Green Development, Sustainable Communities and Disaster and Climate Resilience

In order to move towards the long-term vision – by 2030, Moldova is a country where people want to live and where all people fully exercise their human rights and enjoy a better quality of life in a more inclusive and resilient society – the United Nations system and the Government of Moldova, together with their stakeholders, have defined four impact areas that also represent strategic priorities for the Cooperation Framework 2023–2027: (1) Just and Inclusive Institutions and Equal Opportunities for Human Development; (2) Participatory Governance and Social Cohesion; (3) Enhanced Shared Prosperity in a Sustainable Economy; and (4) Green Development, Sustainable Communities and Disaster and Climate Resilience. Four respective outcomes represent the transformational changes (results) that should enable the achievement of the national priorities and the SDGs. 

A greater emphasis on green development, climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as on emergency and disaster resilience, are expected to have a catalytic effect on social and economic dimensions, contributing to the reduction of poverty and inequalities. Strengthening environmental governance and institutional capacities at all levels to integrate sustainable solutions for mitigating climate and all types of risks, promoting effective and participatory management, protection and sustainable use of natural resources, including through Multilateral Environmental Agreements28, and encouraging cleaner production and energy efficiency are important preconditions for building the resilience of people and communities. It is also essential to strengthen national and local capacities to avert, manage and address population displacement related to the adverse impacts of climate change in Moldova. Achieving a cleaner, greener environment and enhanced gender-responsive resilience also largely depends on responsible investment and consumption, and behavioural change, at the level of people and institutions, including by eliminating outdated resource practices, including energy inefficiency. In order to produce a transformative effect in this area, more efforts are needed to increase awareness and ensure meaningful and informed participation of people and groups in addressing environmental and climate change issues.

Fostering green development will allow the country to realize the untapped potential and available global resources to stimulate a transformation that will facilitate progress towards all pillars of sustainable development, enhancing human well-being, yielding responsible but competitive economic growth and increasing the overall resilience of people and communities. The Theory of Change for this outcome recognizes the need to focus on several drivers for change that will have a catalytic effect on several targets under the UNSDCF 2023–2027, such as people’s health, job creation, the innovativeness and competitiveness of businesses and the increased social responsibility of the population of Moldova for the sustainable development agenda.