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. 

Opening ceremony of meteorological and aerological complex “Minsk” in the district of military town took place on December 27, 2018.  Building of a new meteorological and aerological observation station started on April 2, 2018. The complex put into operation on April 5, 2018. Uniqueness of the new complex consists of integrated approach of different observing networks functioning: surface meteorological, actinometric, hydrological and aerological. The most modern equipment and instruments purchased and set for producing of all types of observations. First deputy prime minister of the Republic of Belarus M.I. Rusyi, Minister of natural resources and environmental protection A.P.Khudyk , First deputy minister of Minister of natural resources and environmental protection I.V.Malkina and Pershamaisky District Chief Officer I.A.Kudrevich took place in the opening ceremony.  Honored guests have learned the object, visited meteorological platform and methodical-training block, and also learned preparation and launch technology of weather balloon.  Фото: Сергей Балай, Белапан                 

 Belhydromet realizes a number of major projects, which were supported by the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko currently. First, it is a building of the meteorological and aerological observation complex “Minsk” in the district of military town. Building of a new meteorological and aerological observation station started on April 2, 2018. The complex put into operation on April 5, 2018. Uniqueness of the new complex consists of integrated approach of different observing networks functioning: surface meteorological, actinometric, hydrological and aerological. The most modern equipment and instruments purchased and set for producing of all types of observations.  Surface meteorological observations are conducted on a 24-hour basis with the help of automated information measurement system produced by belarusian company OAO “Peleng”. System consists of 25 sensors and includes observations of state, change and atmosphere processes development, including dangerous and adverse hydrometeorological phenomena, measurement of parameters and identification of meteorological characteristics (74 characteristics and parameters).  Actinometric observations carries out automatically with the help of 5 sensors that are installed in actinometric station produced by belarusian company OAO “Peleng” and includes in a streaming operation mode a radiative regime data receiving: direct, ambient, total solar radiation, surface reflected radiation, radiation balance. Atmosphere radiosonde measurement have stopped in 1998 because of the renovation in the building of observatory and equipment removal and was resumed with putting into operation of the Complex. Third sounding point opening in the center of the Republic of Belarus together with operating points of aerological observations in Brest and Gomel enables to capture temperature-wind sounding in the whole territory of the country. The data will be used not only for prognostic purposes of Belarusian forecasters, but will expand presence of Belarus in international information exchange. The one wind-temperature SODAR in mobile version put into operation on the territory of complex. Usage of such equipment enables to produce real-time continuous monitoring of temperature and wind parameters in low atmosphere layers in the purpose of providing dangerous meteorological phenomenon, to conduct radiation and ecological monitoring in Minsk and on the territory of BelNPP for calculation of pollution spread in case of hazardous situation. Project for the development of radiolocation observation network also received a support. A modern radars usage lets receive actual weather information in real time mode, including storm danger warnings and adverse weather phenomena and quickly changing weather and forecast its development in the near future.  Belhydromet has three radars at its disposal: in Minsk, Gomel and Brest. There is a plan to install one in Vitebsk and Grodno and also to change radar in Brest. Installation work of Vitebsk radar was finished on December 2018. Work on choosing land for DMR is conducting in Grodno now.  Network of Belhydromet stationary observation points covers not a whole territory of Belarus, especially in part of precipitations. Currently meteorological network in Belarus consists of 51 observation stations, 38 of them have automated meteorological systems.  Increase of meteorological observation stations up to 60 is expected by 2020.  In frames of extension of meteorological observation networks started actions on automated meteorological stations installing. It’s also a new Belhydromets project. Automated meteorological station already functioning in Polotsk and Shchuchin. 2 stations in Grodno and Soligorsk were installed by the end of 2018.  Extension of observation network trough implement of automated stations do not requires stuff increasing and lets receive meteorological information in real time mode on territories which are not covered by stationary observation points. 

 

Seminar “Renewable energy – the way to sustainable development" was held on November 28, 2018 in a round negotiation hall of President hotel in Minsk. Organizers of seminar were Ministry of natural resources and environmental protection of the Republic of Belarus and international technical assistance project «Elimination barriers in wind power development in the Republic of Belarus». Welcome speech was made by Alexander Korbut, Deputy Minister of Natural resources and environmental protection of the Republic of Belarus and Olga Prudnikova, Deputy Minister of energy. Issues of wind power in Belarus according to AEC launching, development of fuel and energy resources in Electric Power Industry, state and perspectives of renewable energy development In Belarus as well as achieved results of project «Elimination barriers in wind power development in the Republic of Belarus» were discussed within frameworks of the seminar.  Representatives of Belhydromet, RUE «ITP», National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, SPC Ltd. «Small power», RUE «SRC Ecology» and many others.

The seminar-meeting with the trade union activists and social partners was held at the Unitary Enterprise “Narochanka “Sanatorium” on November 16 - 18, 2018. The seminar-meeting was organized by the United Sectoral Trade Union Organization of environmental and geotechnology workers. More than 80 union members from 10 primary trade union organizations took part in the seminar-meeting. As a part of the program, the following events were held: a meeting of the presidium of the United Branch Trade Union Organization of environmental management and geotechnology workers, a study of trade union and social partners, as well as a competition in sports and intellectual games. The Names of Belhydromet’s representatives that took part in the events above are as follows: Natalia Olekhnovich, the primary trade union organization chairman, leading engineer of the International Cooperation and Public Relations Service of Belhydromet; Natalia Suslova, the primary trade union organization treasurer, of the 2nd category hydrologist of hydrology and agrometeorology service of Belgidromet; Tatyana Lazareva, Belhydromet’s trade union committee member, leader of the cultural-mass commission, leading chemical engineer of environmental information provision department of Belhydromet; Vladimir Kachanov, head of analysis and science service of Belhydromet; Yuri Gubankov, Head of the Planning and Economic Department of Belhydromet; Elena Ampilova, hydrologist of the hydrological forecasts department of Belhydromet; Sergey Trus, the head of the Volozhin meteorological station. Belhydromet team showed a high level of training, which allowed the team to win six medal places in various disciplines: table tennis, swimming, darts and intellectual games. Sergey Trus won the first place in the men's table tennis competitions was won by; Tatyana Lazareva won the 2nd place in the swimming competition among women; It’s necessary to mention separately Natalia Suslova and Elena Ampilova who won the third place in the intellectual games competition for among women. Congratulations to all the organizers and participants of the event, and separately the winners. The trade union committee of Belhydromet will continue to attract employees to a healthy lifestyle and to revitalize mass cultural and sports activities.

Meeting «National dialogue GEF for Belarus» took place from 19 to 20 November in Minsk at the hotel «Renaissance». Reference. Global Environment Facility, GEF – independent international financial entity which acts through UN Program development, Environment Program UN and World Bank. GEF provides funds for financing additional expenditure to make the project environmentally appealing. Organization was created in 1991.     First Deputy Minister of natural resources and environmental protection of the Republic of Belarus Iya Malkina and Senior Specialist on climate change Ming Yang gave welcome speech at the meeting opening.  Main meeting’s topics were climate change, economic approach changes and careful attitude to the Earth.  The main goal for humanity now is to stop greenhouse effect. All human beings have to integrate power and knowledge for environment protection and prevent negative effects of climate change.  Presentations about GEF projects vital results were presented during the meeting as well as presentation on learned lessons in framework GEF-6 Integrative approach Program with further interactive discussion. Anna Matsevilo, Chief of Service for International Cooperation and Public Affairs and Victoria Guriy, engineer of international cooperation department, took part in that meeting from Belhydromet. 

From 8 to 9 November 68th Joint board meeting of Union State of the Committee for hydrometeorology and environmental pollution monitoring took place in Rostov-on-Don, where wide range of cooperation issues were discussed by Roshydromet and Belhydromet.   Representatives of Roshydromet and Belhydromet discussed:     Bilateral data exchange of observations and processed information with existing DMRL. Implementation state of Union state Program «Development of the hydrometeorological safety system of Union State » in 2017-2021 for I-III quarter 2018 year. Execution of research work on topics:   •   Improvement of the quality of hydrometeorological forecasts and detection of danger hydrometeorological phenomena,  •   Forecasting particularities on base of COSMO-Ru-By and WRF, •   Methodological aspects of hydrometeorological network automatization in the Republic of Belarus and Russian Federation, •   State of monitoring system readiness, forecasting radiation situation, warning to the population and public authorities about possible emergency situations at radiation-hazardous facilities •   Draft Plan of cooperation work of Union State of the Committee for hydrometeorology and environmental pollution monitoring in 2019 year and other important issues.