Moldova declares a 60-day state of emergency in energy sector

Moldova voted on Tuesday to impose a 60-day state of emergency on its energy and water sectors due to severely low water levels on the Dniester River and global conflicts that are driving up energy costs, AP reports.

Moldova is facing “a severe hydrological deficit” on both the Dniester and Prut rivers, which threatens the European Union candidate country’s water supply, according to the Ministry of Environment, which said the measures would give the authorities the power to intervene faster and apply temporary measures where necessary to maintain supplies.

“Particular attention is paid to the situation on the Dniester River, which is one of the main water sources of the Republic of Moldova,” the ministry said.

The 101-seat legislature approved the measure in a 54-20 vote, with 22 lawmakers not casting ballots. The emergency takes effect on Saturday.

The decision comes a day after President Maia Sandu chaired a National Security Council meeting on the “impact of the international energy crisis” on Moldova and “measures to strengthen national energy resilience” ahead of winter.

Prime Minister Vasile Tofan said on Tuesday that a “perfect storm” of issues, such as drought, conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the destruction of refineries, has led to rising energy costs and put pressure on Moldova’s energy sector.

Moldova depends heavily on imported natural gas and electricity. Similar states of alert, which expire on Friday, have been in place in both sectors since July, when a severe drought began to grip Europe.

“I’m not saying that tomorrow we’ll run out of gas, diesel, electricity or water,” Tofan said. “The problem is that we are entering the cold season with several major risks overlapping at the same time.”