were awarded to the selected communities.

“We are confident that these 34 localities on both banks of the Nistru will succeed in bringing together community members and women-led businesses, working towards implementing climate-resilient and energy-efficient solutions,” stated Seher Ariner, UNDP Moldova’s Deputy Resident Representative.

Communities can receive up to $40,000 in funding for projects. Additionally, women agricultural producers in these localities will be eligible for goods and services worth up to $20,000, while women with household-level businesses can access support of up to $6,000, with each category contributing between 5% and 10% of the total project cost.