Free Flow

improve the situation in rural Moldova by mobiliz-

ing citizens and authorities to realize and respect the

right to access safe water and sanitation through the

sustainable management of local resources. Such imple-

mentations included maintaining clean water sources

to improve human health, which helps to maintain the

environmental integrity of aquatic ecosystems.

The main strategy for achieving these objectives

was to promote the participatory practice of includ-

ing the local population in educational (workshops,

training) and practical activities (testing and mapping

the wells, identifying sources of pollution, cleaning),

and demonstrating solutions (such as Ecosan toilets)

for effective and affordable water protection in rural

areas. In each community a village committee was

established which included the mayor, the school

director, one or two teachers, one or two parents, and

children’s representatives involved in a water safety

plan (WSP). The village committee was responsible

for project activities, implementation and commu-

nication with the village inhabitants and the local

NGO partner.

The water quality measures were shown on maps

which were available in the village halls, and people

can now avoid the most polluted sources of water.

The activities had a visible impact on the community’s

behaviour: no more solid waste is dumped near the

public or private wells. Spring cleaning of wells is once

again a tradition in the communities where awareness

was raised during the project. The number of leaflets

distributed, wells tested, and meetings and workshops

held, have all superseded the original planned numbers

and now serve as parts of a toolbox for the people of the

Republic of Moldova.

Public participation was a determinant factor in the

success of the project. Another factor was the authori-

ties’ support and participation. The initiative involved

local, regional and national authorities in all the activi-

ties and found that their support motivated public

participation. In this particular project, the importance

of involving authorities in the activities was crucial for

achieving the project objectives and ensuring sustain-

ability. Developing activities with national authorities

at all levels was a way to guarantee that activities were

both coherent with the local community’s needs and

sustainable after the project was finished.

Public institutions, the regional council and the

teaching inspectorate supported project activities,

and their regional representatives were present in the

communities during the core activities. This strat-

egy was sent to the ministries of environment and

health and some of the proposals were integrated

in the national strategy for water protection: the

WSPs were recognized by the national authorities as

an effective tool in water protection at community

scale and are recommended by national authorities

to be implemented in rural communities in order

to protect water resources by identifying risks and

reducing sources of pollution.

The Safe Water and Sanitation for all in Moldova Initiative

The Republic of Moldova, with a total population of 3.56 million

people, is one the poorest countries in Europe, with a gross domestic

product (GDP) of US$7 billion. According to World Bank data in

2005, only 4 per cent of the rural population had a sewerage connec-

tion and only 55 per cent of the total population had access to basic

sanitation (a pit latrine with a lid). However, even having access

to a house connection did not mean having access to safe water.

Indeed, the Moldovan National Environmental Action Plan calcu-

lated the social and economic impact of water pollution and reached

the conclusion that polluted drinking water (rural and urban) led

to between 950 and 1,850 premature deaths and 2-4 million sick

days annually. The cost to the economy was assessed to be 5-10 per

cent of GDP. According to Moldova’s Ministry of Health, poor water

quality is responsible for 25 per cent of acute diarrhoeal diseases,

hepatitis A, and 15 per cent of non-infectious diseases registered in

the republic. The most widespread diseases caused by the consump-

tion of poor quality water are chronic nitrate intoxication, dental

fluorosis and gastrointestinal diseases.

Rural citizens in the Republic of Moldova rely on small-scale

water supply systems or shallow wells which can be contaminated

with microorganisms and nitrates. In rural Moldavian communities,

severe nitrate contamination of wells is common and animal and

human excreta are the main sources of contamination. Illegal waste

dumping, of which 45-50 per cent is animal waste, often leads to

surface water pollution and unsightly areas.

The Safe Water and Sanitation for all in Moldova initiative

was started by non-governmental organization (NGO) Ormax to

Protecting natural systems can help ensure a high-quality water supply

Image: Ormax ACT

ater

ooperation

, S

ustainability

and

overty

radication

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