Moldovan Experience with Nutrient Pollution Control in Agro-Processing

Agricultural Pollution Control Project:

Moldovan Experience with Nutrient Pollution

Control in Agro-Processing

Regional Conference on Nutrient Pollution Control in the Danube and Black Sea Basins

October 3-6 Republic of Moldova

Dr. Alexandru Jolondcovschi, APCP Manager

The APCP Moldova effectiveness

APCP Moldova was

declared effective on

March 22, 2004

Project Objectives

The ultimate goal is to reduce the discharge of nutrients into the Danube River and Black Sea through integrated land and water management. Theproject will assist the Government of Moldova to: (i) promote the adoption of mitigating measures by farmers and agro-

industry for reducing the nutrient loads entering the water bodies – these measures would include better management of household and livestock wastes in the villages, crop nutrient management, planting of buffer strips and conservation tillage, as well as dealing with wastewaters from agro-processing units;

(ii)strengthen national policy, regulatory enforcement and institutional capacity for agricultural nutrient pollution control and organic farming; and

(iii) promote a broad public awareness campaign and replication strategy.

Project components Promotion of mitigation measures to reduce nutrient run-offs into water

objectives: • Award GEF mitigation grants to eligible applicants from the RISP Special Credit Line;• Manure management ; • Promote environment-friendly agricultural practices;• Plant forest vegetation;• Restore wetlands;• Monitor water and soil quality. 2. Strengthening of national policy and regulation capacity in the field: Identify gaps in the national legislation pertaining to agricultural pollution control; Make comparative analysis between national regulations and of EU, especially Nitrates Directive; Draw up a Code of Good Agricultural Practices. 3. Public awareness and replication strategy: Develop a public awareness campaign and training for the population and stakeholders from the

pilot area, who will ensure support for the project interventions; Replicate results at pilot area and country level. 4. Project administration:

Project scope

At the country level, the project will be implemented in close association with the Rural Investments and Services Project (RISP), financed by IDA, which assists Moldova in increasing the profit level and improving living conditions in rural areas, via promotion of entrepreneurship in agro-industrial sector, raising of agricultural production, broadening of economic activities and trade development. APCP will offer grants to agro-industries, cooperatives, individual and farmers’ associations to cover incremental costs related to mitigation measures for reducing nutrient load into water. Awarding will be done based on some eligibility criteria established jointly with all interested parties. The results of the project, especially from the pilot area, will be replicated at the country level, through public awareness and training campaign.

In the pilot area, which includes a part of the Prut River tributary, an integrated soil and water management plan, for reducing and fighting nutrient pollution, will be developed. The Plan is designed for Lapusna Watershed.

The APCP/RISP Synergy

Which RISP projects are eligible for the APCP

Environment Mitigation Grants:

Livestock production Crop production

Agro-industries

Irrigation/irrigation systems

Storage of fertilizers

etc

The APCP/RISP Synergy: Accomplishments

61 RISP borrowers have receive GEF Environment Mitigation Grant totaling almost $1,450,000:- 42 in livestock

production;- 6 agro-industries;- 9 crop production;- 4 irrigation systems.

Lapusna Project Pilot Area

Overview:

2 counties: Hînceşti - Leova

11 comunas

14 737 households

43 238 inhabitants

46 603 ha total surface

33 899 ha total cropland surface

Manure Management Program

In winter 2004, in the Negrea comuna, the Manure Management System was set up, consisting of one communal and 150 household manure storage and handling facilities. The manure management systems has been equipped with a tractor, shredder, vacuum tanker and manure spreaders amounting to $41,000.

In 2005 similar manure management systems were established in the Carpineni and Lapusna comunas.

The Mayor of Carpineni becomes the owner

of the communal platform

The Mayor of Lapusna becomes the

owner of the the communal platform

Manure Management Program

Stages of construction at communal manure platform

Terracing

Ballast layer

Cement coping

Hydro-insulation

Floor reinforcement

Concrete pumping

Wall reinforcem

ent

Opening of platform

Manure Management System

Communal platform in use Individual platform in use

Environment- Friendly Agricultural

Practices Program In the pilot area, two comunas (villages) were selected for testing/monitoring of

environment-friendly agricultural practices. The first comuna, Negrea– for testing/demonstration and monitoring purposes, and the second, Pascani, only for testing/demonstration purpose.

Today we have in Negrea 5 demonstration fields with the following EFAP:- crop rotation;- strip cropping;

- grassed waterways;- buffer strip around vineyards, and;- catch crops in vineyards

And 3 demonstration fields in Pascani:- strip cropping;- catch crops in vineyards;- grassed waterways

Agro-forestry practices

Twenty four ha of forest belts have been planted in Carpineni and 40,000 seedling distributed to the farmers to be planted in shelterbelts.

Water Quality Monitoring Program

According to the sampling data, water quality of the River Lapusna is mainly second class (moderately polluted). However, in some sectors of the river the quality is as low as 3rd class ("polluted") and 4th class ("very polluted").

Upstream-downstream water quality monitoring of Lapusna

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

SB1 SC2 ST3 SD4

N-NH4 (mgN/l)

N-N02 (mgN/l)

N-N03 (mgN/l)

Ntotal (mgN/l)

Ptotal (MgP/l)

P-PO4

CBO5 (02/l)

s. Stolniceni

s. Corne[ti

s. Leu[eni

s. Coste[ti

s. Ivanovca

s. Cotul-Moriis. Sobileni

s. Nem\eni

s. Frasin

s. C=\=leni

s. Bujor

s. Drojdieni

s. Boghiceni

s. Chetro[eni

s. S=rata-Mare

s. Sarata Galben=

s. Caracui

s. Pa[cani

s. Pereni

s. Tochile-R=ducani

s. S=rata-Reze[i

s. Mingir

s. Cioara

s. Pog=ne[ti

s. Bratianovcas. Horje[ti

s. C=rpineni

s. Negrea

s. B=lceana

s. Pervomaiscoe

s. Sofias. Crasnoarmeiscoe

s. One[ti

s. Obileni

s. Mire[ti

Neus NegreaOld Negrea

D Scale 1:130000

s. Voinescu

LEGEND River

Lake

Existent forests

Village

PROJECTED

Background river quality section

Control sub-basin "Balceana"

Treated sub-basin "Old Negrea"

Control river catchment section

Treated river catchment section

Monitoring project area

Strengthening of national policy and regulation capacity in the fieldOrganic farming:- the Law on Biological Agriculture has been passed by the

Parliament - The Department of Agro-chemistry and Ecology within the

Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry dealing with organic farming issue has been established

Code of Best Agricultural Practices - A team comprising 5 local and one international consultant

participated in writing the Code;- The expertise of the main stakeholders- Ministries of Ecology

and Agriculture and Academy of Science- has been sought - The Draft Code consisting of 20 chapters was sent to the World

Bank for comments

Public Awareness and Replication Strategy Component

Public Awareness Program at the local level: - day-to-day, individual and joint

meetings with the target groups

to promote the idea that “clean

water means health and no one

but us could protect nature”;- Meetings and workshops for the

local authorities and school children,

workshops and field visits

Public Awareness and Replication StrategyActions at both local and national level:- 8 issues of APCP Supplement

to the Newspaper “Natura”

- Promotional materials:

- articles and debatesin printed press, radio and TV and the Internet

Public Awareness and Replication Strategy

And of course the expedition along the Lapusnita River …

Conclusions and lessons learned

The interest for the APCP Mitigation Grants is very high; The farmers now are much more aware of environment

mitigation measures at both pilot area and national level; Some counties require for a similar project to be run in their

area; This project should follow up at the national level with a larger

scope of activity; It is advisable to conduct public awareness actions upfront every

investment in the pilot area; and, While designing the actions one should keep in mind that every

actions is intended:

water, forest ,

flora and fauna

the communities we live in

the EARTH

and

to protect

Thank you for your attention!

GEF/WB Agricultural Pollution Control Project of Moldova

9 Cosmonautilor St., Chisinau, MD-2005, Republic of Moldova

tel/fax: 22 41 87, 22 15 86e-mail: [email protected]