1. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu Save Our Streams in MOLDOVA Victor Cotruta REC Moldova

2. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu Start date: 2004 Initiated by: Izaak Walton League Izaak Walton League of America of America REC Moldova REC Moldova Financed by: Little River Foundation (USA) Little River Foundation (USA) Ohrstrom Foundation (USA) Ohrstrom Foundation (USA)

3. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu The goal of the project : streams protection and restoration The objectives of the project are the following: Raise environmental education of the large public through an access to information about the environmental state of the streamsRaise environmental education of the large public through an access to information about the environmental state of the streams Identify acute pollution casesIdentify acute pollution cases Streams restoration through different practical activitiesStreams restoration through different practical activities Create partnerships and river basin committees at the local level for a better protection of the streamsCreate partnerships and river basin committees at the local level for a better protection of the streams “SAVE OUR STREAMS” PROJECT

4. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu Method used: biological monitoring Method is based on the identification of benthic macro invertebrates who serve as indicators of water pollution as those require specific conditions for life.

5. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu Advantages of the biological monitoring: Contributes to the environmental education and involves all the ages into the processContributes to the environmental education and involves all the ages into the process Identification of the acute pollution casesIdentification of the acute pollution cases Assessment of the level of impairmentAssessment of the level of impairment Simplified approach useful for volunteers and studentsSimplified approach useful for volunteers and students Limited field time to carry out biological monitoringLimited field time to carry out biological monitoring No indoor lab work is neededNo indoor lab work is needed Unnecessary to preserve or kill collected animalsUnnecessary to preserve or kill collected animals Based on diversity, not the number of individual organisms foundBased on diversity, not the number of individual organisms found Inexpensive and fun and easy to carry outInexpensive and fun and easy to carry out

6. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu Capacity Building component Seven train-the trainers courses were organised on the “Appreciation of the water quality through biological monitoring”. As a result, more than 150 people were trained in this field, representing: Teachers of the secondary schools Teachers of the secondary schools Local Public Administration’s Local Public Administration’s NGOs NGOs Students Students

7. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu Information Component SOS Supplement to the REC Moldova quarterly SOS Supplement to the REC Moldova quarterly Information Bulletin Information Bulletin Web site of the project with the Web site of the project with the data base (under development) data base (under development) Participation of the project Participation of the project experts in TV and radio programmes experts in TV and radio programmes Publication of different informative Publication of different informative materials materials

8. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu Organisation of Biological Monitoring More than 400 biological More than 400 biological monitoring were organised monitoring were organised by over 90 monitoring by over 90 monitoring groups established within groups established within the project the project More than 50 streams More than 50 streams monitored monitored More than 5000 people More than 5000 people participated in the project participated in the project

9. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu On-going activities The SOS supplement of the REC MoldovaThe SOS supplement of the REC Moldova Information Bulletin is issued on a quarterly basis Information Bulletin is issued on a quarterly basis Several streams restoration actions areSeveral streams restoration actions are financed from the project financed from the project Promotion of the creation of the river basinPromotion of the creation of the river basin committees committees An optional course on water resources protectionAn optional course on water resources protection is tested in one of the districts of Moldova is tested in one of the districts of Moldova Monitoring activities in Moldova and RomaniaMonitoring activities in Moldova and Romania

10. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu Planned activities Extension to Ukraine – Chernovtsi region Extension to Ukraine – Chernovtsi region Restoration activities on a pilot Restoration activities on a pilot stream in Moldova stream in Moldova Lobby for introduction of the course on Lobby for introduction of the course on environmental protection in school environmental protection in school programme programme Web site (www.sosmoldova.md) Web site (www.sosmoldova.md)www.sosmoldova.md with the database containing the with the database containing the collected data is under development collected data is under development Grants Programme Grants Programme

11. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu Lessons learned Biological monitoring is a simple and inexpensive methodology, proper even for volunteers and schoolchildren Biological monitoring is a simple and inexpensive methodology, proper even for volunteers and schoolchildren At the beginning of the project implementation, it is very important to co-operate with scientific institutions in order to assure the sustainability of the project At the beginning of the project implementation, it is very important to co-operate with scientific institutions in order to assure the sustainability of the project It is important to support the monitoring groups with the necessary equipment and information materials (guide on water quality assessment) It is important to support the monitoring groups with the necessary equipment and information materials (guide on water quality assessment) Environmental state institutions usually don’t take seriously the results of biological monitoring; in order to avoid this situation, the US EPA, for example, developed Requirements for Quality Assurance of collected data Environmental state institutions usually don’t take seriously the results of biological monitoring; in order to avoid this situation, the US EPA, for example, developed Requirements for Quality Assurance of collected data It is very important to co-operate with the LPA within this project It is very important to co-operate with the LPA within this project

12. The Regional Environmental Centre Centrul Regional de Mediu Thank you for your attention! Contact details: REC Moldova, Chisinau, Moldova www.rec.md E-mail: info@rec.md info@rec.md Tel. +373-22-238685