General objective: Reducing the ecological, economic and social impact of natural disasters and hazards through timely notification and information of citizens and public authorities. Specific objective: Joint design and testing of a new early warning system in flood-prone regions along the Prut River in Ukraine (UA) and the Republic of Moldova (MD), which can be scaled up nationally.

The economies, populations and environment in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine are extremely exposed and vulnerable to natural emergency situations (e.g. landslides, floods, drought, late spring frosts, etc.) due to a combination of geographical factors and inappropriate land use practices (erosion). The Prut River flows through the region between Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, covering an area of nearly 28,000 km². Since the Prut River crosses international borders, when floods occur across borders, communities and authorities on the other side may receive late warnings, making effective emergency management difficult and reducing community resilience. Floods in this region have caused major losses and financial damage in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Although multiple efforts have been made to reduce these losses, such as better emergency management and the construction of flood protection facilities, communities in the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine and the northern region of the Republic of Moldova do not have integrated emergency warning systems for potential flood hazards. This means that when floods occur in Ukraine, communities in Moldova do not receive early warnings and cannot prepare adequately. It is necessary to increase the capacity of local authorities in these regions to respond quickly and effectively to such emergencies, as well as to enhance community protection.

Under the project, modern systems will be installed in 5 localities in the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine (Kostychany, Koschulyany, Molnytsya, Negryntsy, Novoivankovtsy) and in 4 localities in northern Republic of Moldova (Criva, Drepcăuţi, Şirăuţi and Lipcani town). The sirens will alert a total of 10,622 people in the Republic of Moldova and 8,400 people in Ukraine – with a direct impact estimated for 19,022 residents. These communities have been identified as highly vulnerable to flood risks. Another project outcome will be a cross-border communication mechanism between partners, making warnings much more effective. The project is also seen as a test (experiment), the results of which can be applied in other regions of the country.

Information for the Ukrainian population
About the project in Ukrainian