The manifestation of dryness and drought phenomena at the beginning of the 21-st century and their impact in the Republic of Moldova

The aridification of the climate at the regional-european level led to the intensification and increase in the frequency of dryness and drought phenomena, including in the Republic of Moldova. Multiannual observations, documented in the database of the State Hydrometeorological Service, highlight the fact that in the Republic of Moldova, on average, a drought occurs once every five years in the north of the country and once every three years in the southern and central regions. The article characterizes the droughts that occurred between 2000 and 2021 and the impact of more devastating cases on the national economy.The phenomena of dryness and drought are meteorological and climatic phenomena of risk and are considered the most complex climatic phenomena, because several factors participate in their triggering, such as: atmospheric precipitation, the reserve of soil water accessible to plants, air humidity and temperature, evapotranspiration, wind speed, etc., these being the main climatic parameters that define the condition of dry or droughty weather. Dryness and drought are classified as weather-climatic phenomena that cause the greatest damage to the economy and the environment.