Regional Aspects of Water Use and Management in the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

Water is the most important environmental factor that has a direct influence on the health of the population and the development of society. There is a clear need to establish the supply of the population with sufficient quantities of drinking water as a priority direction in state policy and actions for the health of the population in relation to the environment, in the context of sustainable management of water resources. Although, currently, the national balance of water reserves - water consumption in the Republic of Moldova is adequate in relation to the available resources, in the context of climate aridity and inefficient management of water consumption, this balance may be affected in the future. In the period 2003-2022 that was taken into study, several periods with a maximum volume of water use (years 2007, 2009, 2020 and 2022) were highlighted as a result of droughts that affected the whole country. In all 6 development regions, most of the water used is abstracted from surface sources (85%). At district level, especially in rural localities, water use from underground sources, including wells and springs, predominates as a result of reduced access to public water supply systems. About 75% of the total volume of water used is attributed to technological uses. On the right side of the Dniester River, water is predominantly used for domestic (48%) and agricultural (38%) purposes. This research aims to highlight the dynamics and particularities of water resource use in regional aspect, highlighting the branch structure and some limiting factors in determining the correct volume of water used.