UNDRR hosted a workshop in Chisinau, bringing together government representatives and development partners to advance critical infrastructure resilience in Moldova through interactive tools and stakeholder discussions.
On 12 and 13 November, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) hosted a workshop in Chisinau, Moldova to advance efforts under the “Strengthening critical Infrastructure Resilience in the Republic of Moldova” project. This initiative, launched in July 2024 with financial support from the Government of Poland and in partnership with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development (MIRD), is aimed at bolstering Moldova’s capacity to mitigate disaster risks and enhance infrastructure resilience. Moldova is the first country in the Europe and Central Asia region to apply the global methodology for infrastructure resilience reviews, a framework developed by UNDRR and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), which has been rolled out in several countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Over 30 participants from the Technical Working Group formed by UNDRR and MIRD to engage in the project, including representatives of government institutions overseeing water, energy, ICT and transport, as well as UN agencies, civil society organizations and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, engaged in the two-day event.
The workshop, hosted in UN Women’s office in Chisinau, opened with remarks by Ms. Yesim Oruc, UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova, and Ms. Tatiana Nirca, Deputy General Secretary of MIRD. Both highlighted the urgent need to integrate resilience measures into infrastructure development to safeguard the country against increasingly frequent climate-related hazards and earthquake risks.
The interactive sessions featured comprehensive discussions utilizing two key tools: a stress testing analysis and the Principles of Resilient Infrastructure scorecard. The stress testing component facilitated in-depth dialogue on the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure, pinpointed system interdependencies, and explored strategies for resource prioritization to strengthen national resilience. Through the scorecard, participants assessed current governance practices, identified gaps, and evaluated potential opportunities for sectoral and cross-sectoral improvements.
Stakeholder participation yielded valuable perspectives on infrastructure governance across energy, water, transport, and ICT sectors, enriched by considerations of health, education, and gender inclusion. The workshop’s outcomes will inform a detailed report and implementation plan, outlining policy recommendations, identified gaps, and prioritized investments to reinforce disaster risk governance and climate adaptation in Moldova. This report is expected to be finalized in early 2025, marking a significant step toward a more resilient infrastructure framework for the nation.