Environmental protection
Ever since independence in 1990, environmentalism and conservation projects have had a priority position on the Pridnestrovian government's agenda. Protection of the environment is mandated by the country's constitution, and one of the more important government ministries is the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Green moves: Since independence in 1990, the government of Pridnestrovie has taken huge steps to improve on the ecological balance of the Dniester River area. Previously suffering from Moldova´s agroindustrial waste, today the Dniester is better protected than ever before.
The projects also brings together government authorities from the 3 countries sharing the river: Moldova, Pridnestrovie, and Ukraine. Pridnestrovie is represented with both Pridnestrovian government authorities, environmental experts from the State University in Tiraspol, and citizens of NGOs from all over the country.
The main coordinator in Tiraspol is Sergey Philipenko, head of Genetics and Zoology Department at Pridnestrovie's State University, building 3, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography. But NGOs from all over Pridnestrovie are also part of the initiative. From Dubossary, Natalia Bokalo represents the NGO 'EDEM'. From Rybnitsa, Olga Crivorucico of the NGO 'Friends of Animals and Nature', DJIP. And from Bender, environmental activist Leonid Ershov with the NGO 'Pelican'.
Before Pridnestrovie's independence there was no such thing as environmental protection in the area. Before freedom Pridnestrovie was ruled from Chisinau, landlocked and far from the Dniester river, where none of the leaders cared about the health of the environment. But now, with self-rule and with the river being part of the daily life of every Pridnestrovian, it is a living part of our existence. Pridnestrovians see it, hear it and feel it every single day. The environment is impossible to ignore and its protection is extremely important to the government of Pridnestrovie.
Protecting the Dniester River
The Dniester River delta includes the main arm of the river, and a second arm, the Turunchuk River. The site contains swampy floodplains, lakes and islands with floodplain forests, bushes, many scroll levees, deep floodplain lakes and floating bogs.
Reed beds of the Lower Dniester and other valuable habitats are situated between the Dniester and Turunchuk river arms. The site contains 340 bird species, including 100 breeding species, and about 70 fish species, falling into 20 families.
The width of the Dniester River is 100-200 m (max. 600 m). Waterholes are 16-25 m deep, and water current flows at 0.2-0.4 m/sec. The average monthly water temperature varies from 0° to 20°C. The maximum air temperature in July is 27-33°C. The Dniester River obtains water from both rain and melting snow. The Dniester exhibits distinct determined spring floods. The floods stem from rains in the Carpathian mountains which fall from April until January. Water levels increase fast, but decrease slowly. Summer is the drought period. River slope in the lower river is not considerable, and water current is low (0.2-0.3 m/sec). Wind induced surge from the Dnistrovsky Liman may change the water current direction. The average Dniester outflow at the river mouth is 330 cubic m/sec. The period of freezing is not continuous and not always predictable. Spring ice drift occurs in the first part of March and continues on average 5 days. The Lower Dniester belongs to the low moisture hydrological steppe zone.
It is designated a Ramsar wetlands site of international importance.
The plant species from the Ukrainian Red Data Book (RDB) at the Dniester River include Aldrovanda vesiculosa, Epipactis palustris, Leucojum aestivum, Orchis palustris, Salvinia natans and Trapa natans.
The Dniester River is important for more than 15,000 breeding pairs of waterbirds, and for 50,000 migrating and wintering waterbirds. There occur 35 bird species listed in the Ukrainian RDB, such as the ibis Plegadis falcinellus (1,300 pairs, about 9% of the European population), the spoonbill Platalea leucorodia (20 pairs) and the egret Casmerodius albus (200 pairs, about 2% of the European population).
Other animal species from the Ukrainian RDBs include the mollusc Turricaspia lincta, and fish Acipenser ruthenus, Huso huso ponticus (relic), Umbra krameri and Zingel zingel. The Lower Dniester is an important spawning area for important fish species.
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