Moldova is facing a severe water shortage after flows in the Dniester and Prut rivers fell sharply, prompting the government to declare a 60-day state of emergency in the hydrological sector from September 26.

The Environment Ministry said the Dniester, the main source of water for public networks in several Moldovan cities, including Chisinau, was experiencing an unprecedented decline in water levels. Ukraine, which operates the Novodnestrovsk Reservoir upstream of Moldova, has told Moldovan authorities it cannot release more water than is flowing into the reservoir without risking depletion of its reserves.

Natural inflows into the reservoir, and consequently the outflows, have averaged about 27 cubic metres per second over the past two weeks, according to the Environment Ministry. Ukraine has said that releasing more water would risk exhausting reserves needed to supply communities already affected by the shortage.

Moldova and Ukraine failed to reach an agreement at an extraordinary meeting of the Dniester Commission on September 29, NewsMaker reported. The meeting was convened after Ukraine reduced releases from the reservoir on September 25, a move Moldovan commission member Ilya Trombitsky said had not been properly coordinated with Moldova.

“The commission decided nothing today. They left in a huff,” Trombitsky, executive director of the Dniester River Guardians Association Eco-TIRAS, told NewsMaker.

President Maia Sandu has warned that the drought has caused dramatic declines in water levels in both the Dniester and Prut. Authorities are monitoring water intakes and preparing measures to address further deterioration.

Prime Minister Vasile Tofan held a meeting on September 29 with representatives of the Environment Ministry, Apele Moldovei, Chisinau City Hall and Apă-Canal Chișinău to discuss potential scenarios and measures should Dniester levels continue to fall.

The Prut is also under pressure, with discharged water flow reduced to 14 cubic metres per second. Sandu said only 72 centimetres remained before the level at which water would no longer be discharged through the hydrotechnical system. Water from the Prut supplies localities in the Ungheni, Cahul, Cantemir, Glodeni, Fălești and Leova districts.

Meteorologists have issued a Code Red warning for the Dniester between Naslavcea and Camenca, where flow is about 15% of the multi-annual average, according to Moldova1 public broadcaster. Code Orange applies to the Dubăsari and Tudora sectors, at about 30% of average.

On the Prut, Code Orange is in effect between Criva-Costești and Ungheni-Brânza, where flows are 20-30% of average, while the Costești-Ungheni sector is under Code Yellow, with flows at 35-40% of average. Code Red also covers the Draghiște, Cubolta, Ciulucul Mic and Botna rivers, where flows are 10% or less of their multi-annual averages.