Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder has warned that water levels in the Dniester River could fall again starting November 11, following a possible reduction in the volume of water released from Ukraine’s Novodnestrovsk Reservoir.
The river currently has a flow rate of 60 cubic metres per second, compared with at least 100 cubic metres per second under normal conditions. Authorities are not ruling out a scenario in which the volume of water flowing into the reservoir becomes equal to the amount being released.
The minister said the discharge rate had been gradually reduced from 85 to 70 and then to 60 cubic metres per second. Meanwhile, only around 27 cubic metres of water per second are flowing into the Ukrainian reservoir, and its water level continues to decline.
Hajder also warned that the situation could deteriorate further after the next commission meeting, scheduled for November 11. A further reduction in the river’s flow could be decided then, depending on water levels and hydrological conditions.
“We need to use water as rationally as possible so that we can make this period last longer, hoping that rainfall during this time will change the situation in the reservoir. However, we cannot take risks,” the minister said during the Mulțumesc pentru întrebare podcast, hosted by Nata Albot.
The official explained that requesting larger water releases from Ukraine could help the Republic of Moldova only in the short term. If the volume of water discharged from the reservoir were to become equal to the amount flowing into it, the Dniester’s flow could fall to half its current level.
The Republic of Moldova is currently under a state of emergency in the energy and hydrological sectors, declared for 60 days starting September 26. During this period, authorities have introduced special resource management measures and called on households and businesses to strictly limit water consumption.