Climate Challenges: The Key Role of Libraries in Moldova

In the Anenii Noi region of Moldova, local populations are at the front lines of climate change. Prolonged droughts, recurring floods, and soil erosion threaten agriculture, which remains a dominant sector in this rural area. In response to these growing challenges, BSF and its partners, Acted and REACH, have been assisting the local authorities and populations in adapting to climate risks since 2023.

Funded by the French Development Agency, the STRIVE project aims to reinforce the communities’ resilience to catastrophies and improve their shock preparedness.

“One of the main challenges we faced was that this is a highly specialized area that had not been addressed before in Moldova. As a result, there was a lack of capacity, resources, and knowledge on the ground to support its development. Additionally, disaster risk management in the country has traditionally focused on response rather than preparedness and mitigation. Changing this perception required significant time and effort, as stakeholders had to shift their approach toward long-term resilience-building.” Almothana Hasan, coordinator of project Acted.

Libraries: New Pillars of Community Resilience

In this context, we have supported the Moldovan libraries in becoming strategic spaces for the awareness and education of risks. In Anenii Noi, ten libraries have been equipped with an Ideas Box, 10 Ideas Cube digital libraries, and 2,000 Kajou SD cards, providing their communities with a vast range of resources in Romanian, Russian, and Ukranian, including educational videos, specialized books, and educational games.

These “resilience hubs“ cover essential topics like sustainable agriculture, disaster management, and fire prevention.

Natural Disaster Risk Reduction Training with Librarians

Awareness-Raising Activity for Children in School

A region that is highly exposed to climate change, the STRIVE project has provided educational resources adapted to the resident’s needs.

“Building on a professional and precise assessment carried out by the NGO Reach in collaboration with public institutions and civil society organizations, BSF has developed a strategy to create educational content aligned with the needs of librarians. By working with the library network, restoring visibility, and appeal to these historic yet sometimes dilapidated places, BSF has contributed to revitalizing these community spaces, which have thus played a role as resilience hubs, closer to the population.” Stephanie Menard, BSF coordinator in Moldova.

This collaboration was praised by Ina Pascan, director adjoint of the Anenii Noi District Council, who insisted on the “remarkable enagagement of the librarians involved in the project’s implementation” . As part of this effort, librarians have been trained by BSF in emergency managament and social cohesion, making them key players in the educational process.

Training and Engaging Communities

One of STRIVE’s greatest strengths is its direct involvement of local communities. Through debates, information sessions, and practical exercises organized by libararies, residents have been able to share their experiences and enrich activities with their daily realities.

In partnership with the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations in Moldova, regular training sessions teach people how to prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters. Children, for example, learn emergency procedures for fires and earthquakes through interactive games and exercise. Adults participate in first-aid workshops and emergency situations.

Beyond risk education, libraries have become welcoming and inclusive spaces serving the population.

“The project has had a significant impact on the community, transforming the library into an open, inclusive and accessible space for all residents, regardless of age, gender, nationality or religion. The library has also become a place of concrete support for personal and professional development. A recent example is the one-to-one mentoring of five local business people who, with the help of the library, applied for and received funding for their projects,” says Svetlana Palii, librarian at the Gura Bicului Public Library.

Over time, this initiative has profoundly changed how libraries are perceived, “the library is no longer just a place to borrow books, but a center of support, education and safety. Librarians have become facilitators of knowledge and solidarity, guiding the community in crisis preparedness,” concluded Ina Pascan.

In a country that is still marked by deep socio-economic inequalities and structural vulnerability to natural and human made crises, this initiative demonstrates that access to information and education is a key component for collective resilience.

At Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (Libraries Without Borders), education on environmental issues is becoming increasingly central to our projects. By facilitating access to knowledge for all, we are helping communities to better prepare for and adapt to climate, economic, and social challenges.