Moldova and Ukraine continue co-ordinated action to address low-water conditions in the Dniester River Basin

The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine continue joint work to identify solutions for the critically low water levels in the Dniester River Basin. On 31 July 2026, the Commission on Sustainable Use and Protection of the Dniester River Basin (Dniester Commission) held its fourth extraordinary meeting in 2026, in a virtual format, to review the hydrological situation and to agree on the volume of water to be released from the Dniester hydropower complex in August.

The situation in the basin remains serious. The Dniester River Basin is currently experiencing one of the most severe low-flow periods observed in recent decades. After months of scarce rainfall, the amount of water reaching the Dniester Reservoir is currently about one-fifth of the long-term average for this time of year, according to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Centre. Behind these figures are people's daily lives. The Dniester provides drinking water to more than eight million people: in Moldova, over 80 per cent of the population depends on it, including the residents of Chișinău; in Ukraine, it supplies the city of Odesa and other communities. Water-supply difficulties have already emerged in the city of Khotyn, in the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine, where additional technical solutions are being applied to keep water flowing, and further pressure on water users in both countries cannot be excluded if the dry conditions persist.

The Dniester is not an isolated case. Prolonged drought and repeated heatwaves this summer have pushed rivers across Europe to exceptional lows: the Rhine has fallen to its lowest level ever recorded at the point where it enters the Netherlands, and the Danube has reached record lows along parts of its course, disrupting drinking-water supplies, navigation, energy production and ecosystems. Scientists link the severity of this Europe-wide drought to climate change — and the Dniester Basin is living through the same trend. For a river shared by two countries, this makes joint monitoring, careful use of every cubic metre, and co-ordinated decisions a necessity. 

Against this background, the two delegations reviewed the updated forecasts and the measures taken on both sides since the Commission's previous extraordinary meeting, held on 17 July 2026.

Opening the meeting, the Moldovan side underlined the need for joint action. "The hydrological situation requires us to meet more often and to join our efforts to preserve the river. I will be here with you, and together we will look for solutions that reduce the risks for both sides — the right decisions, scientifically grounded. I hope we will find a compromise that will be a sustainable solution," said Gheorghe Hajder, Minister of Environment of the Republic of Moldova. 

The Ukrainian delegation echoed this, adding an invitation to see the situation on the ground. "Trust is built when words are backed by facts. We invite our Moldovan colleagues to visit Ukraine so that they can see the situation first-hand and be assured of the transparency of our actions. The water security of Ukraine and Moldova depends on the responsible and balanced use of a shared resource, whose volume is currently limited by natural conditions. I am confident that through joint efforts we will rise to this challenge and meet the drinking water needs of the people of both Ukraine and Moldova," emphasized Iryna Ovcharenko, Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine.

Following the discussion, the Commission agreed to reduce the release of water from the Dniester hydropower complex from 100 to 85 cubic metres per second for the next two weeks, together with a visit by a Moldovan delegation to the Khotyn water intake and the Dniester Reservoir as early as next week, and the continued daily exchange of hydrological data, seeking to balance drinking-water supplies, aquatic ecosystems and other essential water uses throughout the basin. The two sides underlined that this level is not fixed: the Commission will meet again in approximately two weeks to review the situation on the basis of updated forecasts — or earlier, should the inflow fall below the levels currently forecast. 

Managing a shared river in a period of such scarcity is sensitive: decisions taken upstream are felt immediately downstream, and the risks — to households, farmers, energy and nature — are real on both sides of the border, making water availability a matter of livelihoods and human security. This is precisely why the Dniester Commission, established in 2018 under the bilateral Treaty between the two countries, matters: it gives the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine a standing platform to share data, assess risks jointly and take timely, co-ordinated decisions. In challenging moments like the current drought and low water levels, this dialogue serves as a practical confidence-building measure, supporting good-neighbourly relations and helping to prevent water stress from escalating into tension.

The Commission will continue regular exchanges of hydrological and operational information and will closely monitor developments across the basin. Where necessary, a further extraordinary meeting may be convened should changing conditions require additional joint decisions.

The meeting was organized with the support of the project “Advancing transboundary co-operation and Integrated Water Resources Management in the Dniester River Basin through implementation of the Strategic Action Programme”. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) serving as the implementing agency, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as the executing agency, and support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).