South Regional Development Agency with the financial support of the Bird Life International, the subsidiary in Ukraine, organized a workshop within the project "Strengthening of Economic and Legal Instruments for the Conservation of the Biodiversity of the Steppe, Adaptation to Climate Change and Mitigation. (Steppe Biodiversity) ". The aim of the workshop was to inform the representatives of the public authorities in the south region of the Republic of Moldova, about good pasture management as a real opportunity for adaptation to pasture drought conditions, based on the common experience in Ecaterinovca, in the District of Cimișlia. Participants of the seminar were representatives' of mayor offices and District Councils from all the South regions.

As a national expert was Mr. Alexandru Rosu, lecturer at the Institute of Agro chemistry and pedology, soil protection "Nicolae Dimo", participated by reporting on the issues and consequences of current natural meadow processes, perennial forage plants feature as most resistant to drought and producing the cheapest food, and scientific methods of improving the quality of pastures.

Participants at the seminar went to the village of Ecaterinovca, where they saw the result work performed on 3 agro-pasture lands, namely:

• 5-hectare plot where the agricultural work was carried out in the spring sowing with seeds of perennial crops.
• 5-hectare plot where the mineral fertilizers have been introduced,
• 10 hectares plot where were sown with quality sainfoin seeds.

  Here, the experts assessed the plants, and soil during the end of the year. The fact that the soil, and also the perennial plants, sown in the spring of 2003, contributed to the improvement of the situation was mentioned to Mr. Alexandru Rusu and to other specialists present at the site.  Savelie Pomujac, Director of Agriculture for the Cimișlia District Council, praised the "success story" by the district and to the South Regional Development Agency for the implementation of the project.

Note that the "Bird Life International" is finished in December of this year, and although it has existed for a relatively short duration, the results will be perceived for a long period.