Natural Areas Under Protection

Thematic area — Biodiversity Name of Indicator — Protected areas DPSIR — R=Responses Indicator type — descriptive indicator Definition of the indicator The indicator shows the proportion of the whole designated areas in the total country area and by the categories, under national legislation. Units — km², % Policy relevance of the indicator Legal framework includes: Land Code # 828-XII from 25 December 1991, Forest Code #887-XIII from 21 June 1996, Law # 1515-XII from 16 June 1993 on environment protection, Law # 439-XIII of 27 April 1995 on animals kingdom, Law # 1102-XIII from 6 February 1997 on natural resources, Law # 1538-XIII from 25 February 1998 on the state fund of protected natural areas, Law # 591-XIII from 23 September 1999 on green spaces in urban and rural communities, Law # 1041-XIV from 15 June 2000 on improving degraded lands by forestation, Law # 755-XIV from 21 December 2001 on biological security, Law # 325-XVI from 15 December 2005 on the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova, Law # 149-XVI from 8 June 2006 on the fish fund, fishing and fish breeding, Law # 239-XVI of 8 November 2007 on plant kingdom, Law # 94-XVI from 5 April 2007 on the ecological network, Law # 91-XVI from 5 April 2007 on public property lands and its delimitation, Water law #272 of 23 December 2011. Strategic framework includes: The National Strategy on Biodiversity Conservation (Parliament Decision #112-XV from 27 April 2001), The Strategy on sustainable development of the forestry in the Republic of Moldova (Parliament Decision # 350-XV from 12 June 2001), The National Programme on establishment of the national ecological network for 2011-2018 (Government Decision # 593 from 1 August 2011), The National Plan for extending of the forest areas for 2014-2018 (Government Decision # 101 from 10 February 2014), Environmental Strategy for 2014-2023 (Government Decision # 301 from 24 April 2014), The National Strategy on agricultural and rural development for 2014-2020, Biodiversity Strategy of the Republic of Moldova for 2014-2020 (Government Decision #274 of 18 May 2015). Targets: Extending of the natural protected areas up to 8 % from the total country area. Extended of the afforested areas to up15 % from the total country area. Key questions — What is the progress in the protected areas under national legislations and international agreements? Assessment The assessment of the data presented in the Table 1 show that the share of total protected areas in the country area grows constantly (see Figure 1 and Figure 2). So, until 2005 it represented 1.96 %. Due to the fact that in 2006 3 wetlands of international importance has been declared protected areas, in particular the Lower Prut Lakes (Cahul), Lower Dniester (Causeni, Stefan Voda) and Unguri-Holosnita (Ocnita, Donduseni, Soroca), the share of total protected area growth up to 4.76 %. Comparison with the period 2006-2012, in 2013 the total surface of natural areas under protection growth with 338 km² and represents 5.76 % from the total country area. This increase is due to the fact that in 2013 the National Park Orhei has been created. The share of total protected areas in the country remains constantly the same. Republic of Moldova do not use the IUCN classification of the protected areas. A national classification is used. There are 12 categories of the natural protected areas. The categories and they surfaces are presented in the Table 2. The analysis of the last available data shows that the biggest share of different categories has Wetlands of International Importance with a surface of 947.055 km² which is 49 % of the total surface of protected areas. Wetlands of International Importance are followed by Landscape Reservations with 342 km² (18 % from the total surface of protected areas) and National Parks with surface 337.921 km² (17 % from the total surface of protected areas) (see Figure 3 and 4). Also, protected areas can be visualised using the GIS map. Click on the link http://ieg.asm.md/en/protected_areas Key messages: In the period of 2000-2014 the area of protected areas was increased by 2,94 times. The big share of designated areas is Wetlands of International Importance (47 %), followed by Landscape Reservations (18 %) Trend — positive Methodology: The procedure for establishing of the protected area regime is set out in the Regulation on the procedure for establishing the protected area regime (Government decision # 803 from 19.06.2002). Uncertainty — National categories of protected areas (12) do not correspond with international categories IUCN (6). Recommendations — The national categories of protected areas must be aligned to the international ones (6 categories of IUCN).