STRIVE Consortium: Enhancing the preparedness in Anenii Noi Raion to reduce both natural and man-made risks
The STRIVE Consortium, composed of international NGOs Acted, REACH (an initiative of Acted and IMPACT) and Libraries Without Borders (BSF) launches a two-year project aiming to strengthen the preparedness and resilience of communities in the Anenii Noi Raion against such risks as heat waves, drought, soil erosion, air pollution, other environmental and economic stressors, influx of refugees, etc. The project is funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and co-funded by USAID.
The ABRA aims to identify the potential for disasters, exposed population and their vulnerabilities to disasters, and estimate impact, so protective measures can be taken to reduce damage and harm to the population and environment. Natural, industrial, and environmental hazards pose a significant risk to the life and health of the local population, and to the resilience and supply of essential service delivery systems.
This report follows standards set by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, an international framework for disaster risk reduction which outlines seven global targets to be achieved over this 15-year period, a well as the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005.
KEY FINDINGS
Natural Hazards
Eleven natural hazards and four physical and social resources were evaluated in this ABRA, along with a case study of a unit of critical infrastructure. These hazards were condensed and normalized to compare relative exposure within the raion.
Across the landscape, the Bâc and Dniester Rivers both mitigated and aggravated natural hazards. They create barriers to fire, reduce ranges of air temperature, lower rates of soil erosion, and lower levels of detected air pollutants. However, the rivers are a major driver for floods, and can be highly sensitive to climate change. As the Bâc River may have lower, or even dry, water levels in warm weather, its impact on the ecology and weather of Anenii Noi Raion is extremely important.
The quality of the water in these two rives impacts the whole of Anenii Noi Raion: not only are these rivers are also used for irrigation, but also for domestic and livestock water supply. Their infrastructure, such as protective dams, is aging, and poses a threat to communities in the river basin for flash floods, such as the flood in Teliţa in 2020 that followed a protective dam collapse.
Average monthly temperatures have seen an increase, and monthly precipitation has increased in cooler months, but decreased in warmer months. This may have an effect on agricultural planning as well as natural life cycles of flora and fauna. Natural protected areas, such as Pădurea Hîrbovăț, which have a significant cooling effect on air temperatures, can see deterioration in the diversity and overall health of its ecosystem.
Moldova has been experiencing severe drought since 2021, and drying of these landscapes can also increase the risk of fires, which can occur in high intensities, particularly in the eastern parts of the raion, and can result in ecologically- and environmentally-damaging fires, such as the intense fire in 2023 that burned through barley and wheat fields. Climate change may exacerbate a number of these eleven hazards: expected average temperature rise and increased intense heat or cold may precede an increase in precipitation or a change in its patterns, which in turn can affect the quality and health of soil.
Anenii Noi Raion relies on chernozem-type soils (luvic, calcic, and haplic) for agriculture, and if these soils are to become drier, the soil quality and health may deteriorate. This may lead to lowered crop yields or crops that are in poorer health, and the economic landscape of available food products is altered, potentially increasing costs both to producers and consumers.
Anthropogenic Hazards
While there are multiple laws and regulations addressing land use and land alteration, oversight may be lacking, particularly in rural or low-income areas, where communities may not have multiple choices available to them for sustainable land management.
Overall, rural communities are more exposed to natural hazards and have higher rates of social and economic vulnerability, lessening their capacity to prepare and respond to hazardous events.
Rural communities have fewer roads leading to them, and less oversight in their maintenance. This can result in greater degrees of isolation, such as longer response times from emergency services (e.g.: fire brigades or ambulances), and potential blockage of escape routes in the event of a natural disaster.
Rural communities also may have a higher potential of severance from power networks. Weather events, such as storms, wind, cold waves, and heat waves can lead to disruption of utility networks, and the social and geographic isolation of communities can lead to longer response times. Without access to power, heat, or water, the coping capacity of the population is significantly reduced, and they are at a higher risk of susceptibility.
Urban areas such as Chișinău send their solid and household waste to Anenii Noi Raion: the Ţînțăreni landfill accepts solid waste from surrounding areas, though nearby residents complain of the smell and are concerned about its impact on the soil and water. Solid waste management is an important public service, though it benefits urban areas more than rural, as some rural areas do not have access to waste collection services.
Costs of living have overall increased, and energy consumption is in flux: as of November 2022, Moldova no longer purchases natural gas from Russia, which has seen an increase in cost and changes in availability of energy in the winter of 2022 and the spring of 2023.
As many rural communities across Moldova are seeing a reduction in population, their social vulnerability profiles may change: younger people are moving to more urban areas, as they often have difficulty finding employment, and rural communities are seeing an increase in the average age of residents.
Social changes such as youth relocation and the current conflict in Ukraine can result in a more vulnerable community: more residents who are unemployed or underemployed, are over 60 years of age, are refugees, or who are single parents. These are vulnerable demographics of society, and may have difficulty adapting their lifestyles and safety plans, due to limited financial flexibility and potential physical limitations.