A number of Moldovan NGOs called upon civil society to protect the surface waters that now represent one of the most serious environment-related problems, Info-Prim Neo reports. Rodica Ioranov, the representative of the public association “EcoContact” that is a successor of the activities of Milieukontakt International, told a news conference that there about 3 000 rivulets in Moldova and most of them are situated near settlements. They are massively polluted as a result of entropic activities and the consequences of pollution will be felt for a long period ahead. The insufficient volume of water is another problem. Many rivulets in summer become dry. ”The small rivers and lakes form the basis of the hydrographic network and are an indispensable part of the natural environment of Moldova. The advanced degradation of the environment, which leads to a lower flow capacity, the powerful pollution, drying up and other negative phenomena point to a hydrological imbalance and pose a real danger to the water ecosystems and the environment in general,” reads a note presented by Milieukontakt International. Mihail Mustea, the head of the National Environment Center, said the polluted water in rivers and lakes covers a distance and ultimately gets to the human body. “The surface waters must be protected for our sake and the sake of those who are around because the circulation circles of these waters is the shortest and the contained substances are not lost,” he stated. According to the experts, if the authorities do not have sufficient instruments to solve the environment-related problems, a part of the responsibility must be assumed by the NGOs. The call was made in the context of the World Water Day that is marked on March 22.