Adding New Rules above the Old Ones – Institutional Change of The Water Sector in Moldova

Abstract: The purpose of this case study was to explore the process of institutional change in the water in Moldova, with the ambition of contributing to the under-theorized discussion on the way this process unfolds since two decades ago. Institutional change was conceptualised as the process of making improvements and amendments of what is wrong or unsatisfactory about water institutions, with the aim of achieving a better state. In turn, water institutions refer to formal rules and structures established by authorities with the purpose of governing water sector. More specifically, water institutions included three components: water law, water policy and water administration. By applying qualitative research methods: interviews, secondary data review and direct observations, it was possible to learn that institutional change in the water sector in Moldova in the past two decades unfolded in a gradual way and the specific mode of change was layering, implying that institutions change by adding new rules above the old ones. It is hoped that this study can contribute to more appropriate strategies and policies on the initiatives to change water sector institutions.