Although villages in Moldova have some financial autonomy, they are accountable to and very much dependent on the district centres, because of the country’s centralized administrative structure. Cenac is one of the fortunate villages with an easy access to a regional administrative centre – the village is directly linked the town of Cimișlia, which can be reached in just 10 minutes by a well-maintained road. The road from Dezghingea to Comrat (the capital city of Gagauzia) is much longer and not as good.
Focus Story: Garbage speaks no language and has no political colour
Article, 12.12.2024
The village of Dezghingea from the autonomous administrative-territorial unit (ATU) of Gagauzia and the village of Cenac from Cimislia district seem to have little in common, except maybe for the 8 km long white stone road that connects them. Dezghingea is home to over 4,000 people and 1,400 households, with about 94% of the population identifying as Gagauz, according to the latest census. Cenac is almost three times smaller, with a population of around 1,600 people and some 500 households, and 98% of its residents identify as either Romanian or Moldovan. The inhabitants of the two villages have opposing political and geopolitical preferences.

Instances of collaboration between neighbouring villages from different districts are rare in Moldova. Despite all differences in the ethnical structure of their population, main spoken languages, political preferences, and administrative ties, the people and the local authorities from Dezghingea and Cenac united their efforts to address a major problem of mutual concern: the garbage dumps that plagued their beautiful landscapes, creating serious risks for the environment and for people’s health.

The problem of unauthorized landfills
Statistics published few years ago showed that 90% of Moldova's waste ended up in landfills. According to environmental NGOs, there are over 3’000 landfills across the country, more than a half of them unauthorized, often located near water sources or close to people's homes. Of those authorized, only 0.3% comply with environmental regulations.
At the beginning of 2022, Dezghingea had 12 unauthorized dumpsites, while Cenac had three.
"We didn't really know each other"
The problem of unauthorized littering was a high priority for both mayors. According to the mayor of Cenac, Oleg Sandu, the proposal to collaborate came from the mayor of Dezghingea, Vasili Capsamun, although, before that, the two mayors did not even know each other personally. Despite initial scepticism, the villagers from Cenac finally decided to give it a try and accepted the proposal.
In Cenac, there was no waste collection service at all, despite previous (unsuccessful) attempts to establish one. The mayor of Cenac explained that his village was too small and did not have enough resources to develop a communal waste collection service independently.
In contrast, Dezghingea already had some experience with garbage collection, though it was limited by outdated equipment, which made the process labour-intensive. “The problem with unauthorized rubbish dumps in the village was indeed a serious one. We had some capacity, but it was very limited. The tractor, you can see over there, next to this new machine, was doing the job, but still it was difficult. We needed a better solution", said the mayor of Dezghingea.

From words to action
In February 2022, the two municipalities signed a cooperation agreement. By April, they secured CHF 65’000 co-funding through the "Mă Implic" (“I get involved”) project , financed by Switzerland and implemented by the Swiss Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development (Skat Consulting Ltd.). The communities’ contributions covered 1/3 of the costs. The project also provided technical support and capacity building to help both villages establish a more sustainable waste collection infrastructure.

A truck was purchased, along with over 1’000 bins for Dezghingea and 600 for Cenac. "We now have a well-functioning waste collection system in both villages", said Vailis Capsamun, the mayor of Dezghingea. Garbage is collected four times a week in Dezghingea and once every two weeks in Cenac. Each village manages the waste at their own dumpsites.
Villagers in both communities have responded positively to the improvements, with many expressing their satisfaction with the cleaner and more organized waste disposal process.

What’s Next?
Two more villages, Bugeac in ATU Gagauzia and Topala in Cimișlia district, will also join the initiative. Bugeac is a village of the size of Cenac, with 460 households and 1’352 inhabitants; 63% of them are Gagauz. The village of Topala is even smaller, with only 300 households and a total of 719 inhabitants; almost 97% of them are Moldovans / Romanians.
In order to accommodate the needs of four villages using one joint waste management service, additional equipment will be purchased, including a tractor and a compactor – an asphalt straightening machine that will press the garbage for a more efficient use of space at the garbage dumps.
About Mă Implic: The project supports local public authorities in Moldova to carry out their functions in a participatory, efficient, inclusive, and sustainable manner. The project also provides support to the central government of Moldova to ensure a transparent and efficient implementation of the local public administration reform. More info about the project can be found here.