The Government approved the biological diversity strategy of Moldova for 2015-2020 and the plan of action for implementing this strategy. During the first strategy implementation stage until 2016, there will be drafted five legal acts adjusted to the international treaties on biodiversity, IPN reports.

Among the actions stipulated in the plan of action for implementing the strategy are to extend the natural areas protected by the state to 8% of the country’s territory until 2020, to create botanical gardens in Balti and Cahul, to open a training and consultancy center in the area of biodiversity, to publish the third edition of the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova, and to found the National Park “Lower Nistrul” and the Romania-Moldova-Ukraine Tripartite Biosphere Reserve “Danube Delta – Lower Prut”.

An area of 5,000 hectares of publicly owned land will be planted with trees in a move to minimize the pressure on the vulnerable natural ecosystems. There will be promoted scientific researches in the area of conservation of biodiversity and will be stimulated the working out of biotechnologies for reproducing rare species of the flora and fauna.

The strategy will be implemented at a cost of 38.6 million lei. The money will be allocated from the national public budget, from extra-budgetary resources and different funds, including grants expected from the Global Environment Fund and other European funds.

The first national strategy for conserving biological diversity was approved in 2001.