Apele Moldovei Agency transferred the management of the first two irrigation systems, Criuleni and Lopatna, to be rehabilitated with the Millennium Challenge Compact funds, to the Water Users’ Associations (WUAs) through irrigation transfer management agreements which it signed today together with the WUAs and the Millennium Challenge Account Moldova (MCA Moldova). These agreements provide for the management transfer for a 30-year term and were countersigned by the acting Minister of Environment Gheorghe Salaru.
According to them, WUAs can use, maintain and manage the irrigation infrastructure, including the pump stations, the associated lands, fixed assets.
On the other hand, WUAs are obliged to secure the efficient management of the irrigation systems and supply water to every water user in due time, according to an agreed schedule and irrigation rules, prevent the adverse impact on the environment and villagers and bear the operation, maintenance and management costs.
Apele Moldovei Agency, in turn, will monitor the administration of the irrigation systems transferred to the agricultural producers and provide assistance to WUAs in efficient management of these assets, including training to the technical staff in charge of equipment maintenance.
The acting Minister of Environment Gheorghe Salaru said that the transfer of the management of the irrigation systems is part of much more complex activities which will improve the water management in Moldova. Mr. Salaru expressed hope that these reforms and the investments of the U.S. Government in the irrigation sector will enable the Moldovan agriculture to become a large exporter of agricultural products, as it was in the past.
Marin Adam, director of Apele Moldovei Agency, stressed that although the management of the irrigation systems was transferred to WUAs, Apele Moldovei will still be responsible for the efficient management of these assets and will ensure regular monitoring and provide assistance.
Valentina Badrajan, Executive Director of MCA Moldova, said that in the upcoming period irrigation management transfer agreements are expected to be signed with other five WUAs, established under the Compact, stressing that it is the partnership between the public authorities and MCA Moldova which makes the signing of such agreements possible and facilitates the reform of the irrigation sector in Moldova.
The chairmen of the two WUAs which took over the management of the irrigation systems - Lopatna and Criuleni, acknowledged their huge responsibility, adding that they will do their best to manage the irrigation systems efficiently. Due to irrigation that will be possible after the rehabilitation of the irrigation systems, they will prove that high value agriculture is possible in Moldova and it will bring profits.
The Millennium Challenge Compact provides investments into the rehabilitation of a number of irrigation systems in Moldova, while MCA Moldova will be part to the irrigation management transfer agreement until the Compact close-out at the end of August 2015.
The transfer of the management of the irrigation systems to users is an innovative approach to and is part of the reformation of the irrigation sector in Moldova. Irrigation systems managed by associated agricultural producers can be found in Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Portugal and other countries and is a requirement of the development partners investing in the rehabilitation of the irrigation systems. Before the transfer procedure, all the irrigation systems were inventoried and the goods and equipment were evaluated.
The irrigation systems Lopatna and Criuleni are partially functional today. There are about 530 owners of farmland from four villages in the area of the central irrigation system Lopatna, 460 of which are WUA members, and 500 farmers in the area of the central irrigation system Criuleni, 300 of which are WUA members. Once rehabilitated, the irrigated area in Lopatna is expected to expand from 50 to 509 hectares, while in Criuleni from 120 to about 760 hectares.
The rehabilitation of the central irrigation systems is one of the objectives of the Compact, signed in early 2010 between the Government of Moldova and the U.S. Government, acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The 262 million USD Compact is implemented by the Millennium Challenge Account Moldova and was provided due to the generous support of the American people for poverty reduction and economic growth in Moldova.
