{"id":13340,"date":"2025-02-06T11:31:07","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T11:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/life-renata-axiologisi-amp-enischysi-diktyoy-emerald-sti-moldavia\/"},"modified":"2025-06-23T21:49:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T21:49:15","slug":"life-renata-axiologisi-amp-enischysi-diktyoy-emerald-sti-moldavia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/life-renata-axiologisi-amp-enischysi-diktyoy-emerald-sti-moldavia\/","title":{"rendered":"Completion of the Survey Study of Moldova\u2019s Emerald Network Areas in Accordance with the Bern Convention Criteria and the EU Nature Directive"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Taking important steps toward advancing nature conservation and environmental policy, the stakeholders involved in the <\/span>LIFE RENATA<\/b> project have completed a comprehensive survey study of Moldova\u2019s Emerald Network, supporting its alignment with the <\/span>Bern Convention<\/b> and <\/span>EU standards<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Emerald Network<\/b> is a European initiative aimed at preserving critical habitats and species. The Republic of Moldova currently has <\/span>61 designated Emerald Network areas<\/b>, covering <\/span>2,744.6 km\u00b2<\/b>, which accounts for <\/span>8.1% of the country\u2019s total area<\/b>. The network in Moldova was established to protect and conserve <\/span>27 habitat types<\/b> and <\/span>161 species<\/b> (including <\/span>12 plants, 25 invertebrates, 3 amphibians, 3 reptiles, 19 fish, 13 mammals<\/b>, and <\/span>86 birds<\/b>) as listed in the annexes of the Bern Convention. However, the most recent biogeographical assessment indicated that the network\u2019s <\/span>sufficiency index (SI)<\/b> for ensuring the conservation of these habitats and species remains relatively low at <\/span>24.1%<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite an increase in the number of Emerald sites between <\/span>2016 and 2019<\/b>, the <\/span>overall area covered<\/b> by the network <\/span>decreased by 3%<\/b>, leaving the country with a relatively low national coverage of 8.1%. In contrast, most other Emerald Network countries have expanded their coverage. This stagnation, combined with the low sufficiency index, highlights the urgent need for two key actions:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Reassessment and potential expansion<\/b> of existing sites or designation of new areas to better protect underrepresented habitats and species.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Updating the Emerald database<\/b>, which was last revised in <\/span>2017<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>

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    The recent <\/span>analysis conducted under the LIFE RENATA project<\/b> focuses on a detailed assessment of Moldova\u2019s Emerald Network, examining its current state, challenges, and future prospects. Through a multifaceted approach, the study presents the network\u2019s historical evolution in the country, including key milestones, timelines, and maps illustrating its progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In addition to the Emerald area data, the analysis also involved the <\/span>recording and updating of information<\/b> on <\/span>nationally protected areas<\/b> and <\/span>internationally recognized sites<\/b>, such as <\/span>Ramsar sites<\/b>, <\/span>UNESCO biosphere reserves<\/b>, and other important conservation areas (<\/span>IBAs, KBAs, HCVFs<\/b>). Furthermore, <\/span>inconsistencies and errors<\/b> in the existing data were identified through systematic checks and <\/span>corrected<\/b> by the project\u2019s scientific team.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A critical aspect of the study is the <\/span>analysis of spatial overlap<\/b> between Emerald sites and other protected areas. This approach helps determine how effectively Moldova leverages its national protected areas and identifies locations that require <\/span>boundary adjustments or expansions<\/b> to improve the network\u2019s coherence and effectiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The <\/span>adequacy of existing management plans<\/b> was also evaluated, including the extent to which they align with the requirements of the Bern Convention and EU Nature Directives. The study also focused on the <\/span>conservation of species and habitats of European interest<\/b>, highlighting the <\/span>gaps<\/b> that need to be addressed to strengthen their protection.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The study concludes with <\/span>recommendations<\/b> for the next steps in updating the Emerald Network, <\/span>enhancing biodiversity conservation<\/b>, and transitioning toward <\/span>Natura 2000 standards<\/b>. The outcomes of this effort will form the foundation for the next phase of the project, reinforcing Moldova\u2019s environmental protection and alignment with European benchmarks.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The <\/span>LIFE RENATA<\/b> project lays the groundwork for a <\/span>revised Emerald Network<\/b>, aiming to increase the <\/span>Sufficiency Index (SI)<\/b> and enhance biodiversity conservation. The development of a <\/span>knowledge repository and GIS-based spatial data platform<\/b> will further support the country\u2019s efforts to meet <\/span>Natura 2000 standards<\/b>, contributing to a sustainable future for Moldova\u2019s natural heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Co-funded by the LIFE Programme<\/b>, the LIFE RENATA project aims to align the management of Moldova\u2019s Emerald Network with <\/span>EU Natura 2000 standards<\/b>. It is coordinated by <\/span>Lever S.A.<\/b> and is expected to deliver significant environmental outcomes by <\/span>January 2026<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Taking important steps toward advancing nature conservation and environmental policy, the stakeholders involved in the LIFE RENATA project have completed a comprehensive survey study of Moldova\u2019s Emerald Network, supporting its alignment with the Bern Convention and EU standards. The Emerald Network is a European initiative aimed at preserving critical habitats and species. The Republic of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12214,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[339],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13340"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13340\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13344,"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13340\/revisions\/13344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lever.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}