---
title: "Dniester water crisis deepens along Moldova border"
url: https://radiomoldova.md/p/83093/dniester-water-crisis-deepens-along-moldova-border
published: 2026-08-14T14:56:26Z
language: en
author: "Redacția  TRM"
section: "Social"
source: radiomoldova.md
---

# Dniester water crisis deepens along Moldova border

> Persistent drought and declining water inflow from Ukraine have pushed the Dniester River to critical lows, leaving large sections overgrown with vegetation and walkable on foot.

[Video](https://www.youtube.com/embed/-kOcqe4BtJA)

Persistent drought and declining water inflow from Ukraine have pushed the Dniester River to critical lows, leaving large sections overgrown with vegetation and walkable on foot.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/31e04ac2-ac67-415e-80f6-38db6241ad3c.jpg)

Local authorities previously declared yellow and orange hydrological alerts as river flow dropped to two to three times below normal levels.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/9028fe47-57a3-41ea-bc35-7a5f37638184.jpg)

**Ecosystem collapse at the border**

In northern villages like Unguri, near the Ukrainian border, residents report stagnant water and receding shorelines. Former swimming areas are now covered in dense aquatic weeds.

Locals express growing fear over drinking water supplies, noting that village wells are drying up alongside the riverbed.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/895fde84-16e7-4acc-8fc0-5cf8899f687b.jpg)

**Ecosystem collapse at the border**

In northern villages like Unguri, near the Ukrainian border, residents report stagnant water and receding shorelines. Former swimming areas are now covered in dense aquatic weeds.

Locals express growing fear over drinking water supplies, noting that village wells are drying up alongside the riverbed.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/7cb601d1-fb6b-4d49-afa1-80ae56814836.jpg)

**Carpathian deforestation accelerates crisis**

Environmental experts attribute the drop to persistent drought and severe environmental degradation in the Carpathian Mountains, the river’s primary source.

Massive deforestation has destroyed the natural moss layer, which typically retains 50 to 100 metric tons of rainwater per hectare and releases it gradually.

![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/7c7ed018-875d-4b94-8f1a-f5b53592046b.jpg)

**Decreased flow from Novodnistrovsk Reservoir**

To conserve water reserves, discharge from Ukraine’s Novodnistrovsk reservoir was reduced from 85 to 75 cubic meters per second through late August.

The reduction directly impacts Moldova’s energy and hydrological stability, threatening the primary water source for major urban centers, including Chisinau.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**