Nature based solutions integration in the flood risk management policy documents: the Republic of Moldova case.

The Republic of Moldova is prone to different kinds of natural hazards including drought, floods, severe weather, earthquakes, and landslides. Heavy rains result in frequent floods, to which a great part of the country's settled areas is exposed. The most recent severe floods occurred in 2010. Climate variability and change is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. A large proportion of the flood risk in Moldova occurs on the floodplains of the two main rivers (the Prut and the Nistru). There are systems of flood defence dykes on these rivers and on some of the tributaries. These provide flood protection but there is a concern about their condition. In order to promote measures to increase natural water retention by conserving and improving the water storage capacity of soils and ecosystems, recently, a list of non-structural measures with natural - based solutions (NBS) approach were included in some policy documents. The most important policy documents are Flood risk management plans and Management plans, approved by Government decisions: GD 562/2020 – for flood risk management plans, and respectively, GD 814/2017 for Management Plan for Nistru river basin district, Ist cycle and GD 444/2022 for Management Plan for Danube – Prut and Black Sea river basin district, IInd cycle. These strategic documents are developed at the river basin district level; the territory of the Republic of Moldova consists of 2 river basin districts – Nistru and Danube – Prut and Black Sea. In this paper in deep analysis of NBS measures from different policy documents is provided.