Republic of Moldova
Ongoing implementation
(Inter)national level
The Moldova Soil Conservation Project (MSCP) is a national reforestation and afforestation programme launched in 2002 to combat severe soil erosion and land degradation. Covering 20,300 hectares of degraded and marginal lands across the country, the project applies forest restoration to stabilise soils, reduce erosion, enhance biodiversity, and sequester carbon. Moreover, it also contributes to rural livelihoods through sustainable harvesting of timber and non-timber forest products. The project is implemented by the national forestry authority (Agency Moldsilva), in partnership with local communities and international climate funds.
Moldova faces acute land degradation due to its topography, since over half of Moldova's land covers sloping terrains prone to erosion and ravine formation. More than 80,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by more than 6,000 gullies, threatening agriculture and infrastructure. The MSCP was designed to address these issues while advancing Moldova’s commitments under the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol. The project engages 383 local public authorities and 23 forest enterprises (excluding Transnistria) to reforest degraded lands, returning them to productive and ecological use.
The Moldova Soil Conservation Project (MSCP) employs reforestation and afforestation as nature-based solutions to restore degraded soils, enhance carbon sequestration, and protect biodiversity while supporting rural economies. Managed by Agency Moldsilva with community partnerships, the project combines fast-growing pioneer species for initial soil recovery with long-term establishment of native forest ecosystems. Integration with carbon markets through World Bank mechanisms has made the initiative both ecologically and financially sustainable.
The intervention was implemented as a nationwide afforestation and reforestation programme to stabilise degraded soils and bring marginal land back into productive use. Forests planting covered 20,300 hectares of degraded lands and was delivered across 2,421 locations throughout the country. The main planting phase took place between 2002 and 2006, after which implementation shifted to ongoing tending, completion and restoration works to secure establishment of the forest stands, including activities linked to biodiversity conservation.
Delivery relied on a decentralised ownership and management structure. Landowners included 383 local public authorities and 23 forest entities, with more than 60% of project sites owned by local communities. The programme was managed and implemented by Agency Moldsilva, the public body responsible for forestry and hunting policies. Resources for implementation were distributed to forestry units using a set of criteria combining scale (area planted) and site and design considerations (including planted species, soil fertility, anticipated production and forestry species class). Allocation decisions were made through a National Program Advisory Committee, with representatives from the Parliament, Government, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Finance and Agency Moldsilva.
Operational design used species choice to address differing levels of land degradation. On highly degraded sites, fast-growing species such as Robinia pseudoacacia and Gleditschia triachantos were used to quickly stabilise soils. Once landscape conditions improved, these stands could be harvested and replaced with native oak and ash.
The intervention also embedded a sustainable-use model for the restored forests. Management plans allowed for sustainable timber harvesting and the harvesting of non-wood forest products, with the intention of supporting local livelihoods and reducing pressure on existing forests by increasing legal wood supply and decreasing incentives for illegal logging and damaging grazing.
Information not available yet.
