FAO launches first land degradation neutrality strategy in the Republic of Moldova

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed a land degradation neutrality strategy and local action plans for community and agricultural lands across 32 localities in three districts of the Republic of Moldova. The initiative aims at improving soil health, enhancing sustainability and supporting long-term agricultural resilience in the pilot districts of Orhei, Rezina and Șoldănești.

The strategy was designed in response to the country’s accelerating land degradation, which poses a serious threat to the agricultural sector. Over the past 60 years, the area of eroded land has increased 1.8 times, mainly due to cultivation on sloping lands without the application of soil conservation practices.

Through this strategy and the accompanying local action plans, FAO provides scientific data, methodological approaches and practical solutions for local authorities and farmers on how to better manage landscapes and natural resources to achieve land degradation neutrality. The plans recommend suitable crop types for each area and propose a range of soil management and agroforestry measures to help preserve and nourish soil carbon stocks.

Expected outcomes at the community level include increasing forest cover to 16 percent of the total land area; expanding protective forest belts by 130 ha; and reducing the area of degraded lands by 1 300 ha and severely eroded areas by 120 ha.

The strategy and action plans are part of an FAO project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that aims to curb erosion and land degradation while promoting environmentally friendly, climate-smart agricultural practices in the three pilot districts.

Local efforts have persuaded the government to approach land degradation more confidently, with the local strategies and plans now serving as the basis of a nationwide strategy to achieve land degradation neutrality and combat desertification. In the coming years, FAO and key national stakeholders plan to expand district strategies and community action plans nationwide, supporting efforts in the Republic of Moldova to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land).

Local action for global impact

To prepare the local action plans, FAO first conducted a thorough inventory of land resources and soil quality in the pilot areas. Under FAO supervision, teams of experts were deployed to the field to assess local landscapes and conditions and collect soil samples according to a pre-designed methodology, using this information to construct detailed maps and geographic information system (GIS) instruments to support science- and data-backed decision-making. With the mapping products and proposals at hand, FAO held public consultations with mayors, local councilors, cadastral engineers and representatives of agricultural producers and land users from the region, said Iurie Bejan, FAO expert and coordinator of the initiative. Through participatory and inclusive efforts, the expert team tailored its recommendations to local needs and worked to provide the best solutions to achieve land degradation neutrality and enable the responsible use of natural resources to preserve soil health while ensuring its maximum productivity potential.

Representatives of local authorities in the pilot areas welcomed the presentation of the strategy and plans, noting that these documents will serve as valuable references for urban development plans and investment projects, as they contain essential data and recommendations for sustainable land-use planning. At the same time, they saluted the fact that the recommendations were realistic, had a strong scientifical foundation and were backed by maps and indicators collected directly from the field, thus offering a comprehensive, exhaustive and real-time snapshot of local soil and natural resource conditions.

“These local action plans help us understand what measures we must take to improve soil quality and, consequently, ensure food security for our citizens,” said Ion Botnari, the mayor of Chiperceni in Orhei District. “With this knowledge, we can make better decisions, identify resources and engage partners who can support us.”

Each locality’s plan includes a communication and awareness strategy designed to involve communities, farmers, councillors and civil society organizations in implementing soil restoration measures.