07.07.2021
The largest Environment Day festival took place in the Republic of Moldova
"This year's edition is about restoring ecosystems. COVID-19 has proven once again how dependent we are on the ecosystems around us. In times of COVID uncertainty and difficulties, many of us found refuge, recharged in nature. We travelled more inside the country and discovered new places that were previously underrated. We achieved a broader view of this country’s resources, that comes in a package with more accountability towards present and future actions," said Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova, at the opening of the eco-fair.
The Minister of Regional Development and Environment, Ion Perju, said: “Considering the pandemic, vulnerability to climate change and environmental challenges, it is necessary to join forces to transform environmental demands into opportunities for sustainable economic development of the country. The cooperation of the central environmental authority with the specialized organizations is an important tool in the process of awareness of the society and of involving environmental organizations in the decisions making process”.
For a month, the environmental community organized trips to picturesque places, to photovoltaic parks, to windmills, to forests planted for bees and to stop landslides, on the Nistru with kayaks. The water quality of the Nistru river, in the region of the Dubasari hydroelectric power plant, was publicly tested.
"Eco-technologies, recycling, waste separation, planting, green business, organic farming, water and soil protection, etc. - we have a lot of active people who are dedicated to these fields in Moldova and they really have something to tell us. We want this festival to become more and more popular – so we become more curious, more involved, more active and more attentive to nature," noted Lilia Curchi, executive director of the Association of Environmental Journalists, organizer of the festival.
This year's event is organized by the Association of Environmental and Ecological Tourism Journalists of Moldova, within a project funded by the Small Grants Programme of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) - UNDP, with the financial assistance of Sweden, with the support of the World Health Organization in Moldova, UNDP Moldova, in partnership with the environmental community - organizations, projects, activists, green businesses, etc.
The theme of 2021 for World Environment Day is the restoration of ecosystems.
Moldova is extremely vulnerable to climate change and disasters, with an average annual economic loss of 2.13% of GDP. The country's unique biodiversity is currently threatened by climate change, habitat fragmentation and overexploitation.