The growing global population, the intensive exploitation of natural resources and global warming put pressure on soil productivity and sustainability worldwide.
In order to regulate the water regime on the surface and on the profile of the soils in the hydrographic basin of the River Moldova, four draining-drainage systems with an area of 8761 ha of which 3059 ha with works underground drainage were arranged from 1960 to 1975 and from 1978 to 1980.
The process of draining excess of moisture has led to a sudden change of some environmental components, spontaneous vegetation being replaced by various agricultural crops by modifying the entire ecosystem.
Immediately after setting up, the range of agricultural crops has grown and there have been significant production increases. This was possible due to the elimination of excess moisture and the application of agropedoameliorative works. Since 1992, drained areas have been transferred to private ownership and their exploitation has been carried out on individual plots. Agropedoameliorative works and maintenance works on draining-drainage systems - which were foreseen in the execution project - were no longer carried out. This has gradually led to the degradation of the channel network and the clogging of the collecting and absorbent drains holes.
The draining channels have lost drainage efficiency and only function as a small scale topographic depression, providing seasonal, linear areas of high water levels. All this led to the reinstallation of the excess moisture on large areas and their passage from the category of arable use to lower categories (meadows or pastures), with significant repercussions on the profit and the quality of life of the citizens in rural areas.
The degradation of these systems (from various causes and in different ways) has in many cases determined the degradation of agrophysical and agrochemical properties of soils. In these situations, land drainage becomes indispensable for the sustainable exploitation of the soil resources in the area.