Japan and UNDP will support Moldova to boost agriculture’s resilience to climate change and disasters

“The past few years have been difficult for the farmers all over the world, and particularly for Moldovan farmers which were affected by climate change and droughts, the various types of economic pressure from Russia, and high prices of raw materials also caused by Russia’s war. I can only pay great respect to the way Moldova's farmers and the entire society have managed to cope with such challenges. I feel proud to stand with such brave people. We thank the UNDP and other UN agencies and the Moldovan Ministry of Agriculture for their effective help in implementing this project,” said Yoichiro Yamada, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Moldova. 

The one-year project, entitled “Enhancing human security in Moldova through agri-food resilience to intensifying external and climate shocks”, will facilitate access to technologies and expertise for upgrading agro-meteorological and hydrological monitoring systems. As such, the data analytics to support agricultural planning and mitigate climate hazards will be improved and early warning systems for the agricultural sector will be enhanced. 

“Extreme weather events due to climate change have been lately happening every year in Moldova. They affect primarily the agricultural sector on which the economy and most of the population's livelihoods depend. One of the actions in this new project is a practical mitigation of climate risks through upgrading the agro-meteorological and hydrological observation network. The upgraded network will allow for having more accurate data to make well informed and timely decisions in the field of agriculture. This Japan-UNDP partnership contributes to reduction of the agricultural and economic losses caused by the natural hazards and helps Moldova to be more prepared to face climate shocks,” said Daniela Gasparikova, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova.

The State Hydro-meteorological Service will benefit from support for upgrading of the agrometeorological observation network - Automatic Weather Stations. The existing agrometeorological posts will be equipped with automatic observation systems with sensors that will track more variables, such as: wind speed and direction; air temperature and humidity; precipitation; air pressure; solar radiation; sunshine duration; soil temperature; soil moisture; snow depth; leaf wetness; camera (for present weather and monitoring plant growth stages). These will support informed decision-making in increasing agricultural productivity, resilience and sustainability.

By extension and automatization of hydrometeorological observations, flood and drought forecasting capabilities will improve, helping to ensure that appropriate hydrological data, forecasts, and warnings (for flash floods and floods) are available to all relevant national agencies and population, including farmers, to reduce and mitigate damage to the country's population and businesses. 

Moldovan professionals in climate services will strengthen their knowledge based on Japan's experience, which is the global leader in innovation, development, and implementation of an effective early warning system. The Japan expertise support will enable application of modern data analysis tools and methodologies.

To enhance capacities at local level, at least seven district towns will be assisted with the development of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction plans. At the same time, at least 20 representatives of local public authorities will be trained and informed on accessing finance for climate related activities, thus supporting their climate change adaptation efforts. 

Currently, with UNDP support, the State Hydro-meteorological Service is undergoing a reform to enhance its climate services with the agricultural sector being a priority. The key to improving the probability of forecasts lies in extending the observations network and integrating all observation points into a unified system. This integration will enable better coordination and enhance the forecast accuracy.