The principles, rules and methods of managing water resources at the local level are described in a guide on the management of basins of small and medium-sized rivers that was presented by the Eco-TIRAS International Environmental Association of River Keepers. The publication describes the international and national experience and the best practices in managing small basins – the hydrographic basin and associated surface and underground waters.
Eco-TIRAS executive director Ilia Trombitski, in a news conference at IPN, said the guide helps to better understand problems related to water resources, in particular their management at the local level and mainly in the basins of small and medium-sized rivers. The guide is intended for the local public authorities, water users, civil society and future basin and sub-basin committees.
Ilia Trombitski noted the guidebook contains four main sections, with the first being mainly theoretical. This explains the concept of small river and depicts the characteristics of the hydrological cycle of such rivers, the impact of pollution sources and other anthropic influences on the quality of small rivers. The second, most important section, consists of instructions and recommendations concerning the formation of sub-basin committees for small and medium-sized rivers - registered or informal public associations that will become important organizational bodies for the management of water at the local level. The third section is a short guide that familiarizes the local public authorities with their duties, the taxes paid for their involvement in the management of local surface and underground waters. The last section presents the best local water resources management of and improvement practices.
At the same news conference, professor Roman Korobov, Doctor Habilitate in climate change problems, said degradation and anthropogenic transformation that often turn small rivers into simple water streams make them especially sensitive to variability and climate change. If measures are not taken, the existing problems could amplify. It goes mainly to the low quantity of water and worse quality of water, changes in the fundamental characteristics of the flow that can drastically change the ecological and hydrological characteristics of water.
The guide was worked out and published as part of the project “Development of Water Management Capacities in the Republic of Moldova at Local Level” that is implemented by the German NGO Independent Institute for Environmental Issues in partnership with the Eco-TIRAS International Environmental Association of River Keepers.
Karl Stracke, of the Berlin Independent Institute for Environmental Issues, in the conference said the project is based on the experience of a similar project implemented in Germany. In practical terms, the project’s objective is to reduce the negative impact of the human factor that generated negative changes. German experts came to the Republic of Moldova and share with representatives of the local public authorities their experience in managing environmental issue and the plan of action that is to be implemented during the next six years.
There were printed 1,000 copies of the guide, half in Romanian and half in Russian. The publication is distributed all over the country and can be downloaded online.
