At Parliament’s first meeting after the summer recess, the Communist-Socialist group will formally request the appearance of Government representatives, including from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, to hear their position and policies in relation to the Nistru River. In particular, the lawmakers are concerned by the development of a hydropower complex on the Ukrainian side, just kilometers north of the shared border.

Com-Soc MP Elena Bodnarenko, chair of the Environment Commission, recalled during a press briefing Monday that Ukraine’s energy strategy envisages building a string of six hydropower plants on the upper Nistru. According to the lawmaker, the existing hydropower complex on the shared river has already proved to be detrimental to the lower Nistru. “The construction of these new hydropower plants will mean a significant reduction in discharge, the degradation of ecosystems, depletion of fauna and flora, especially birds and fish species, of wetlands. For the population, this will mean the loss of ecosystem services that the river has to offer today”, stated Elena Bodnarenko.

According to expert estimates cited by the Com-Soc lawmaker, the addition of two generators alone to the Novodnistrovsk Complex caused a drop in the river discharge from 10 to 7 cubic kilometers. In recent decades, the environmental situation of the Nistru River has worsened dramatically due to hydropower developments, says Bodnarenko. One such consequence is the decreased ability of the river to cleanse itself, as demonstrated by a significant increase in aquatic vegetation and loss of biodiversity.

Com-Soc lawmaker Vlad Batrîncea stated during the same press briefing that the Nistru situation should be the top priority on the bilateral agenda with Ukraine. “This artery is in danger and it is of great importance not only for our socio-economic security, but also for our national security (…) We don’t understand why the authorities are silent about it and pretend that this problem does not exist, as Ukraine is consolidating their hydropower sector,” stated Vlad Batrîncea.

The MP also said that Moldova must do everything possible to make the Ukrainian partners scrap their hydropower plans on the upper Nistru.