Moldova: A Brief Introduction

Moldova is a small, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Ukraine and Romania.1 Its population of 2.62 million2 is about 57% rural.3 Moldova has a moderate continental climate with mild winters and very little snow, long warm summers, and low humidity.4 Moldova has three climatic zones, which are most susceptible to drought to varying degrees: the northern forest-steppe, which experiences drought once every 10 years; the central forest zone, which experiences drought every 6 years; and the southern steppe, which experiences drought every 3 to 4 years.5 Moldova is predominantly ethnic Moldovans but has sizable minority populations of Ukranians, Russians, and Roma, as well as Gagauz and Bulgarians, which are both mainly rural populations.6 Moldovan industry is primarily centered around agriculture, livestock, food processing, and services (mostly tourism).7 After its independence from the Soviet Union, Moldova suffered economic decline and now remains one of the poorest countries in Europe, making them relatively more susceptible to the impacts of the climate crisis among European countries.8  

Mapping Major Climate Events and Climate-Induced Displacement

Moldova is ranked 63 out of 179 countries making it the 116th most climate vulnerable country.9 Moldova is most affected by drought but also faces significant damage from flooding, torrential rains, hail, wind, frost, earthquakes, and landslides. A major drought in 2007 affected 75-80% of the Moldovan population, creating starvation and depletion in crops for the mainly agricultural, rural population.10 Major flooding also occurred in 2008 and 2010, with about 200 Moldovans forced to evacuate their homes.11 This was the last recorded instance of climate-induced displacement in Moldova, as 200 people were forced to seek refuge elsewhere.12 In 2021, 0 people remained displaced by the end of the year.12 However, recent events might have changed these numbers as the pandemic, the energy crisis, and the refugee crisis created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine has placed Moldova in a position of vulnerability, unable to provide employment and maintain economic growth due to the influx of Ukrainian refugees.8

Mapping the Costs of the Climate Crisis

Moldova is one of the poorer nations in Europe with a GDP of 13.68 million in 2021.13 Moldova gained independence the day before the weakening and collapse of the Soviet Union.14 After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, two regions in Moldova with ethnic minorities, Transnistria and Gagauzia, fought for secession.15 These conflicts created economic instability within Moldova and contemporary Moldovan politics have teetered between pro-European (capitalist) and pro-Russian (communist). Such political and economic instability has risked exacerbating the impacts of the climate crisis on Moldovans, especially in light of the fact that 30% of Moldovans work in agriculture, an industry vulnerable to such climate impacts.16 For example, the 2007 drought created $120 million worth of damage to houses, bridges, and roads and flooded 7,500 hectares of agricultural land.17 Overall, the climate crisis has caused a 3% loss of GDP annually due to drought, heavy rains, and flooding.16 Moldovan women feel the effects of the climate crisis more acutely as, traditionally, they are mostly employed in the social services sector, earning 12% less than men on average.18 This means that rural Moldovan women are four times more prone to poverty and are more vulnerable to the climate crisis, necessitating targeted action to remediate these inequalities.19 Additionally, the climate crisis does not just pose economic costs on Moldova. Rising temperatures exacerbate heart and respiratory diseases, particularly among the young and the elderly.16 Water insecurity is also an impending effect as families in the southern region rely on water sources that have been depleted due to the drought in 2007.5

Mapping Resilience and Mitigation Pathways

Moldova’s NDC centers around facilitating both short and long-term development, incentivizing climate investment, and accelerating the country’s transition to a low carbon, climate-resilient economy.20 Their unconditional goal is to reduce emissions by 70% in 2030, compared to their 1990 levels.21 Sectors targeted for mitigation and adaptation include water, agriculture, forestry, health, and energy.22 Moldova, due to a lack of major climate events recently, has had very low numbers of internal displacement due to climate. However, the influx of Ukrainian refugees due to ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine poses economic and political challenges for the Moldovan government. Organizations like the International Organization for Migration provide necessary financial and logistical support for refugee management.23 Regarding industry, Moldova’s energy self-sufficiency is among the lowest in the world so a big part of climate resiliency is becoming more independent and relying on climate-friendly energy sources.24 Additionally, Moldova is working with the international community to create a roadmap for climate resiliency in agriculture and forestry, a necessary action.25 The World Bank has also outlined options for climate-smart agriculture in Moldova, emphasizing better soil and water conservation practices and improved efficiency and resilience of livestock systems.26

Necessary Changes

Moldova, despite political and economic turbulence, has demonstrated strong commitment to climate mitigation and resettling migrants and refugees. However, the weakness of the Moldovan government and a lack of funding prevents effective action to remedy existing climate inequalities.27 Droughts are marginalizing rural agricultural workers, many who are women, requiring action to reskill and transition such workers while mitigating causes of these droughts. Additionally, when dealing with Ukrainian refugees (and those displaced due to floods), the Moldovan government must understand that the breadth of assistance needed goes beyond resettlement (e.g., clothing, therapy, lack of social discrimination, etc.).27 In order to accomplish all of this work, the Moldovan government must develop the political will required to achieve and enact such programs. International organizations are helping with and funding helpful projects, with UNDP working on creating sustainable communities through education and empowerment for rural Moldovan women19 and training Moldovan women to start successful small businesses.18 Internationally-backed adaptation and mitigation efforts should support the work already being done on the ground to ensure that affected workers’ voices are amplified in the process of just transition, and also help bolster the participation of directly impacted local communities in decision-making. Through this collaborative approach of capacity building for climate action, Moldovan climate resilience can also be sustained and expanded.