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.   

Turkish state meteorological services’ representatives came to Belhydromet on November, 5. The purpose of the visit was make final adjustment of program product MetCapPlus with a possibility of EUMETSAT satellites data processing EUMETSAT and in Belhydromet workers training for use of functional capability of that program product.   MetCapPlus is the last version of meteorological communication developed by Turkish meteorological service. The main purpose is to facilitate actual, numerical, remote sounding analysis and numerous meteorological maps. The program works on Windows platform, consists of several modules.  EUMETSAT is intergovernmental organization of European , which follows the purpose of creation exploitation of European meteorological satellite system through satellite launches and  providing digital data about the weather to final consumer and conducting operative monitoring of climate changes on the planet. 

In connection with high audience demand for absence of data from locator placed at the national airport Minsk State institution "Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and environmental monitoring" (Belhydromet) reports that for the moment second airstrip at the National airport Minsk is being built. Locator is transferred to a new position. Commissioning time will be reported later. 

Visit of expert group of international project technical support “Support of effective monitoring of emissions into the atmospheric air and radiative monitoring, improvement of environment management in Belarus” took place on  November 31.  Aim of the meeting was discussion of normative basis state, institution structure of central and local level system of monitoring and management of air quality, visiting of Main information and analytical centre of National system of environment monitoring of Belarus and acquaintance with executable goals and functions.  The result of the meeting was supposed to form the agreed position about technical documentation. Experience exchange about organization of air state observation, composition of precipitations and snow cover happened. 

Scientific conference «Monitoring environment state for sustainable development. National system of environment monitoring in Belarus.25 years»  was held on October 30-31, in Minsk.  Deputy chairman Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus national coordinator for achieving sustainable development Marianna Shetkina took part in this conference as well as Iya Malkina, the Deputy Minister of Education, representatives of MES and representatives of public administration, science, high school.   Four sections worked in the conference: «Atmosphere air and ozone layer monitoring, air pollution problems, health effects», «Environment monitoring in transboundary context international cooperation in a sphere of environment monitoring», секция «Monitoring of biodiversity and soils»  and «Training on environment monitoring, modern technologies, information resources, observation methods, information collection and analyzing, received in a result of environment monitoring».

  Decrease of water level has prevailed on rivers in first and second decades of October. Small increase of water level due to precipitation marked in the third decade. Water content was lower than usual for this season.  October was warm, average month temperature was 1-2ºС above climate normal, that is why average monthly turned out to be 1-2 ºС above climate normal for this season.   Rivers’ water temperature stayed within 4,0ºС - 14ºС, in October water temperature in rivers didn’t decrease significantly. At the date of forecast release  water temperature in rivers’ basins: Zapadnaya Dvina  2,8-6,6 ºС, Neman 7,0-9,8 ºС, Viliya 5,0-7,0 ºС, Western Bug 6,6-10 ºС, Dnieper 4,3-7,6 ºС, Berezina 5,0-7,6 ºС, Sozh 2,2-7,2 ºС, Pripyat 7,0-11 ºС.   Appearance of ice formation is expected later than long – term   periods: in the Zapadnaya Dvina, the Dnieper and the Sozh  basins at the end of November – at the beginning of December; at the first decade of December in the Neman, the Vilija, the Berezina; in the Pripyat  basin in the second decade of December. In the period of ice formation and due to ice jams, rough diurnal variations are possible on rivers.  After the beginning of ice formation, cessation or partial damage of ice formation are possible on water objects after entering heat air masses on the territory of Belarus.   It’s not excluded appearing of short-term ice formations in the second decade of November due to possible invasion of cold air masses on the territory of Belarus.  Due to the weather fickle disposition and increased temperature regime, forecast of ice formations appearing on rivers will be specified after making long-term forecast  for December.     

  Employees of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus and its subordinate organizations employees took part in the volunteer clean-up under the leadership of Minister Andrei Khudyk at the meteorological station “Minsk” in the district of military town “Uruchie” on October 20, 2018. More than 60 employees arrived at the meteorological station. Before the volunteer clean-up Andrei Khudyk, the Minister of natural resources and environmental protection of the Republic of Belarus made a speech: “We are really fulfilling our obligations - preserving the environment for future generations. We have a lot of serious questions on the agenda, and the more important is the fact that we are here today”. The Minister also promised that the participation of each employee in public life would be appreciated. After the Minister speech the head of Belhydromet Raman Labaznau, promised that with the putting into operation the new meteorological station, the percentage of weather forecasts would be certainly increased. After the safety-awareness briefing, the work package were distributed between the participants in the volunteer clean-up - the instrument platform, the administrative and training building, and the surrounding area. The main task was reduced to cleaning the premises and the surrounding area, the removal of garbage and building materials, planting shrubs and trees. The meteorological station “Minsk” will be put into operation in a few weeks.