, MOLDOVA FAA 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS February 2007 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared1 by DevTech Systems, Inc. under an EPIQ II subcontract to PA Government Services, Inc. This page left intentionally blank MOLDOVA FAA 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS February 2007 Prepared by DevTech Systems, Inc. under an EPIQ II subcontract to PA Government Services, Inc. Contract # EPP-I-00-03-00015-00, subcontract # EPP3R015-4S-003, Task Order 3. DISCLAIMER The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government Cover photo credits: Jeff Ploetz, Steve Nelson, Aureliu Overcenco This page left intentionally blank TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...............................................................................III PREFACE ........................................................................................................................V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................................... VI SECTION I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ......................................................1 SECTION II: THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY .....................................................................3 A. The Importance of Biodiversity............................................................................................................................................ 3 B. Biodiversity Status, Trends and Threats .............................................................................................................................. 4 1. Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................... 4 2. Agricultural and agro-ecosystems..................................................................................................................................... 5 3. Forestry and Forests........................................................................................................................................................... 8 4. Rivers, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems ............................................................................................................................ 9 5. Invasive Species ................................................................................................................................................................ 11 6. Poverty, Public Awareness, and Socio-economic issues.............................................................................................. 11 7. Governance Issues............................................................................................................................................................ 12 SECTION III: ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT, DONORS, AND NGO COMMUNITY.............................................................................................. 14 A. Conservation Actions Taken: Landscape .......................................................................................................................... 14 1. Protected Areas................................................................................................................................................................. 14 2. Forestry and Forests (2000-present) .............................................................................................................................. 17 3. Species monitoring and management............................................................................................................................. 18 4. Rivers, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems .......................................................................................................................... 18 5. Government Sponsored Environmental R&D ............................................................................................................ 19 B. Conservations Actions Taken: Policy, Institutional, and Legal ...................................................................................... 20 1. Overview 20 2. Policy Framework and Reforms ..................................................................................................................................... 21 3. Institutional Framework and Changes........................................................................................................................... 22 C. Conservations Actions Taken: International Agreements, Commitments, & Donors ............................................... 25 1. General Framework for International Cooperation..................................................................................................... 25 2. International and regional agreements........................................................................................................................... 26 3. Regional Conventions ...................................................................................................................................................... 28 4. Bilateral cooperation......................................................................................................................................................... 29 5. Cooperation with international donors and organizations.......................................................................................... 29 D. Civil Society: the role of NGOs in Biodiversity Conservations ..................................................................................... 33 E. Donor Biodiversity Projects and Related Financing........................................................................................................ 37 F. USAID Contributions and Opportunities through Current On-going Projects/Programs....................................... 38 SECTION IV: ACTIONS NECESSARY TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY....................42 A. Agriculture and Agroecosystems ........................................................................................................................................ 42 B. Forestry and Forests............................................................................................................................................................. 43 C. Waters and aquatic ecosystems ........................................................................................................................................... 43 D. Invasive species..................................................................................................................................................................... 44 E. Poverty, Public Awareness, and Socio-economic issues.................................................................................................. 44 F. Governance Issues................................................................................................................................................................ 44 SECTION V: EXTENT TO WHICH USAID ACTIONS MEET THE NEEDS IDENTIFIED ...............................................................................................46 A. Future Programming ............................................................................................................................................................ 46 B. Recommendations for Potential Contributions of Future Programming to Address Identified Threats ................ 47 SECTION VI: CONSOLIDATED MATRIX – THREATS, ACTIONS, EXTENT TO WHICH, & RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................... 51 ANNEX A: MAPS AND ANNOTATED RAMSAR LIST FOR MOLDOVA. .....................57 ANNEX B: ENVIRONMENT-RELATED LEGISLATION & CONCEPTS, PLANS, PROGRAMS, & STRATEGIES....................................................................62 USAID/Moldova FAA 119 Biodiversity Analysis i ANNEX C: INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS.............................................................65 ANNEX D: DONOR & NGO FUNDED PROJECTS IN MOLDOVA...............................66 ANNEX E: ENDANGERED SPECIES: RED BOOK OF MOLDOVA AND IUCN RED LIST...............................................................................................................75 ANNEX F: LIST OF PERSONS INTERVIEWED ..............................................................86 ANNEX G: REFERENCES...................................................................................................88 ANNEX H: SCOPE OF WORK............................................................................................. 91 TABLES Table 1. Available Land by use (thousands ha)...................................................................................................... 6 Table 2. Agricultural landowners ................................................................................................................................6 Table 3. Soil erosion areas (thousands ha)............................................................................................................... 7 Table 4. Moldsilva timber throw (tree felling)........................................................................................................ 9 Table 5. Water quality (media annual) of big river water in the Republic of Moldova (2002)...............11 Table 6. Natural Areas Protected by State .............................................................................................................14