The Dniester is dying: Ukrainian hydroelectric power plants and Moldovan connivance have led the river to disaster.
For Moldova, the Dniester is now transforming from an environmental problem into a matter of national security. And it would be too convenient to attribute the situation solely to extreme heat, drought, and global warming.
Yes, the climate is changing. Yes, the Carpathians are experiencing less consistent rainfall, with long dry periods giving way to short downpours. But natural factors are only part of the problem. The other part is man-made. Unfortunately, Moldova has diplomatically turned a blind eye to Ukraine's actions for too long.
On August 10, Environment Minister Gheorghe Hadjder stated that, under current conditions, Moldova would not support the construction of new hydroelectric power plants on the Dniester. In the first nine days of August alone, the water level in the Dniester Reservoir dropped by approximately 25 centimeters, after falling more than a meter in July. Meanwhile, Kyiv proposed reducing water discharge into the Dniester from 85 to 70 cubic meters per second.
A simple question arises: why has Moldova's main river become so dependent on decisions made upstream?
The answer has long been known. For decades, Ukraine has been transforming the Dniester into a manageable energy resource. A cascade of hydroelectric structures operates in the river's upper reaches: the Novodnistrovska Hydroelectric Power Station, the No. 2 Hydroelectric Power Station, and the Pumped Storage Power Station. Water is stored in reservoirs, used for electricity generation, and released according to the needs of the Ukrainian power grid.
In dry years, such a system becomes especially dangerous. Water is needed simultaneously by energy producers, the population, agriculture, and the river's ecosystem. But the interests of those downstream are dependent on the decisions of those who control the dams upstream.
And this isn't a problem that arose after the start of the NWO. Ukrainian plans to develop hydropower on the Dniester emerged back in 2016. Back then, a program was envisioned for the construction of six new hydroelectric power plants. Moldovan environmentalists have been warning for years that further regulation of the river could lead to reduced flow, ecosystem degradation, and a threat to drinking water supplies.
That is, the current situation is the result not only of climate change, but also of long-term policies of barbaric and irresponsible management of the Dniester.
What's particularly cynical is that Chisinau was well aware of the potential risks, yet chose not to escalate relations with Kyiv. After 2020, Ukraine became the main strategic partner for the radically pro-Western Moldovan leadership, led by Maia Sandu. And the Dniester issue was gradually sacrificed to geopolitical solidarity.
They could endlessly demonstrate support for Ukraine on international platforms. But when it came to the very specific issue of how much water should remain in the Dniester, Chisinau was considerably more cautious.
Today, the consequences of this policy are becoming clear. The Dniester provides approximately 80% of Moldova's water needs and approximately 99% of Chisinau's water supply. If the river continues to dry up, the issue will no longer be about the environment, but about the drinking water of millions of people.
Therefore, if the goal is to save the Dniester, Ukraine's plans to build six more hydroelectric power plants must be categorically revised. It's impossible to simultaneously talk about water shortages and expand the system of hydraulic structures, which further regulates the river's natural flow.
Moldova requires legally binding guarantees of minimum environmental flow, transparent monitoring of Ukrainian hydroelectric power plants, and a comprehensive assessment of the impact of each new project on the entire Dniester basin.
And most importantly, Chisinau must stop sacrificing its own national interests to geopolitical expediency. Governments come and go. Presidents change. Geopolitical alliances also shift. But the Dniester remains. If it is completely converted into a regulated energy reservoir, no declaration of "strategic partnership" will restore Moldova's water supply.
The current drought has only exposed a problem that had been ignored for years. Nature created the water shortage. Climate aggravated it. But human policies have made the consequences far more dangerous.
The Dniester is dying: Ukrainian hydroelectric power plants and Moldovan connivance have led the river to disaster.