Festive event took place in Belhydromet on March 22, 2019 devoted to two important dates at once - the World Meteorological Day and Day of Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Belarus.  Belhydromet team gathers every year in a cozy assembly hall for a solemn event. Like any serious event it starts with the anthem. In Belhydromet it started with hymn of the Hydrometeorological Service, whose words touches the soul: “The country can sleep in peace with people like in Hydrometeorological Service!”. And indeed, our people are wonderful! Number of warm words addressed to the team is a confirmation!    The event was opened by Oleg Klimovich, First Deputy Head of Belhydromet. He voiced the congratulation of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus Andrei Pavlovich Khudyk on his professional holiday - the Day of Workers of the Meteorological Service of the Republic of Belarus. On behalf of management and personally, Oleg Leonidovich congratulated employees of Belhydromet and veterans of hydrometeorological service on their professional holiday and presented awards of Belgidromet to especially distinguished workers.  Congratulatory words were also heard from the chairman of the primary trade union organization Natalia Olekhnovich, who in turn handed the Trade Union Acknowledgments to active members of the trade union organization.  Start of concert was next. The first part of the concert program included performances of young and talented workers of Belhydromet — radio-metric engineer of radio-spectrometry department Ruslan Dubaylo and hydrologist of water regime study department Maksim Vasilko.    Then the program was joined by professionals - singer Yury Volpov, accompanied by wonderful soloist Angelica Zhemchuzhnaya. They gave the audience great popular songs.   The most enchanting was appearance at the event of a famous pop singer and composer Tariel Maysuradze. A singer invited to the event broke the squall of applause.    The whole program was dedicated to employees and veterans of hydrometeorological service, and therefore songs were mainly about the weather, spring and, of course, love! The hall was warm and friendly. As part of the festive event, supporting the annual tradition, an exhibition of creativity devoted to the theme of World Meteorological Day-2019 “Sun, Earth and Weather” was organized in the lobby at the entrance to the assembly hall. The exhibition featured works of decorative applied art and fine art made by workers and children of Belhydromet employees. This time more than 40 people took part in the exhibition. Presented works became a wonderful addition to the holiday, impressed visitors of the exhibition and left bright sunshine in everyone’s soul.  The holiday succeeded! Thanks to the administration and the trade union committee for organizing the holiday, and to everyone who took part, thanks for the excellent mood! With a professional holiday, dear colleagues!     The exhibition of children's and adult creativity, devoted to the World Meteorological Day: 

 Almost everyone knows about the existence of Earth Day. Varieties of events are held in honor of the holiday - both on a local and global scale. Slogans, speeches and lectures are organized. But at the same time, the question almost every year is on which date is Earth Day. The year 2019 was no exception.   The fact is that the holiday itself is timed to the day of the vernal equinox, and, consequently, its date may occasionally changes.  In 2019 Earth Day is celebrated on March 20th. The date of the holiday was chosen and approved by the UN in 1971not occasionally. On the day of the vernal equinox biological rhythm of the planet changes and it moves to a new stage of its development, at this moment nature is awaked and  renewed.   The holiday has peacekeeping and humanistic orientation. The purpose of the World Earth Day is to draw attention of governments and ordinary people of different professions and ages to the fact that our planet, despite its seemingly enormous size and seemingly inexhaustible resources, is actually a small and fragile creation by standards of the Universe, because its ecosystems are very vulnerable. This heavenly body can be saved only by people unit from environmental catastrophe and destruction.  According to the established tradition every year within the framework of Earth Day in the vast majority of countries it is imperative to ring the Bell of Peace, which is a symbol of peaceful life, friendship and solidarity of all nations, and a call to action in the name of preserving culture and the best achievements of mankind. And the meaning of this ceremony is that during this minute, people should think about how to preserve our beautiful planet, how to improve life on it, to feel like inhabitants and part of the Earth. The first Bell of the World was cast in 1954 in commemoration of  tragedy of Japanese cities that survived the nuclear bombing, and was installed at the UN headquarters in New York. It cast from coins collected by children of all continents, orders and medals and other honorary signs of people of many countries are also fused into it. The inscription on the Bell says: "Long live universal peace throughout the world."  Earth Day has its own flag with the image of one of the first photographs of our planet from space. This is a sign of awareness that only joint efforts can solve global environmental and social problems on Earth. Therefore, it is no coincidence that this holiday is actively supported by astronauts. After all, they were the first to tell the world how beautiful and defenseless our planet is, and how it needs the care of all of us.     

On March 4, 2019 representatives of Belhydromet took part in a press conference organized by Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BELTA). The head of Belhydromet Raman Labaznau, chif of meteorological forecast service of Belhydromet Aliaksandr Behanski and chief of department of agrometeorology of service of hydrology and agrometeorology Ekaterina Istomina took part in press conference. Experts shared plans of improvement of hydrometeorological activities and As well as the quality of forecasts, and analyzed the prevailing weather conditions and their impact on crops of agricultural crops, announced a preliminary forecast for the spring period. 

Belarus is hosting the United Security Day campaign for the first time from February 20 to March 1, 2019. Targeted measures are being taken to prevent emergencies, offenses and crimes, as well as training in emergency situations, accidents, and first aid. It is assumed that the «United Security Day» will be held in the country twice a year: in February and September.  Preventive event dedicated to the United Day of Safety was held as a part of action on March 1, 2019 in the assembly hall of Belhydromet in order to build a safety culture of life in the field of protection against emergency situations.  In the program of the event: 1. Lectures on actions in case of a threat or emergency of a natural and man-made nature was held. 2. Demonstration of videos on «Actions at the signal» Warning!». 3. Alert and evacuation of employees in the event of a fire in administrative building of Belhydromet. 4. There was a visual campaign with information about life safety at the information stand of Belhydromet.  

February 26 - 27, 2019, the office of RSE Kazhydromet that located in Astana hosted 4 employees of Belhydromet: Leading Engineer of Public Relations Department Yauheni Korzun, Chief of NWP department Raisa Burak, Leading Programmer of Software Development Department Aliaksandr Paulenka. and software engineer of numerical modeling of software service forecasts department Ihar Krauchanka The main objectives of the visit were to study the experience of computing center of RSE Kazhydromet in adapting WRF mesoscale atmosphere model to local conditions, which allows improving the quality of models output, as well as to discuss the process of interaction with the media.  Kazhydromet specialists negotiated with the Chief of Kazhydromet Computing Center Talgat Usmanov and with chief of international cooperation and public relations department Gulzhan Tulebaeva. Parties came to the conclusion about the necessity to strengthen cooperation between national hydrometeorological services of Belarus and Qazaqstan. Continuation of negotiations is planned in the first half of April 2019, when representatives of Belgydromet will arrive in Astana to visit EUMETSAT information day.

WMO headquarters in Geneva hosted Technical conference (TECO-Hydro) (February 11-13) and extraordinary session of Hydrological commission (February 13-14). Belhydromet took part in both events. Delegation was represented by Deputy Head Svetlana Kuzmich and Head of hydrology and agrometeorology service Liudmila Zhuravovich.  Belhydromet representatives took part in discussions of WMO constitutional bodies reform, as well as the main issues of water resources and WMO role in resolving it, recommendations of developing regarding ways of integration of hydrological activity into a new WMO entity.  Moreover, world experience and pioneer methods in hydrology were studied. Also were formed new proposals for implementation received experience into Belhydromet activity. 

On January 9, 2019 sport festival “Minskaya lyzhnya - 2019”” was held in suburb Vesnyanka. About 5000 people were watching the event.  Belhydromet workers also visited the event.  It was significantly, that first time sport event was held in different format. For the first time in history audience could watch biathlon.  Two dozens of teams took part in race for 3 and 4 kilometers in the first start of marathon. Among them teams of Presidential Administration, Ministers' Council, regional governments, City Executive Committee, Supreme Court and Constitutional Court, Management of Presidential Affair, Chamber of Representatives, National Olympic Committee.  Also famous sportsmen and figures of different spheres, belarussian pop-stars, journalists. teams of ministries and institutions were competed between each other. Belhydromet representatives were watching the race and target shooting with pleasure.  Among biathlon in Vesnyanka was held ski batons. The most spectacular was of course mass start, where all interested took place. About 3000 people participated.  Supporters enjoyed the nice weather and holiday atmosphere. Event organizers did their best. Territories reserved for games were full of people crowds. Guests could participate in different competitions, folk games and competitions, for example tug-of-war. Mascots played with children and adults, photographed with all who wish.  Artists and artistic groups pleased guests with performances. Small shops and cafes worked on the territory.  People could try soldiers porridge and hot tea. Despite Belhydromet specialists didn’t take part in competitions, they made a choice for active rest on fresh air, showed themselves as active supporters and got unforgettable emotions.   

Meeting with World Bank experts with the head of Europe and Central Asia department of global practice in a sphere of ecology and natural resources Ksenya Lvovskaya was held on February 6 in Belhydromet. The main goal of the meeting was to discuss priorities and developing of ecological monitoring in the Republic of Belarus. Ksenya Lvovskay presented short characteristic of main activity of Global practice in a sphere of ecology and natural resources in Europe and Central Asia, including questions of ecological monitoring. Belhydromet representatives spoke in brief about information of existing system of data gathering, storage and processing, as a result of environment monitoring. Belhydromet specialists also told about national system of environment monitoring in the Republic of Belarus and about directions assigned directly to Belhydromet.  Meeting was held in a format of constructive dialog. Both sides outlined plans of further cooperation based on results of the meeting. 

Belhydromet hosted media event dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Union state creation. 12 representatives of press-media took part in the meeting: National press-center of the Republic of Belarus, Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi, Soyuznoe Veche, SB.Belarus segodnya, BelaPAN, Minsk-news, magazine “Rodnaya pryroda”, information-analytic portal of Union state and others. Head of Belhydromet Roman Labaznov delivered welcoming remarks. Then deputy head Svetlana Kuzmich made a report about the realization of Union State Program for Union state hydrometeorological safety system developing of 2017-2021 years. She made a detailed report upon achieved results during Program implementation in 2018 and plans for 2019. Mass-media representatives communicated with Belhydromet specialists that are responsible for realization of action items of Program implementation. Guests of Belhydromet were also acquainted with objectives and the progress of 5 action items implementation of the Program.  After the Media event the sightseeing tour of Belhydromet was held for Mass-media representatives.   Experience of such media events shows undoubted interest of end users to National hydrometeorological service of the Republic of Belarus activity in frames of Union state. Developing of two-sided cooperation of National hydrometeorological services of Belarus and Russia, joint activity in frames of Committee of Union state for hydrometeorology and nature environment pollution monitoring is unique and can be the example for other countries hydrometeorological services.

    Experts of World bank visited Belarus within the frameworks of implementation of Technical Assistance Project «Enhancing Disaster Preparedness in Republic of Belarus», which focuses on capacity building to ensure disaster preparedness in Belarus through improving services of extreme weather conditions, identification risks, data availability and dissemination and national strategy for disaster risk reduction. Achievement of the main project goal is planning through realization of three components: 1. Support of the wider political dialog on managing of disaster risks in Belarus. 2. Improving damage and loss evaluation system efficiency. 3. Improving the quality of hydrometeorological services and information on the radiation situation, including early warning systems. Realization of three components will be conducted through access to international expert knowledge and experience, best practice leadership and more suitable software with open source code and due to possibility of participating in global workshops and regional seminars. Project will be implemented jointly by Ministry of natural resources and environment protection of the Republic of Belarus and Ministry of emergency situations. Project proposal represents great interest both of Ministry of natural resources and Ministry of emergency situation and for Belarus in general.  Integrated approach will be conducted for risk evaluation and for basic and technogenic emergency situation, prevailing in the Republic of Belarus (floods, storms, wildfires, drought, and risks in radiation monitoring) as the result of the Project. Project will cover existing data bases of emergency situation and process of data exchange.    Within the frameworks of Project road map and investment plan will be developed with plan for modernization of services for providing meteorological, climate, hydrological information and also information in a sphere of radiation monitoring in Belarus. Opportunities for straightening and creating joint information platform with a purpose of modern and clear access to modern systems will be considered. The first meeting with World Bank experts took place on January 28, 2019. Belhydromet representatives briefly reported about the history of hydrometservice, the main activity in a sphere of meteorology, hydrology and radiation monitoring. The experts took place in an excursion through Belhydromet. Despite of the fact that the first meeting day was introductory, experts team and workers of Belhydromet have already determined necessary questions for the week to discuss. The meeting with the stakeholders as hydromet information end-users took place on January 29, 2019. Meanwhile experts were working with Ministry of emergency situation of the Republic of Belarus.