World Bank will study climate change in Moldova

The World Bank will carry out next year a thorough analytical study of the climate change in Moldova, including of the vulnerability of the agrifood sector to this change, said the Director of the Sustainable Development Department for Europe and Central Asia Peter Thomson, who is on a working visit to Chisinau. According to the cited source, a World Bank expert in natural disasters will visit Moldova. The study will be carried out according to the European Commission’s models. No other details were offered yet. At a meeting of the World Bank official and representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Minister Anatolie Gorodenco said that the extension of the irrigated areas is a major objective and that these projects can be implemented only with the support of the international organizations. By the end of June 2008, the World Bank will provide about 30 mln USD to Moldova. 10 mln USD will be offered to support the budget, 6 mln USD to alleviate the consequences of the drought and 14 mln USD to implement a new water supply and sewerage project. The World Bank wants that the resources allocated for overcoming the drought consequences be used for purchasing irrigation systems. A part of the money intended for the water supply project will go to dig new wells or deepen the existent ones. This will also constitute support in mitigating the effects of the drought.