The “Lower Prut” biosphere reserve will be founded in the Prut meadow. This will be over 14,700 hectares in area and will cover nine villages of Cahul district, namely: Crihana Veche, Manta, Vadul lui Isac, Colibasi, Branza, Valeni, Slobozia Mare, Caslita-Prut and Giurgiuleșsi, including 824 hectares of forests. A bill to create the reserve was adopted by MPs on July 13, IPN reports.

According to the bill authors, the goal of creating the first biosphere reserve in the Prut meadow is to reduce the losses of biodiversity and to improve the living standards of the population in the given area. The reserve will also become a means of attracting national and international investments that will enable to conserve biodiversity and to maintain and improve the quality of ecosystem services.

Among other goals are to restore the forests, meadows and pastures, to conserve water resources, to reduce the emissions of gas and chemical pollutants, to develop recreational activities and the tourism potential and to create opportunities for increasing the number of jobs in communities.

The “Lower Prut” biosphere reserve will be managed by the Forestry Agency “Moldsilva” and will be financed with special state budget funds, ecological funds, donations made by private individuals and legal entities, including foreign ones, and other sources.

The creation of the reserve is envisioned in the Romania – Ukraine – Republic of Moldova trilateral transfrontier project “Consolidation of the nature protected areas’ network for biodiversity protection and sustainable development in the Danube Delta and Lower Prut river region- PAN Nature”. The foundation of the reserve is supported by the EU through the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument.