The activities of the Republic of

Belarus in implementing the basic

principles of the Water Convention

Slizh Tatsiana

Head of Department of water use and protection

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the

Republic of Belarus

Dubianok Sniazhana

Deputy Director for Science Central Research Institute for Complex

Use of Water Resources (CRICUWR), Belarus

The Water Code of the Republic of Belarus

Basic principles of the Water Code of the Republic

of Belarus :

1. basin management of water resources

1.1. development of River Basin Management

Plans (RBMP)

1.2. creation of Basin Councils

2. improvement of the ecological status of

surface water bodies

2.1. approaches to establishing the ecological

status of surface water bodies and their parts

2.2 approaches to the definition of hydrobiological,

hydrochemical and hydromorphological indicators

for assigning an ecological status to surface water

bodies.

Basin water resources management is implemented through the development of

river basin management plans (RBMP), and also by creating Basin Councils.

2016 - Dnieper River Basin Council was established

2017 - Western Bug Basin Council was established

2018 - it is planned to create Pripyat Basin Council

The implementation of basin management of water

resources in the Republic of Belarus

Currently, the Republic of

Belarus is implementing the

Water Strategy for the period

until 2020.

In 2017 the draft of the

Strategy of water resources

management with the account

of climate change adaptation

for the period until 2030 has

been developed.

The main goal of the

Strategy is to achieve the

country‘s long-term water

security for the present and

future generations.

The main tasks of the of the Strategy of water resources

management with account of climate change adaptation

for the period until 2030

Task 1: Ensure universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking

water for all

Task 2. Ensure people‘s access to appropriate and equitable sanitation services

Task 3. Improve the quality of natural waters by reducing pollution and minimizing

discharges of hazardous chemicals, stopping the discharge of insufficiently treated

sewage and increasing the repeated (sequential) use of water

Task 4. Increase the efficiency of water use in all sectors of the economy and

ensure sustainable water supply for the population

Task 5. Ensure the protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems

Task 6. Implement integrated water resources management (IWRM) at all levels,

including cross-border cooperation

The Agreement between the

Government of the Republic

of Belarus and the Cabinet of

Ministers of Ukraine on the

joint use and protection of

transboundary waters

The international cooperation of the Republic of Belarus

on the use and protection of water resources

The Technical Protocol of the

Ministry of Natural Resources

and Environmental Protection of

the Republic of Belarus and the

Ministry of the Environment

of the Republic of Lithuania on

cooperation in the field of

monitoring and exchange of

information on the state of

Transboundary surface watersThe Agreement between the

Government of the Republic of

Belarus and the Government

of the Russian Federation on

cooperation in the field of

environmental protection and

rational use of transboundary

water bodies

The cooperation with neighboring countries on

transboundary water bodies

✓ The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Government of the

Russian Federation on cooperation in the field of environmental protection and rational use of

transboundary water bodies

✓ The Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Cabinet of

Ministers of Ukraine on the joint use and protection of transboundary waters

✓ The Technical Protocol of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of

the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania on

cooperation in the field of monitoring and exchange of information on the state of

transboundary surface waters

✓ The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus is

actively working with the Republic of Poland on the Agreement of Protection and Use of

Transboundary Water Bodies (in 2017, 3 meetings of the joint working group were held)

✓ In 2018, with the support of the UNECE and the EUWI+ the meeting with the Latvian and

Lithuanian parties was held to establish cooperation in the field of protection and use of

transboundary water bodies.

The draft of the Strategy of water resources management with the account of

climate change adaptation for the period until 2030 has been developed.

The environmental report on Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is being

planned to be developed under the Strategy implementation in 2018

The activity on formation of national SDG indicators 6.5.1 and 6.5.2 and

mechanisms of their monitoring and reporting started in April 2018 in the scope of

the EUWI+

On going activities on the efficiency improvement of water use on the basis of one

of the administrative district of Kopyl are taking place. The expected deliverable is

going to be the development of measures on water use optimization at the main

enterprises of water users.

Contribution of the project «European Union Water Initiative

Plus for the Eastern Partnership» (EUWI+)

in the Republic of Belarus

The investigation of analytical laboratories the Ministry of Natural Resources and

Environmental Protection and the development of the list of laboratory equipment

for purchase has been provided by the experts of the Consortium of Environmental

Agency of Austria and International Office for Water (IOW, France) in the scope of

the EUWI+

The terms of references (ToRs) on the finalization of the Dnieper river basin

management plan elaboration in accordance with the national framework and EU

Water Framework Directive are developed and it began to be implemented

The terms of references (ToRs) on the delineation of surface water bodies and

groundwater bodies in the pilot river basin (Pripyat) are developed by the

consortium experts. The national organizations-contractors for these tasks

performance supervision are defined in tender procedures. These contractors are

going to work under the international experts supervision.

Contribution of the project «European Union Water Initiative

Plus for the Eastern Partnership» (EUWI+)

in the Republic of Belarus

THANK FOR YOUR ATTENTION