May 27, 2025 – AO EcoContact, in partnership with Propark Foundation for Protected Areas (Romania), organized in Chișinău the event “Capacity and Competencies for Nature”, dedicated to presenting and consulting on practical tools to improve the management of protected areas in the Republic of Moldova.

The event brought together representatives of public authorities, protected area managers, and nature conservation specialists. In the opening, organizers welcomed the active participation of more than 20 representatives of key institutions, including the Ministry of Environment, Environmental Agency, ICAS, “Moldsilva” Agency, Institute of Zoology (USM), Institute of Ecology and Geography (USM), Orheiul Vechi Cultural-Natural Reserve, Pădurea Domnească Nature Reserve, and the European Ranger Federation (ERF).

Within this context, two key tools developed by Propark were presented under the project “Improving Protected Area Management in the Republic of Moldova through Institutional Development, Capacity Building, and Habitat Restoration”, carried out with financial support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds from the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and implemented by AO EcoContact and AO Biotica Ecological Society.

The tools presented include the National Competence Register for Protected Area Authorities in the Republic of Moldova and the Guideline for Developing Protected Area Management Plans in the Context of Climate Change.

The Guideline provides explanations, models, and best practices for drafting or updating management plans, ensuring a coherent and unified structure and their adaptation to climate change realities. The Competence Register, presented during the event, is an adaptation to the national context of the global register developed under the auspices of IUCN. It aims to identify the competencies needed for effective protected area management in Moldova and to contribute to the professionalization of this priority field for biodiversity conservation.

Erika Vaida Bela, Founder and Conservation Director of Propark – Foundation for Protected Areas, stated:
“We hope that the final documents developed by Propark will be useful both for today’s practitioners in Moldova’s protected areas and for authorities seeking to improve the legal framework. Competent professionals, working with a clear and logical management plan and the necessary resources, can achieve remarkable results for conserving Moldova’s natural and cultural values – to the benefit of local communities and people in general.”

Mara Bulea, Professional Training Programs Coordinator at Propark, emphasized:
“The Competence Register provides an overview of professional development needs across all levels of responsibility in nature conservation. Based on this tool, Moldovan authorities and protected area managers can define new occupations and occupational standards – for example: ranger, protected area specialist – along with clear job descriptions and responsibilities for each position. The register can also be used to identify and assess competencies that need strengthening through professional training, both within central structures and in protected area management teams.”

Larisa Cupcea, Project Manager at AO EcoContact, highlighted:
“These two tools were also designed to support public authorities and will be proposed to the Ministry of Environment for integration into national policies on nature conservation and protected area management. This will contribute to creating a coherent, unified, and professional framework at both institutional and operational levels.”

During the interactive sessions, participants analyzed and debated the content of the documents and provided recommendations for improvement, which will be integrated into the final versions.