http://ecoinfo.bas-net.by/ecology-belarus/ecology_news_in_Belarus.html

№ 12 (27), December 2015 MINSK, BELARUS

THIS ISSUE:

Malkina: Belarus is ready to meet its green-

house gas reduction obligations ............. 1

Belarus submits pilot project to Green Cli-

mate Fund Society .................................... 1

Initiatives pave the way ........................... 2

UNDP: Energy efficient houses bring Bela-

rus closer to green economy ................... 3

Belarusian electric cars market „unable to grow without state support' ..................... 3

Almost 50 new dams built at Yelnya bog

under UNDP/GEF

project ........................................................ 3

Belarus, EU plan to implement biotechnol-

ogy education project.. ........................... 3

5 reasons to visit Belovezhskaya Pushcha

..................................................................... 4

Environmental secrets ............................... 4

Belarus approves key forestry develop-

ment targets for 2016 ................................ 5

Belarus, USA to step up cooperation in

laser physics, biotechnologies ................. 5

Antarctic kitchen garden ......................... 5

Nearly 2,000 people visit BelNPP infor-

mation center in Ostrovets on monthly .. 6

Minsk to host international conference on

Chernobyl in April 2016 ............................. 6

Challenges are the same for all .............. 6

OPCW International Day to be marked on

29 October ................................................. 7

No critical remarks about construction

of Belarusian nuclear power plant

Society ........................................................ 7

Strong interest in radioactive waste treat-

ment at Belarusian nuclear power plant

..................................................................... 7

Solovyov: BelNPP is environmentally

safe ............................................................ 7

MALKINA: BELARUS IS READY

TO MEET ITS GREENHOUSE GAS

REDUCTION OBLIGATIONS Belarus is ready to meet its obligations to

cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Belarus' First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Iya Malkina said during a press conference after the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, BelTA has learned.

―Be larus has plans to commit to reduc-ing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 28% by 2030 against the level of 1990. We are not going to lower the set parame-ters. Now the task is to set specific goals for the period between 2020 and 2030,‖ Iya Malkina noted.

She emphasized that the Paris Agreement reads that Belarus will have to specify its obligations for the period until 2020 in order to be able to think about further steps. ―The obligations that we will as-sume as soon as the agreement comes into force will

be reviewed every five years in order to set more am-bitious goals. We should understand that it is not right to take on some obligations and fail to fulfill them. It would be the same as not to care about our responsi-bilities. We should participate in the collective action to reduce emissions. Our right to a healthy environment

should be closely connected with our obligation to protect this environment,‖ Iya Malkina stressed.

Belarus accounts for less than 0.01% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The country honors its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. Belarus' GDP energy intensity has dropped three times from 1990. Besides, its average annual GDP growth reached 6.6% in 1995-2012, while the average annual increase in GHG emissions over the same period was at 0.4%. The carbon intensity of

the Belarusian economy dropped 3.9 times. The Paris Agreement was signed on 12 December 2015.

BELTA, 16.12.2015

SUPPLEMENT

TO THE DIGEST“GREEN BELARUS”

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTER

"ECO-INFO"

CENTRAL SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY NAS BELARUS

BELARUS SUBMITS PILOT PROJECT TO GREEN CLIMATE

FUND SOCIETY The Ministry of Natural Resources and Envi-

ronment of Belarus has submitted its pilot fund-ing proposal to the Green Climate Fund, Belarus-ian First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Iya Malkina told BelTA after the press conference held on 16 December to discuss the results of the UN climate conference in Paris.

In her words, the Belarusian delegation met with representatives of the Green Climate Fund at the side-lines of the Paris Climate Conference. ―We had only one pilot project which we presented to the fund dur-ing our meeting. It is a joint project of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the State Committee for Standardization of Belarus regarding the verification of our commitments to the Minamata Convention on Mercury,‖ said the First Deputy Minis-ter.

The major goal of the project is to count the num-ber of mercury-containing lamps in the country. ―If we join the Minamata Convention on Mercury, all of them should be replaced. The State Committee for Stand-ardization is interested in implementing new technolo-gy in the manufacturing sector, setting certain tech-nical standards for such types of lamps. We, in turn, are interested in counting the number of such lamps in the country and withdraw them from circulation. This project is very cost-intensive,‖ Iya Malkina stressed.

―We have already developed the concept for the project and submitted the relevant application to the Green Climate Fund,‖ she added.

The Paris Agreement financial mechanisms are the

Global Environmental Facility, the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund. ―For us it is of principal im-portance to start the negotiations with the Green Cli-mate Fund. We have worked with the Global Environ-mental Facility for many fruitful years. We have a big number of successful projects, including a big project with the Forestry Ministry which has been recently launched. We have not cooperated with the Green Climate Fund yet and its mechanisms have not been available for us in full. Representatives of the fund met with Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Belarus Andrei Kovkhuto in Paris and promised to consider our application on a more active attraction of the fund's resources for the implementation of interna-tional projects in Belarus,‖ said Iya Malkina.

The Paris Agreement was signed on 12 December 2015. In order to come into force, the agreement needs to be ratified by the member states. The docu-ment requires any country that ratifies it to act to stem its greenhouse gas emissions in the coming cen-tury, with the goal of peaking greenhouse gas emis-sions ―as soon as possible‖ and continuing the reduc-tions as the century progresses. The national goals should be ready by 2022. The agreement includes a global stocktake starting in 2023 to assess the collec-tive progress towards the goals of the agreement. The stocktake will be done every five years. Countries will aim to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2°C by 2100, with an ideal target of keeping tempera-ture rise below 1.5°C.

BELTA, 16.12.2015

Green Belarus Green Belarus

News & EventsNews & Events in Belarusin Belarus

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International assistance helps Belarus to face challenges and explore new oppor-tunities of the climate change

Is there a chance for Belarus to join the Europe‟s list of melon exporters in the near future? Such perspective started to take shape when during unusually hot summer of 2010 a number of agricultural house-holdings in the southern regions of Belarus managed to grow an impressive harvest of watermelons and melons. The public atten-tion to the issue was boosted in summer 2014 when the President of Belarus Alex-ander Lukashenko demonstrated perfect melons and watermelons grown in his gar-den in the Minsk region and suggested that governors of Belarus‟s southern regions turn attention to growing melons and other cucurbits or vine crops for export.

The new weather conditions present Bela-rusians with new opportunities, as well as brought the issue of climate change high on the current agenda of environmental challenges. Since 1989, the country is witnessing an unpar-alleled warming, with a sharp increase in winter temperatures and average temperatures be-tween 1989 and 2012 1.1°C higher than the climate norm (5.8°C yearly average). According to researchers, Belarus experienced a shift in agro-climatic zones. As the result the products line of local agricultural sector could be expanded with a variety of southern vegetables and fruit, in-cluding melons.

However, warm cli-mate brings new challeng-es and threats. It is ex-pected that climate change will affect Belarus primarily through an in-crease in extreme weather events such as floods and droughts, making agricul-ture, forestry, industry, energy and housing the most vulnerable sectors. Taking into consideration that these sectors provide 40 percent of GDP, there is a need for the country to strengthen its climate change policy to address the gradually increasing complexity of the challenge and en-hance the potential positive effect.

Currently Belarus has no overarching adap-tation strategy, although a strategy draft plan is under development. Different adaptation mech-anisms are scattered across various legal docu-ments, including two key programmes: the National Programme for the Development of Forestry of Belarus for 2011-2015, and the National Programme on Climate Change Mitiga-tion Measures for 2013-2020.

With due account of new concepts and pro-visions for post-2015 agenda, the country sub-mitted its new climate action plan to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in September 2015. The plan comes in advance of a new universal climate change agreement, which the participating parties aim to reach at the UN climate conference in Paris, in December this year. In case of success, the agreement will come into effect in 2020, em-powering all countries to act to prevent average global temperatures rising above 2 degrees Celsius and to reap the many opportunities that arise from a necessary global transformation to clean and sustainable development.

However, adaptation to climate change alone is not enough. The full-scale solution also requires disaster risk and greenhouse gas emis-sions reduction, increase of energy efficiency and a shift to sustainable renewable energy in industrial and residential sectors.

International development assistance em-powers the country with further capacity build-ing in development and implementation of its national low-carbon development strategies consistent with national priorities and emission reduction targets; assists Belarus in the devel-opment and implementation of its national strat-egy and action plans on adaptation, as well as facilitates green investments, minimising finan-cial burden on public funds.

UNDP in Belarus, EU, Global Environment Facility (GEF), GEF Small Grants Programme, the World Bank and a number of other interna-tional organisations and NGOs support measures focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy,

sustainable wetlands management, flood protec-tion, green economy approaches in Belarus.

The UN Express Belarus for SDG initiative that trained across Belarus in late October 2015 featured the First Climate Change Hearings that took place on 29 October in the city of Vitebsk. The event, organised by UNDP in Belarus in a partnership with the Ministry of Natural Re-sources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus and the Vitebsk State Uni-versity, featured a series of presentations and open discussions from the key UNDP implement-ed projects that tackle various aspects of cli-mate change.

Educating future generations about the causes and effects of global climate change is crucial, as implementing adequate solutions depends on a well-informed public. This issue was successfully addressed by the UNDP-ENVSEC ‗Environment and Security‘ project that pioneered climate change education in Belarus‘ universities. Under the project‘s framework a new study course ‗Climate Change: Conse-quences, Mitigation, Adaptation‘ have been developed and tested in practice. The four-unit study course applies innovative educational approaches to help students and young people to understand, address, mitigate, and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Climate change is expected to affect water r e s o u r c e s , population and economy in the Pripyat River and Neman River Basins. Taking into account possi-ble climate change im-pac ts , the p r o j e c t strengthened Belarus‘ capac-ity in managing flood and relat-ed disasters in

the regions, designed a flood risk map and pro-vided human and institutional capacity strength-ening in deploying and enhancing a regional flood early warning system.

The housing sector consumes more than 16 percent of the total final electricity consumption and about 33 percent of total final thermal ener-gy consumption and is responsible for about one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions (one of key contributors to a human induced global warming) in Belarus.

The UNDP-GEF project ‗Improving Energy Efficiency in Residential Buildings in the Republic of Belarus‘ is looking at high-tech solutions to turn residential houses from using fossil fuels, facilitate a shift to renewable energy sources during their operational phase. The project also demonstrates how the potential for greenhouse gas emission reductions in buildings can be realised in prac-tice. The initiative promotes a new model of green residential hous-ing featur ing energy-eff ic ient construction and appliances, as well as energy-generating tech-nologies, such as solar water heat-ing, solar photo-voltaic systems, and heat pumps. The model, sug-gested by the project, envisages a fourfold reduction of thermal energy consump-tion that will result in GHG emission reduction of up to 10 thousand tons of CO2 per building in the course of its operational phase.

Belarus‘ natural mires are important stores of carbon. Between 1960 and 1980 around 1.5 million ha of peatlands were drained for agricul-ture, forestry and peat mining. The carbon, which was locked for thousands of years started to leak into the atmosphere with knock-on effect on carbon balance in the atmosphere.

UNDP Belarus, GEF, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB, the UK), Belarusian

Ministries of Environment and Forestry joined efforts in developing long-term restoration solu-tions, acknowledging the rewetting as an effec-tive way of tackling greenhouse gases emissions from these landscapes. The rewetting approach involves blocking drainage canals by construct-ing various water-regulating facilities (dam, dykes, etc.) and, thus, elevating water levels to or above the peat surface.

This approach was successfully applied in practice by the UNDP-GEF project ‗Renaturalisation and Sustainable Management of Peatlands in Belarus to Combat Land Degra-dation, Ensure Conservation of Globally Valuable B iod ivers i ty, and Mi t igate C l imate Change‘ (Peatlands-1) by restoring hydrological regime of 12 disturbed peatlands on the overall area of 28,000 ha. The rewetting helped to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 300,000 tons per year. The project also developed a regulatory framework that specified the procedure and rules for renaturalisation of degraded peatlands, and designed Belarus‘ first practical recommen-dations on the environmental rehabilitation of degraded peatlands.

The developing strategy of restoring and sustainable use of the country‘s peatlands with regard to climate change was taken further as part of the UNDP-GEF project ‗Landscape Ap-proach to Management of Peatlands Aiming at Multiple Ecological Benefits‘ (Peatlands-2). The project focused on developing and testing the method of restoring peatlands, damaged by forest amelioration. Works are underway to restore a hydrological regime at Belarus‘ three large raised bogs with the overall area of 3,570 ha.

Grazing on peatlands is also seen as a strong driver of their degradation and a source of GHG emissions. The Peatlands-2 project set the challenge in converting 400 ha of degraded peatlands, formerly managed for intensive agri-culture, to meadows that will be further used for mowing and pasture. Apart from this, the pro-ject propelled planting black alder trees on 200 ha of degraded peatlands as an efficient tool to mitigate climate change. These measures will contribute to reducing the negative impacts on the carbon balance.

A total of 51,000 ha of Belarusian peatlands have been renaturalised by international pro-jects in the last decade, once again turning them into carbon sinks. According to the BirdLife International, in October 2015 Belarus‘ efforts in peatlands restoration were recognised by the UNDP Equator Principles as being in the top 8 percent of global environmental achievements.

In the last decade more than 10 internation-al assistance projects, implemented by UNDP in Belarus with $US 20 million of financial support from international donors, helped the country to prepare for the challenges posed by climate change and explore in-depth its potential posi-tive effects. These initiatives also paved a way for successful deployment of best available con-temporary technologies, innovative hands-on experience, and the best international practices in the field.

The international cooperation in the country‘s climate change policy is gain-i ng mo mentum, fueled by mutual understanding of the necessity to scale collaborative action in the area. In the very near future, three more ‗climate change‘ focused initiatives will join Belarus‘ portfolio of UNDP implemented environmental pro-jects. Recently the GEF has announced plans to provide Bela-

rus with $US 8.5 million for the implementation of projects aimed at helping Belarus to achieve the transition to ‗a climate-resilient country/economy?‘. Being an active contributor to the climate change policy dialogue in the region, Belarus welcomes new opportunities in design-ing and implementing new approaches that could be instrumental in exploring shifts in cli-matic conditions, and essential in delivering efficient climate solutions.

The Minsk Times, 2.12.2015

INITIATIVES PAVE THE WAY

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UNDP: ENERGY EFFICIENT HOUSES BRING

BELARUS CLOSER TO GREEN ECONOMY By building energy efficient houses,

Belarus makes the first steps towards a green economy, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Belarus Yekaterina Pani-klova said at the ceremony to launch the construction of the second energy efficient house in Grodno on 18 December, BelTA has learned.

Yekaterina Paniklova noted that she had been to Grodno several times before. The city was the first stop on the journey of the UN 70 Belarus Express. Foreign guests were greatly impressed with the regional capital.

Yekaterina Paniklova also pointed out that the Paris Climate Change Conference ended a week ago. A Belarusian delegation attended the event. The conference focused on protecting the planet from harmful impacts. The countries that took part in the conference assumed certain obligations to save the planet for future genera-tions. Yekaterina Paniklova believes that the construction of the energy efficient house con-tributes to the implementation of the decisions of the Paris conference.

For his part, Deputy Chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee Vladimir Deshko said that a similar energy efficient house was

built in Grodno with UNDP's financial assistance. He believes that the construction of new-generation homes with modern energy-saving technologies will help the city cut its utility ex-penses. The second energy efficient house is expected to be commissioned in 2017.

The ceremony was attended by delegations of Belarus and Poland that took part in a twin-town meeting on 18 December. Attending the event also was UNDP/GEF Project Manager Alex-ander Grebenkov.

BELTA, 18.12.2015

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BELARUSIAN ELECTRIC CARS MARKET

‘UNABLETO GROW WITHOUT STATE SUPPORT' The electric cars market in Belarus will

not be able to grow without state support or, to be exact, without the relevant govern-ment program that would encourage the use of this means of transportation, BelTA learned from Sergei Kamornikov, Deputy Director General of the Belarusian industrial group Belorusneft.

According to the source, Belorusneft has acted as kind of a pioneer by setting up five re-charging stations as part of the proprietary refu-eling stations chain. Now technical and commer-cial models for using the recharging stations are being worked out. ―We've encountered a minor setback: the legislation is not ready for this kind

of business. Where should we move on now? The question resembles what came first — the chick-en or the egg? Do we wait for the emergence of electric cars that would encourage us to build recharging stations fast or do we build recharging stations first in order to encourage the emer-gence of electric cars?‖ said Sergei Kamornikov.

According to the source, there are stations for recharging electric cars every 100km in the direc-tion from Minsk to Europe. Belorusneft also in-tends to take care of the matter along other ma-jor motorways. ―As for the number of electric cars in Belarus, I don't think it is a big figure,‖ said the Belorusneft Deputy Director General.

In his words, measures to support manufac-turers and users of electric vehicles are in place in some countries. The measures include the ex-emption from import duties and the vehicle regis-tration fee. Electric vehicles are also granted free parking services. The drivers do not have to pay road toll, they are free to drive in the bus lane and so on. The effectiveness of these measures needs further studying, but the overall trend is obvious: the number of electric vehicles in the world increases every year.

BELTA, 16.12.2015

ALMOST 50 NEW DAMS BUILT AT YELNYA BOG UNDER UNDP/GEF PROJECT

Nearly 50 new dams have been built at the upland bog Yelnya in Miory District un-der the UNDP/GEF project Peatlands 2, BelTA learnt from director of the state na-ture protection institution Yelnya Ivan Borok.

The project aimed at restoring the hydrologic regime of the bog and its natural ground cover, fire prevention was imple-mented at the Yelnya re-serve from 1 October to 30 November 2015. ―Yelnya is one of the European biggest upland bogs. Its distin-guished feature is in its water being replenished from rainfall and going away through numerous streams – rivers and chan-nels. With the aim to pre-venting bog drainage we, in cooperation with the organization Fatherland Birds Protection and the financial support of the Coca Cola Beverages Belorussiya, had been run-ning voluntary camps to build, do research and repair dams at the channels, a total of more than 30. In a span of two months we built 48 more

dams as part of the Peatlands 2 project,‖ said Ivan Borok.

The tender to build dams at the Yelnya bog was won by the Verkhnedvinsk reclamation sys-tems company. All the dams are different, with the biggest one reaching almost 70 meters. There are also two plastic long-life dams. ―The results of our efforts will be seen after a spring

flood. However, today we can already see that the water level has risen slightly. Before the launch of the project, we calculat-ed how much fresh water is contained in the bog system. It turned to be 475 million cubic meters. The higher amount is only in Naroch. Keeping in mind the UN recent state-ments that the shortage of

fresh water will be one of the key problems by 2030, the current work is of crucial importance,‖ Ivan Borok stressed.

The plans for this year included only the construction of dams under the project. Howev-

er, thanks to the participation of the Coca Cola Beverages Belorussiya, the implementation of one more project has become possible, which is the construction of dikes for special-purpose vehicles. This work has been launched this week. There are plans to build nearly 2km of dikes.

The landscape reserve Yelnya is Belarus' biggest and one of the European largest lake and bog systems, and also an ice-age specimen. It is home to rare plants and animal species, massive peat beds. A healthy peatland is known to neu-tralize great volumes of CO2. Yelnya is a Ramsar wetland (since 2002), a key ornithological (since 2000) and botanic (since 2005) territory of the international importance. In the Belarusian envi-ronmental network scheme developed by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus the reserve is viewed as a promising core of the national importance. In line with the EU Habitats Directive, 75.2% of the ecosystems are consid-ered as under protection in Europe proves the important role of the Yelnya reserve in the preservation of the landscape and biological diversity in Europe.

BELTA, 9.12.2015

BELARUS, EU PLAN TO IMPLEMENT BIOTECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROJECT The National Academy of Sciences of

Belarus (NASB) and the European Biotech-nology Thematic Network Association (EBTNA) are planning to launch a biotech-nology education project, EBTNA President Munis Dundar told reporters at the opening of the 1st Eurasian Forum of Young Scientists on 1 December, BelTA has learned.

―The association maintains close cooper-ation with various academies of sciences all over the world and, first of all, with young scientists. I have arrived here to demon-strate the work of our organization and to present possible cooperation avenues. For ex-ample, we are interested in education projects for students and young scientists, holding bio-technology seminars,‖ the expert explained.

Apart form that, there are good prospects in the organization of teaching biotechnology pro-grams in Belarus. ―The international exchange

of students and lecturers is very important here. Belarusians will travel all over Europe, foreign specialists will come to Belarus and organize seminars here,‖ he stressed. According to the scientist, this initiative is under consideration

right now.

Munis Dundar said that the European Biotechnolo-gy Thematic Network Association implements similar projects in other countries, including Rus-sia. The scientist is in Belarus for the first time.

On 1 December he delivered a report at the plenary meeting of the 1st Eurasian Forum of Young Scientists.

Minsk is hosting the 1st Eurasian Forum of Young Scientists from 1 though 4 December. The event has been organized on the initiative of the NASB Council of Young Scientists and

supported by all young scientists from the EEU member states. The forum is held once in two years. Partaking in the forum are about 500 people, including 100 foreign guests from Rus-sia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Turkey, Germany, and other countries. The event aims to gather together young scientists from the EEU involved large-scale interdisciplinary projects focused on the resolution of global, fundamental, and ap-plied issues in science. Scientific achievements in different fields, from environmental protection to medicine, will be showcased during the fo-rum. The event is focused on scientific break-throughs and the economic and social processes that are underway in the context of the Eurasian integration. The work of the forum will be divid-ed into thee sections, namely Material Science, Life Science, and Social Science.

BELTA, 1.12.2015

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Pesnyary band sings „Reserve, place of crystal sunrise rays and the light rising above the land‟: words devoted to a unique place which everyone should visit

1. ‗Majestic grandeur of many-year oaks…‘ This is the largest and oldest forest in Europe — covering 500,000 square kilometres. Some of its trees are 300-400 years old and a true patri-arch oak grows here — being 600 years old! With a cut-through hole, it continues to live in the Pushcha. Our ancestors believed that a person would be healed of any disease on passing through the hole, and many still hold the belief, making pil-grimages to the mighty tree. There are many other natural ‗tricks‘ in the forest‘: an oak and a birch grown into a single tree; and a birch with a gnarl in the form of an auroch head.

‗Children of aurochs do not wish to become extinct…‘ The virgin wilderness is a happy hunt-ing ground for dozens of animals and birds. Importantly, the larg-est European animal lives here: the auroch. Many excursions are offered to the Pushcha: on foot, by bicycle or by car. The two-day ‗Pushcha Robinsons‘ tour envisag-es spending a night in the forest.

Touch history

2. ‗Finding my way to the spring along an invisible path…‘ Many centuries ago, Vladimir Monomakh used to hunt here and, in 1888, the Pushcha officially became property of the royal Romanovs, who

began constructing their palace. During the Great Patriotic War, the latter was destroyed but the roads — laid so many years ago — are still opera-tional; the cast-iron markers feature Imperial emblems. The local Viskuli Residence has been attended by all general secretaries and famous personalities but the site is known

most for its hosting, on December 8th, 1991, of the heads of three Soviet republics: Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. It was in Viskuli that they signed the agreement to estab-lish the Commonwealth. In doing so, Stanislav Shushkevich, Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kravchuk sentenced the great Sovi-

et Union to death.

Escape city bustle in the ‗Pushchanka‘

3. −‗Warm your heart by tall birches…‘ Guests of the local Museum of Folk Life can try a nip of the local alcoholic beverage: famous ‗Pushchanka‘,

once appreciated by Rus-sian tsars. On coming to the Pushcha, tourists can settle into their hotel, guest-house or agro-mansion, enjoying a range of facilities: a tennis court, gym, billiards, sauna, swimming pool and sports pitch. Local restaurants offer dishes cooked from freshly caught fish and wild fowl, or other Belovezh-skaya Pushcha ingredients.

Visit Father Frost

4. ‗Where the grass is tall and bushes are thick…‘ Belarusian Father Frost‘s Residence occu-

pies almost 15 hectares and is one of the most beautiful sites globally in which you may visit Father Frost. He welcomes guests all year round but, in summer, appears with a straw hat rather than his usual winter fur cap. Every year, around 150,000 children and adults visit him; he is a treat

to behold, regardless of whether you are 8 or 80.

Look at Belarus from the White Tower

5. ‗On hearing the voice of our forefathers…‘ The fortified 13th century Belaya Vezha (White Tower) is situated in the district centre of Kame-nets. It resembles a large chess rook and was long believed to have given the Belovezhskaya Pushcha its name. How-

ever, this is not true: the tower was only painted white in Soviet times (being plain brick until then). Now, it has been repainted white.

BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT:

direct express bus connects the village of Kamenyuki (where the National Park‘s administra-tion is situated) and Brest.

BY CAR:

from Brest, it‘s 60km along the Brest-Kamenyuki highway (Р83) for 60km; from Minsk, it‘s 360 km to reach the Pushcha, along the Minsk-Brest highway (М1) until the turn for Zhabinka (Р7), then to Kamenets and on to Kamenyuki (Р83); alternatively, take the Minsk-Brest highway (М1) until the turn for Slonim (Р21), then drive to Kamenets and onward, to Kamenyuki (Р83), for a distance of around 380km.

Belarus-Magazine, 15.12.2015

5 REASONS TO VISIT BELOVEZHSKAYA PUSHCHA

ENVIRONMENTAL SECRETS International Scientific Centre of Wild

Nature Support — Krasny Bor — opens in Izubritsa village (Verkhnedvinsk District, Vitebsk Region).

The Centre is a Republican Landscape Reserve on the border of the Rossony and Verkhnedvinsk districts, and incorporates a hunting company run by Novopolotsk‘s private Interservice company. The northern auroch popula-tion lives here and, in February, the hunting company co-founded the International Scientific Centre of Wild Nature Support: Krasny Bor. This aims to unite efforts by state and public organisa-tions, as well as commer-cial structures, to protect and encourage Belarus‘ natural wealth. Recently, an amazing event took place: the opening of the country‘s first private scientific centre.

Interests coincide

The scientific centre is located in a comforta-ble two-storey guest house, incorporating a hotel, a hostel for staff and a laboratory. Andrey Faibich, who heads the laboratory, tells us, ―We have eve-rything necessary to detect DNA from animal hair. This is primarily important to conduct genetic passportisation of the aurochs: Belarus‘ national animal. As only 3,000 exist globally, all are close relatives, so we need to aim for maximum genetic diversity. Moreover, we plan to control the genet-ics of our red deer, to improve their characteristics by selection.‖

It‘s no secret that, at present, there is a mis-balance between science and practice in the field of hunting, with obsolete approaches often used. The Centre aims to tackle this, as the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Igor Kachanovsky, noted during his recent visit to the Verkhnedvinsk District. He promises that all possible support will be ren-dered, saying, ―The Centre‘s key goals are in line with national strategy, aiming to preserve and ensure sustainable use of our biological diversity. I‘m convinced that practical appliance of scientists‘ developments will help solve complex tasks at state level.‖

Alexander Dunkovich, the Deputy Head of State Inspection of Flora and Fauna Protection, agrees, saying, ―Progress is impossible without science in our modern world. At present, the Na-tional Academy of Sciences and state institutions are working in the field of nature protection. The

Krasny Bor hunting company is a good example of private capital working alongside the state. I hope other regions of the country will join us.‖

Eagle habitats

The first event at the new Centre was a con-ference devoted to the Krasny Bor auroch popula-tion, and to the development of ecological tourism.

Participants agreed that the Centre should not focus exclu-sively on applied hunting devel-opments but should unite ichthy-ologists, botanists, photogra-phers, film operators and orni-thologists. The latter even of-fered a training seminar on building eagle nests.

In addition, specialists made reports and shared methods on making nests for birds of prey — including owls and falcons. Ac-

cording to ornithologists, this can compensate for the lack of natural nests and ease work dealing with birds‘ registration and ringing. In addition, observations indicate that they breed more productively in artificial nests.

The most interesting part of the conference began the following day, when bird experts applied their knowledge in practice. Vladimir Ivanovsky — an associate professor at the Vitebsk Masherov State Uni-versity‘s Department of Ecology and Nature Protection — took his team to the Yukhovichsky Mokh marsh, not far from Bolshoe Mokhovoe Lake. He believes that a golden eagle lived on the island at some time.

―I‘ve not seen this huge, beauti-ful bird for the past three years but, jointly with our colleagues, we‘ll try to attract it to the site by building an artificial nest,‖ he explained.

Three poles are used to support such nests, tied to thick pine tree branches and covered with pine boughs. Mr. Ivanovsky climbed 20m to se-cure irons and a belt, impressing everyone with his skills: next year, the ornithologist will celebrate his 70th birthday!

There‘s no need to climb so high to make a nest for a pigeon hawk: all that‘s needed is an old bucket filled with moss, attached to the top of a pine tree, at a height of around 3m, out of reach of foxes, wolves and raccoons.

Live water

Famous photographer and founder of Minsk‘s RIFTOUR Editorial Office Sergey Plytkevich, who heads the Krasny Bor International Scientific Cen-tre of Wild Nature Support, tells us, ―We‘re thank-ful to the head of Interservice, Nikolay Vorobey, for giving us the opportunity to work in such a picturesque place. With his help, our fund has allocated five grants to support promising scientific papers. One, for the study of wood grouse via fixing special radio transmitters to the birds, was presented during a recent press conference.‖

He continues, ―All information on this issue is placed on wildlife.by. The Eagle Habitat project is among the first launched by the fund to support wildlife. Another of our initiatives is called Live Water. We‘re now collecting information on the most interesting springs in Belarus, planning to develop them, for further inclusion within our tourist routes, and to encourage more people to enjoy them. We‘ve initiated the Our Region pro-ject, which can be explored online at www. nashregion.by. In co-operation with the Mo-lodechno District Executive Committee, it includes

the most popular ecological routes in the area and lists plac-es to eat, stay and buy souve-nirs. Similar sites are planned for Naroch, Braslav, Nesvizh and Mir. Ideally, it would be great to ‗embrace‘ the whole country. We‘d like our project to help tourists to Belarus become ac-quainted with the country‘s sites and natural beauties.‖ Expert opinion

Oleg Borodin, the Director of the National Academy of Sciences‘ Scientific-Practical Centre on Bioresources: We‘re keen to ensure that the newly opened private scientific centre works in compliance with a single state policy — meeting international

standards. To achieve this, we‘re ready to support it in issues of expert assessment, including publi-cation of scientific papers and development of ecological tourist routes. Natalia Minchenko, the Head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection‘s Department of Biologi-cal and Landscape Diversity: Jointly with Polish colleagues, we‘re discussing creating a trans-border auroch population. On our side, the Nation-al Academy of Sciences‘ Institute of Genetics and Cytology is responsible. It would be great if the Krasny Bor private research centre joined us.

The Minsk Times, 9.12.2015

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BELARUS APPROVES KEY FORESTRY

DEVELOPMENT TARGETS FOR 2016 Belarus approved the key forestry de-

velopment targets for 2016. Such a deci-sion is contained in Resolution No. 1017 issued by the Council of Ministers on 8 December, BelTA learned from the press service of the government.

According to the document, 27,300 hectares will be reforested. There are plans to create 7,936 hectares of forest crops through selected seed and plant materials. With regard to assigning young for-ests into the category of valuable tree plantations, the resolution in-

structs to commission 37,200 hectares. Young growth tending is to be done on the area of

57,200 hec-tares, inter-m e d i a t e thinning on 5 , 2 0 2 , 0 0 0 m3.

The Forestry, D e f e n s e , E d u c a t i o n , and Emer-gencies Min-istries, the Presidential

Property Management Directorate, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Minsk City Hall have been instructed to implement a set of measures on the fulfillment of the main forestry development targets in 2016. Personal responsi-bility for this has been vested with the Forestry, Defense, Education, and Emergencies Ministers and also the Chairman of the Minsk City Hall.

The Forestry Ministry has been tasked to report on the fulfillment of the key targets to the Council of Ministers before 25 March 2017.

The resolution comes into effect on the day of its official publication.

BELTA, 9.12.2015

http://novostienergetiki.ru/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/solnechnaya-elektrostanciya-v-Yakutii.jpg

BELARUS, USA TO STEP UP COOPERATION IN LASER PHYSICS, BIOTECHNOLOGIES

Belarus and the United States of Ameri-ca intend to step up cooperation in laser physics and biotechnologies, BelTA learned from Vladimir Gusakov, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sci-ences of Belarus (NASB).

The official noted that both the Belarusian side and the American one are interested in cooperation as equal partners. 2013 saw eight joint projects implemented, with five projects implemented in 2014. A number of projects are supposed to be implemented this year, including in the areas of laser physics, materials science, waste processing, biotechnologies, projects involving the Botanic Garden, and other ones.

During previous visits American colleagues highly appreciated the organization of the Na-tional Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Academy's accomplishments, and the advanced nature of the Academy's scientific research. It was noted that the potential of both countries allows taking this cooperation to a higher level. According to Vladimir Gusakov, the development of materials for mechanical engineering and other branches of the national economy were mentioned among promising areas. Research in the area of laser physics, biotechnologies, medi-cal technologies, the development of pharma-ceutical products, and other areas are interest-ing for bilateral cooperation.

Matthew Hamill, Senior Vice President of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), confirmed the intention of the American side to step up coop-eration with Belarusian research institutions. During the current visit among other things the sides are ex-pected to discuss ways to assimi-late scientific products into practice, into the real sector of the economy. Scien-tists of the two countries intend to es tab l ish friendly personal relations for the sake of continu-ing further work. ―We are convinced that the days to come will be very productive for us and we will do excellent work together,‖ said Mat-thew Hamill.

A delegation of scientific circles of the United States of America is expected to visit the Na-tional Academy of Sciences of Belarus on 13-18 December. The delegation includes top officials of the National Association of College and Uni-versity Business Officers, representatives of the

Virtual Reality Applications Center of the Iowa State University of Science and Technology, representatives of Indiana University, the Wood-row Wilson International Center for Scholars, and other institutions.

The American colleagues will take part in the first Belarus-ian-American seminar on R&D cooperation. They will also hold negotiations with the administration of the Academy to discuss promis-ing avenues of Belarusian-American cooperation in the area of science and educa-tion. Mechanisms to imple-ment this cooperation will be talked over as well. Members of the U.S. delegation will visit the B.I. Stepanov Phys-

ics Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Food Research and Practice Cen-ter of the Academy, and the Academy's history museum. Meetings have been planned with representatives of the State Science and Tech-nology Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Af-fairs, and the Belarusian State University.

BELTA, 14.12.2015

ANTARCTIC KITCHEN GARDEN Belarusian scientists able to grow vege-

tables on ice continent  The Belarusian polar kitchen garden comprises two small greenhouses: around 1 square metre each. This high-tech bio-complex of enhanced productivity grows salad, fennel, parsley, basil and other herbs. The technology has been developed at the National Academy of Sciences‟ Centre of Photodiode and Optic Electronic Technolo-gies, and at the V. Kuprevich Institute of Experimental Botany. The establishments have provided arctic workers with seeds and special soil and instructed them on how greenhouses should be used.

―The Antarctic kitchen garden has met our expectations, so we are thankful to its develop-ers,‖ says the Head of the 7th Belarusian Ant-arctic expedi-tion, Alexey G a i d a s h o v . Having just returned from the ice conti-nent, he ex-plains, ―It‘s great that polar researchers can eat greens. Their kitchen garden is exper-imental and not large but we plan to increase its size.‖

Russian colleagues appreciate the develop-ment, having provided the Vechernyaya Gora

(Evening Mountain) base to Belarusians for free use. The station has been operational since Sovi-et times. ―They are our dear guests and, each time, we treat them with fresh greens — ever new,‖ Mr. Gaidashov smiles.

Russian stations boast nothing of the kind as yet, although the USA, France, Italy, China and the UK run kitchen gardens at their arctic bases. Greenhouses for hydroponic cultures are envisaged within their station projects. ―The se-cret to our high-tech kitchen garden is the lighting system; which uses a spe-cial spectrum to ensure a good har-vest,‖ explains the acting head of the laboratory at the Institute of Experi-

mental Botany, Lyudmila Obu-k h o v s k a y a . ―Various reactions in plant cells are inspired by waves of different length. For example, the bio-synthesis of chlorophyll and the transportation of elec-trons, as well as the regula-tion of plant growth, have different spectra to those controlling seed growth and root development.‖ In manipulating waves of different length, it‘s possible to measure the speed of vitamin and carbohydrate accumulation and the intensi-ty of protein production.

These discoveries are helping scientists to devel-op light-emitting diodes, to respond to plant needs more accurately than traditional lamps.

For example, leafy salads and tomatoes needs different spectra. Each Belarusian expedition has a limited term so the plants chosen for growth must come to maturity quickly. However, other choices will be proposed for longer arctic trips.

Antarctic greenhouses allow us to apply new t e c h n o l o g i e s , testing them under extreme conditions. Scien-tists hope to be able to apply their discoveries on a large scale, at industr ia l g r e e n h o u s e s . Special lamps for tomatoes are now ready, and Minsk‘s Vegetable Factory is testing

a 1km technological line. If the project proves economically efficient, as is expected, the new technologies will become widely used across Belarus.

Belarus‘ reference: In line with the Arctic Treaty, any country

has the right to set up its own station for scien-tific purposes, south of the 60° southern latitude. At present, 40 countries run polar stations in the most southern part of the globe. Overall, 45 all-year-round scientific stations operate in Antarcti-ca. Belarus began conducting its arctic studies in 2006 but yet lacks its own base on the ice conti-nent. The opening of a Belarusian owned base is planned by the Republic in the near future.

Belarus-Magazine, 1.12.2015

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National Academy of Sci-ences reveals which Belarusian cities are most comfortable for living and working.

Of 134 cities, Minsk is not ranked first for comfort. In fact, the modest town of Zaslavl, locat-ed not far from the capital, occu-pies first place. Despite having only 14,000 residents, it boasts great entre-p r e n e u r i a l activity.

The seven criteria stud-ied included p o p u l a t i o n g r o w t h (particularly, c o n n e c t e d with migra-tion), monthly average sala-ries, and the proportion of people employed by private enter-prises. The share of the population denoted as economically active is also important, as are environ-mental and ecological matters. Distances to administrative, edu-cational and cultural centres were also taken into account, alongside transport accessibility.

The Belarusian capital has been ranked second, missing out

on first place perhaps due to high taxes and rental payments. Entre-preneurs prefer to register beyond the capital‘s borders. Interesting-ly, when similar research was conducted in Poland, Warsaw also came second, while the small town of Sopot, near Warsaw, took the lead.

The Belarusian ‗top ten‘ fea-tures Fan-ipol, Logo-i s k , Smolevichi and Dzer-zhinsk: all situated not far from Minsk. The-se are fol-lowed by the regional centres of Brest and Grodno.

Small settlements offer geo-graphical proximity to industrial and administrative centres, while being ecologically cleaner. Resi-dents can work and study in the capital, taking advantage of its facilities, while enjoying a more relaxed lifestyle at home.

The Minsk Times, 9.12.2015

A CITY COMFORTABLE TO LIVE

NEARLY 2,000 PEOPLE VISIT BELNPP INFORMATION CENTER

IN OSTROVETS ON MONTHLY

MINSK TO HOST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHERNOBYL IN APRIL 2016

CHALLENGES ARE THE SAME FOR ALL

Belarus' Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Valentin Rybakov met with Chef de Cabinet of the UN Secretary-General Ed-mond Mulet, and Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS of the UN Development Program Ms Cihan Sultanoglu in New York on 7 December, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, the Belarusian diplomat informed Edmond Mulet on the intention of Belarus to conduct a high-level international conference in Minsk dedicated to the 30th anni-versary of the Chernobyl disaster in April 2016. Valentin Rybakov stressed the importance of this event in the context of long-term fruitful cooperation within the UN aimed at overcoming the impact of the Chernobyl accident and pro-

moting the sustainable development of the af-fected regions. He also noted that Belarus is grateful to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for his active role in drawing the international community's attention and resources in order to solve this problem.

During the meeting Valentin Rybakov in-formed the Chef de Cabinet of Belarus' plans to promote such issues as sustainable develop-ment and international Chernobyl cooperation within the UN. ―The parties agreed to work jointly to intensify efforts to prevent and over-come technological accidents in the broader context of implementation of sustainable devel-opment goals until 2030 approved at the recent UN Summit,‖ the press service informed.

At a meeting with Ms Cihan Sultanoglu the Belarusian diplomat conveyed the invitation to the UNDP to take part in the international con-

ference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. Valentin Rybakov and Cihan Sultanoglu discussed the progress and prospects of international cooperation on Chernobyl issues in the context of the forthcoming 30th anniver-sary of the Chernobyl disaster.

―The Belarusian representative outlined the vision of the next stage of multilateral Cherno-byl cooperation under the auspices of the UN after the completion of the United Nations Dec-ade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions in 2016,‖ the press service informed.

The parties agreed on joint actions to elabo-rate new UN approaches to the issue of Cherno-byl and to organize commemorative events in April 2016.

BELTA, 8.12.2015

The information center of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BelNPP) which is being built in Ostrovets is visited by about 2,000 people per month, head of the Information and PR Depart-ment of the state company Bela-rusian Nuclear Power Plant Edu-ard Svirid told an online confer-ence hosted by BelTA on 1 De-cember.

―Every month our center in Os-trovets is visited by nearly 2,000 people. The cen-ter has already been visited by more than 9,000 people. These are curious and open people, who do not live their life with only once acquired knowledge,‖ he said.

In turn, head of the Minsk nuclear energy information center Tatiana Shlyk said that the center is visited by over 1,500 people on a monthly basis. ―Keeping in mind the fact that we attach great importance to the popularization of technical education among the rising generation, our main visitors are students of Belarus-ian educational establishments.

Guests of our capital also show a big interest in nuclear energy,‖ she stressed.

According to experts, visitors are often interested in the issues relating to the safety of nuclear power plants and nuclear waste management.

The information center in Os-trovets was opened in 2009. The center runs a permanent exhibition dedicated to the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. A new exhibi-

tion has been recently opened at the new youth center. Both information centers are open to all, and make use of all available forms of telecommunication: from phone and email to Skype and social networks.

The nuclear energy infor-mation center in Minsk was

launched in April 2015. It provides all kind of information relating to the nuclear industry: from the number of nuclear power plants in the world to the principle of operation of a nuclear plant. The information center makes an emphasis on new and original ways of presenting the information.

BELTA, 1.12.2015

German Energy Agency Dena ready to co-operate with Belarus on climate change issues

“We understand that issues of climate change can only be addressed by increas-ing energy efficiency. Moreover, this should be a global effort. It‟s the only way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. With regard to Belarus‟ achievements in this area, we can see that the country has been dealing with the problems it faces in a resolute and con-sistent way,” Dena Agency Director Kristi-na Haverkamp has told journalists.

The German Energy Agency is ready to intensify interaction in other areas, explains Ms. Haverkamp, saying, ―Belarus is facing challeng-es that relate to energy efficiency, reformatting and reforming the energy sector. These issues are coupled with the need to ensure a reliable electricity supply. We‘re working on these is-sues both at Government level and at the level of experts.‖

Referring to Belarusian legislation in the field of renewable energy, she adds that this corresponds to the principles upon which the German regulatory framework has been built. ―According to our observations, the Belarusian Government has contributed to the develop-

ment of renewable energy in the same way as the German Government. However, Belarus has needed to adjust its network infrastructure, to develop renewable energy. Germany has en-

sured the production of renewable energy simultaneously with the de-velopment of associated infrastruc-ture. We believe this was one of the reasons for changes in Belarusian renewable energy legislation,‖ notes Ms. Haverkamp.

Minsk recently hosted the Belarusian-German Energy Forum for the fourth time. The event included pan-el discussions to exchange experi-ence in the area of energy systems and renewable energy resources, as well as energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in buildings. Participants visited a number of facilities in the sphere of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

The Belarusian-German Energy Fo-rum was organised by the represen-tation of the German economy in Belarus, under the auspices of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce and the

Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy of Germany.

The Minsk Times, 2.12.2015

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The participants of the 20th session of the Con-ference of the States Parties to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) unani-mously voted to institute the OPCW International Day and mark it on 29 October, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.

The Belarusian delegation headed by Belarus' Permanent Representative to the OPCW, Belarusian Ambassador in the Netherlands Nikolai Borisevich attended the session.

Belarus first voiced the idea to institute such a day in the early 2014. The Belarusian initiative was

supported by the OPCW the Director General and OPCW member states.

Establishing such a memorable day will help the international community resolve a number of major challenges, including the universalization of the Chemical Weapons Convention, combating the emer-gence of chemical weapons, improving the safety of the chemical industry enterprises, and will also enable the organization to expand its education and infor-mation activities, the press service said.

BELTA, 4.12.2015

NO CRITICAL REMARKS ABOUT CONSTRUCTION OF BELARUSIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SOCIETY

No critical remarks have been voiced regarding the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, BelTA learned from Anatoly Bondar, Chief Engi-neer of the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, on 18 December.

Operations at the construction site are constantly monitored, including by the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) and civil engineering over-sight agencies. ―We have not heard any critical re-marks concerning the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant,‖ stated Anatoly Bondar.

At present construction is in progress at 102 objects at the nuclear power plant construction site. Belarusian construction companies handle about 83% of the work while Russian ones do 17% of the work. The correlation was registered in January-November

2015. One of the main tasks is to build the protective shells on time in order to enable the conditions neces-sary for installing the reactor vessel. The installation of the reactor vessel of the first power-generating unit is supposed to take place in August 2016.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build an AES-2006 type nuclear power plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The Belarusian nuclear power plant will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). In line with the general contract for building the nuclear power plant the first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020.

BELTA, 18.12.2015

STRONG INTEREST IN RADIOACTIVE WASTE TREATMENT AT BELARUSIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

People, who come to visit the information center of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, are primarily interested in radioactive waste treatment. The state-ment was made by Eduard Svirid, Head of the Infor-mation and Public Relations Department of the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, during the online conference hosted by the BelTA website on 1 December.

Eduard Svirid said: ―At present the top questions include how radioactive waste will be handled, how much will be generated, where it will be buried.‖

The specialist regretted the fact that those op-posing the construction of the nuclear power plant often mislead the general public into believing that spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste are the same thing. ―During the events we organize we emphasize that spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste are different things. Spent nuclear fuel in essence repre-sents a raw material, virtually the entire periodic table. This is why spent nuclear fuel cannot be identi-fied as waste. Spent nuclear fuel is processed to make new fuel, to extract additional materials, which are then used in the production sector, science, and so on,‖ explained Eduard Svirid.

The specialist explained that a nuclear power plant generates radioactive waste, too, but how much of it is generated is what matters. ―One reactor gen-erates roughly 0.5m3 of high-active waste per an-num. As far as medium and low-active waste is con-cerned, one power-generating unit produces up to 60m3 per annum. Special facilities are used to pro-cess the waste to make it safe for storage. After that, the waste is stored on site as long as the power plant keeps working. Once the power plant is decommis-sioned, the waste is reburied,‖ said Eduard Svirid. The Head of the Information and Public Relations Depart-ment of the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant underlined that the nuclear power plant‘s radio-active waste storage facility is a high-tech installation

where humidity, temperature, and personnel access is controlled for the sake of monitoring the ongoing processes.

Eduard Svirid said that questions concerning radioactive waste storage now prevail over those concerning the safety of the nuclear power plant. ―In the past people lived with stereotypes, the so-called Chernobyl legacy, this is why they were naturally primarily concerned about safety. I don‘t know whether we are to credit with the change or maybe television, BelTA or other mass media have done their part but with time we have managed to change the situation. People are no longer interested as much in the safety of the nuclear power plant because they know it well. They are now interested in whether we will be able to build the power plant the way it is supposed to be built,‖ he explained. Personnel of the nuclear power plant‘s information center answer questions during tours of the construction site. As an example the specialist mentioned Teacher‘s Day at Nuclear Power Plant. ―With approval of the local edu-cation administration we‘ve offered field trips to peo-ple. This option is available to any school in the coun-try,‖ assured Eduard Svirid.

In turn, Tatiana Shlyk, Head of the Nuclear Ener-gy Information Center, noted that visitors are primari-ly interested in how the nuclear power plant is de-signed. ―We have educational models, they can study them closely. Citizens also ask how nuclear waste will be processed and buried. These questions are mostly asked by adults. Kids virtually never ask anything. We have a lot of interactive amusements, models, dum-mies, modern technologies to demonstrate. They don‘t feel the need to ask. They feel the need to come once again, see things, learn something new,‖ she said.

BELTA, 1.12.2015

SOLOVYOV: BELNPP IS ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE The Belarusian nuclear power plant

(BelNPP) which is currently being built in the country is environmentally safe, Yuri Solovyov, the chairman of the board of the Belarusian public association "Ecological Initiative", said during an online press conference at BelTA.

"I can say that the ongoing environmental moni-toring shows that the Belarusian nuclear power plant is environmentally safe," he said.

Yuri Solovyov recalled that the public center for environmental safety of the NPP construction and operation was launched in Belarus in 2012. Its main task is to provide the public in Belarus and other countries with the information about nuclear energy and security during the construction of the NPP in Belarus.

For the third year the center has conducted public monitoring of the process of the construction of the nuclear power plant: environmental activists of non-governmental organizations get acquainted with the course of construction, measure the radiation levels at the NPP construction site and its surround-ings, study the impact of the object under construc-tion on the environment. The monitoring results are

made available in open access, on the BelNPP web-site, in the media, and are communicated to the public during the public information activities of the center.

According to Yuri Solovyov, public monitoring will be continued after the nuclear power plant is put into operation. ―We will compare the current radiation environmental data on the site with the data that will be received after the plant is commissioned. If any deviations are registered, the relevant information will be immediately passed on to the competent authorities and the public,‖ the ecologist said.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built 18km away from the town of Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The BelNPP will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). The AES-2006 design developed by the Saint Petersburg-based R&D company Atomener-goproject was chosen for building Belarus‘ first nucle-ar power plant. The first power-generating unit of the nuclear power plant is scheduled for launch in 2018, the second one in 2020.

BELTA, 1.12.2015