World Bank will provide US$4.5m grant to Moldova to implement environment project

The Global Environment Facility will provide US$4.562 million grant to Moldova through the agency of the World Bank to carry out an environmental infrastructure project. The project, which will be implemented by the World Bank, will assist the Government of Moldova in treating Soroca’s municipal wastewater within more global environmental objectives of improving the quality of Nistru River, that separates Moldova and Ukraine. The project will also pioneer innovative and low-cost constructed wetlands to reduce the nutrient loads on the Nistru and the Black Sea. The Grant Agreement for the environmental infrastructiure project was signed by the World Bank Country Manager for Moldova Melanie Marlett and Minister of Finance Mihai Pop at the World Bank Country Office in Chisinau on August 23. Melanie Marlett said that the town of Soroca was selected for financing because the Government of Moldova put the implementation of this project high on the list of priorities. The project is also an international accord with Ukraine to reduce the discharge of pollutants, including nutrients, in the Nistru river, the WB official said. The deputy mayor of Soroca Sergiu Nastas said that the old wastewater treatment station for Soroca is located in Ukraine, but it has not worked for five years. He stressed the necessity of building a new station in Moldova because Ukraine said the mud accumulated during several years must be taken away. According to Nastas, the removal of mud costs much more than the construction of a new station, which is estimated at about US$3mln. The Government will contribute US$1.36 million to the project during the fiscal years 2008 – 2011. The mayor’s office of Soroca will provide free of charge a plot of land on which the station will be built (the equivalent of US$770,000). At local level, the public authorities in Soroca and “Apa-Canal” Division agreed to increase the water charge by US$0.1 per cubic meter so as to cover the station’s operating costs. The project will be implemented between 15 October 2007 and 30 June 2011.