Representatives of the Moldovan know how recipient (Basin Water Management Authority of Moldova) and the Romanian donor institution (Business Development Group) gathered in Chisinau on 25 February 2016 on the occasion of the kick-off meeting of the project Leap forward with flexible and appropriate wastewater solutions in Moldova (WaterLEAP).
Moldova has a deteriorated wastewater infrastructure due to ageing, lack of investments and under-maintenance. About 45% of the infrastructure needs rehabilitation. Urban access to sewage services is improving but still at about 60%,for rural communities it is even lower at about 40%. The environmental degradation due to unmanaged wastewater discharge is significant (high levels of Phosphorus and Nitrogen nutrient loads, eutrophication and suspended solids) which affects aquifers and downstream intake for water use, and ultimately the Black Sea.
WaterLeap addresses these challenges by fostering the exchange of best-practices on asset management to water authorities. It aims at providing information on how to optimise decision-making in all lifecycle phases of wastewater treatment to increase the efficiency and productivity of the utilities with innovative ‘green’ solutions; including the application of modular systems and specific treatment systems that would fit in rural settings such as constructed wetlands. These solutions will be adapted to local circumstances, targeted at integrated water supply and wastewater service, and based on available resources.
15 out of 45 participants from the research and innovation sector, universities, design and technology companies and from central and local administration – who met on this occasion to promote new strategic ways of thinking for developing sustainable waste water treatment plants in the future - applied to participate in on-line webinar training courses taking place in the forthcoming months. Their applications are currently under evaluation.
This project is co-financed through a KEP grant amounting to 38,000 EUR.
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The KEP AUSTRIA - part of CEI Know-how Exchange Programme - is financed by Austria, with funding provided by the Austrian Development Cooperation (based on an agreement between the Central European Initiative and Austrian Development Agency). The Programme aims at promoting capacity building and technical assistance through know-how transfer from CEI EU to CEI non-EU Member States.
