The Ukrainian hydro-electric power stations on the Dniester are ruining its water eco-system and are leading to annihilation of the river, which is the main water source for Chisinau and for a considerable part of the republic. Such was the main conclusion by scientists, which was presented at a news conference in Infotag on the results of a research of the situation on the Dniester.    

In the framework of the Hidroeconex trans-border project, scientists from Moldova, Romania and Ukraine carried out a research on “The Monitoring of the Dniester and Prut Rivers and the Indicators of the Influence of Hydro-Electric Objects on the Functioning of Trans-Border Water Eco-Systems”. Contributions to the common cause were made by researchers from the Institute of Zoology of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences [MAS], from University Dunarea de Jos [Lower Danube] in the Romanian city of Galati, and the Institute of Marine Ecology and the National Hydro-Meteorological Center for the Black and Azov Seas (Ukraine).   

Professor Elena Zubkova, Dr. Biol., from the MAS Institute of Zoology said at the conference that presently Ukraine has built one of Europe’s and world’s largest hydro-energy complexes on the Dniester, which does not belong to the category of major rivers.   

“Our research has showed that the complex inflicts an irreparable damage to the river, and may lead to its disappearance. With water being a cheap source of electric power, nobody is actually caring about the river:  everybody wants to generate as much cheap power as only possible, saying that there is no danger for the environment because hydro-electric power stations do not produce whatever waste or toxic pollution. But the stations are killing the river! Lately, the Dniester has become critically shallow, so the water supply is in danger.  Already now, the water flow near the Ukrainian town of Naslavcea has dropped to below 100 cubic meters per second against its usual norm of 200-240 cubic meters”, said Dr. Zubkova.   

She is convinced that the Dniester question has been excessively politicized, and that measures for saving the river need to be taken urgently. She said that the project scientists will recommend the European Union to cross the said hydro-electric power stations from the list of ‘green energy’ producers.     

“In addition, the European Commission is paying extra to the ‘green energy’ producers! This is absolutely wrong. And if somebody talks about “green”, we can say that these stations only lead to water stoppage, so the Dniester water is becoming really green like in a swamp”, said Elena Zubkova.