The IPN news agency has identified some of the problems of Chisinau municipality and asked the candidates for the position of capital’s mayor how they intend to solve them.
Vladimir Turcanu, the candidate of the Romanian Popular Party, believes that green spaces have become a problem for the Chisinau municipality because of the building permits granted arbitrarily by the City Hall, but also because of the faulty way in which the Association of green spaces management is organized. Another cause, says the candidate, is the corruption in the City Hall, but also the lack of respect on the part of the people towards nature and their peers who clean the city.
Vladimir Turcanu believes that an assessment of the real situation of green spaces is needed, based on a complex analysis, including the impact that irresponsible management of green areas has on people. The candidate thinks that the stolen municipal properties could be restored through trial, with the help of the City Hall's lawyers and environmentalists. He also argues that the city needs a long-term green space development strategy that would provide accurate financial resources.
His electoral program envisages the rehabilitation of parks, lakes in the municipality, encouraging the use of ecological alternatives for transport. It also aims to reduce industrial pollution and the pollution caused by construction sites and to ensure energy efficiency. In his opinion, it is important to stop any transactions with the land plots in the capital's parks.
Serghei Toma, the candidate of Working People Political Party, says that the problem of green spaces arose in the absence of an inventory concept of green spaces, which would classify the number of green areas and the condition of trees, envisaging some agro-technical protection measures. The candidate notes the lack of regulations for the creation, maintenance and protection of the surfaces intended for green spaces, but also the lack of a Strategy for the development of surfaces intended for green spaces and corridors in the context of climate change.
Sergei Toma believes that the problem can be solved by drastic measures, such as the ban on tree clearing apart from the dry and damaged ones. Likewise, by establishing a moratorium on tree clearing until the inventory of green plantations and the development of safety and protection regulations on surfaces intended for green spaces. The candidate pleads to include the results of the inventory in the Local Registry of green spaces in order to prevent the reduction of surfaces destined to green spaces provided by the legislation.
Sergei Toma says the expansion of green spaces in the capital can be achieved by reducing asphalted and paved areas. A solution, in his opinion, would be to organize the ecological education of citizens regarding the growth, development and sustainable protection of the green plantations of the city for the next generations.
