Heatwave & power crunch: Moldova is bracing for electricity shortages as the Danube stays dangerously low. The Energy Ministry warns of a peak-hour commercial deficit this evening (18:00–21:00) and urges voluntary cuts to avoid costly emergency measures. Energy prices & emergency purchases: President Maia Sandu says the deficit is driven by low Danube water that limits generation across Europe, forcing Moldova to buy power at “exaggerated” prices; planned outages are a last resort. Dniester water stress: Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder says Moldova will face reduced Dniester flow for at least three more weeks, relying on Novodnistrovsk reservoir reserves; inflow averages ~30 m³/s while releases are ~85 m³/s. Regional diplomacy on water: Moldova and Ukraine continue monitoring and negotiating to protect drinking-water supply, including efforts to keep releases higher than initial proposals. Waste & local nature conflict: In Anenii Noi, residents protest a planned large waste management center near forests, springs, and underground water; the Environment Minister insists it will meet EU standards and be designed to minimize impact. Local governance capacity: Over 200 local public authority reps trained on applying forest-fund and animal-keeping regulations through Local Environmental Platforms. Wildfire/heat context in Europe: Record heat in Austria and red alerts in Italy underline the wider climate pressure affecting energy and health.