Minsk hosted the 30th jubilee Session of the Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology of the Commonwealth of Independent States on October 17-18, 2018. The agenda included 23 questions upon the main activities of the national hydrometeorological services of the CIS. The agenda was divided into 5 sections. The head of the Belhydromet Raman Labaznau was appointed as the chairman of the 30th session of the ISH of CIS. The Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus Andrei Khudyk and the head of the Regional Office for Europe Milan Dacic made a welcoming speech at the opening of the session. The main areas of cooperation are: hydrometeorological security, information exchange, meteorological support of flights of civil aviation; long-term forecasts, global climate change, instruments and methods of measurement, active impacts on hydrometeorological processes, monitoring of environmental pollution, the activities of the observation network, agricultural meteorology, hydrology, frames, telecommunications and satellite information, storm warning and warning of natural phenomena; transboundary water and sediment transport. The Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology of the Commonwealth of Independent States working results: 1. April 16, 2004, the Heads of Government of the CIS Member approved the Concept of Hydrometeorological Safety of the CIS Member prepared by the Council for Hydrometeorology. The main aim of the Concept is the formation of an official view on the role and importance of ensuring hydrometeorological security as an integral part of the national security of each of the participating states. The main task is to ensure conditions that would contribute to the achievement of the necessary level and quality of the hydrometeorological support of the participating states, allowing to reduce the negative impact of dangerous hydrometeorological phenomena on the safety of life and property of people, as well as the functioning of the economies of countries. 2. On May 30, 2012, within the framework of the development of the provisions of the Concept, the Council of CIS Heads of Governments approved the Strategy for the development of hydrometeorological activities of the CIS members, which is an agreed set of interrelated tasks and directions for development, activities and stages of their implementation, mechanisms that effectively solve systemic problems in the activities of national hydrometeorological services of the CIS member states and achievement of the set goals. 3. The Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (SPA “Taifun” of Roshydromet) was established to provide the CIS countries with the necessary forecast information on the trajectory of pollutants during man-made accidents (including NPPs). 4. A unified scientific, methodological and technological base for production activities in the field of hydrometeorology and monitoring of environmental pollution in the territory of the participating states has been created and is constantly developing.  5. There is a constant exchange of scientific and practical literature published by the national hydrometeorological services of the CIS member states. 6. Unified requirements for the training of key specialists in the field of hydrometeorology and environmental pollution control have been developed and approved, and the procedure for internships, individual training and advanced training has been determined. 7. The CIS Interstate Hydrometeorological Network was formed.

The 9th session of the authorized of the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine upon the implementation of the Agreement on the joint use and protection of transboundary waters was held in city of Novaya Kahovka (Ukraine) on September 24-27, 2018. The cooperation of the Belarusian and Ukrainian parties within the framework of this agreement is aimed to develop coordinated water management and water protection activities, to protect and use of transboundary waters, to prevent and restrict the discharges of harmful substances into the aquatic environment. The meeting was attended by Government Plenipotentiaries, as well as heads of national parts of the working groups. The Belarusian delegation was headed by the authorized Minister of the Republic of Belarus for the implementation of the Agreement, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus – A. Khmel. The head of the Belarusian part of the working group on hydrometeorology –  Y. Lesnichy and the head of the Belarusian part of the working group on the protection and control of water quality – E.Bogodazh. During the meeting, a number of issues related to the implementation of decisions taken at the previous meeting, reports on the activities of the working groups and plans for their work for the next period were considered. As results of the session, a protocol was signed, the composition of bilateral working groups and their work plans for 2019 were approved.

    On October 2-4, 2018, on the eve of the 30th anniversary session of the Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology of the Commonwealth of Independent States, technical seminars on the World Meteorological Organizations’ Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) and the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) were held in Minsk. As part of the activities, there were meetings of the task forces of the Regional Association VI (RA VI) on WIGOS and on observations from aircraft. The meetings were attended by representatives of 18 states. The WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS) is an integrated approach of improving global climate observing systems and their gradual development. Together with the WMO Information System (WIS), WIGOS is the basis for all member countries of the organization to ensure accurate, reliable and timely observational data and products in the field of weather, climate, water and associated environmental media. The AMDAR is a subsystem of the integrated global observing system, which is defined and maintained as part of the WMO World Weather Observation Program. The AMDAR system uses predominantly existing on-board sensors, computers and communication systems to collect, process, format and transmit meteorological data to ground stations. The collected data is used for a number of meteorological applications, including weather forecasting, climate monitoring, weather early warning systems, weather monitoring and forecasting in the aviation industry. State Hydrometeorological Services of WMO Members 24 hours a day and 7 days a week transmit important information about weather situations and climate change around the world. Timely and accurate warnings of changes in weather conditions and climate provide an opportunity to prepare in advance for the upcoming natural emergencies, to minimize their consequences for the community and the environment.

On September 24-27, 2018, representatives of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management – the State Research Institute of the Republic of Poland visited Belhydromet within the frameworks of the 1st meeting of the Belarusian-Polish expert working groups in the field of meteorology, hydrology and aviation meteorology. Polish representatives were familiarized with the activities of the Brest branch of Belhydromet and visited the hydrological station on the Mukhavets river. During the visit to Belgidromet methods for assessing the quality of weather forecasts and warnings of adverse and dangerous phenomenon, as well as criteria for evaluating forecasts, including the use of color codes in generating warnings, and ways of communicating information to consumers, and alerts of threats of adverse and dangerous weather phenomenon were discussed. During the visit, the Polish delegation visited the background monitoring station “Berezinsky Reserve”, where the main results of monitoring of the climate and the environment in the reserve were reviewed and assessed. The representatives of NHMS of Belarus and Poland also exchanged information on hydrological forecasting, observation and processing of regime hydrological information, presented the structure of the aeronautical and meteorological service. Issues about the practice of meteorological services for civil aviation in the Republic of Poland, as well as the experience of the participation of the Meteorological Service of Poland in the relevant departments of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the procedure for reassessing the competence of the staff of the aeronautical meteorological service and a number of other important issues were also discussed.

The meeting with the group of experts of the international technical assistance project “Support for Effective Monitoring of Air Emissions and Radiation Monitoring, Improving Environmental Management in Belarus” was held in Belhyromet on September 25, 2018. Representatives of Belarus, Sweden and Slovakia discussed the preparation of a tender dossier on lots of laboratory equipment, air quality monitoring stations and field devices, a calibration laboratory data collection and processing system, traffic sensor sensor systems, final verification of needs, clarified technical specifications, evaluated methodological validity and discussed the status of the air quality monitoring and management system in Belarus, as well as the development of appropriate recommendations for its development at the meeting. The refinement of the technical specification and the final verification of the need for technical re-equipment of the air monitoring network of the Republic of Belarus was the result of the meeting.

The conference is supposed to involve more than 200 representatives of government bodies, academia, international organizations from near and far abroad. The aim of the event is to present the role of environmental monitoring at the stage of the sustainable development of the Republic of Belarus. The participants will be able to get acquainted with the results of 25 years of operation of the National Environmental Monitoring System in the Republic of Belarus (NEMS), and its main achievements. The conference will come round in various formats: plenary and sectional sessions, presentations, exhibitions, round tables. For those who wish to visit the sites of Belhydromet as an organization in which the Main Information and Analytical Center of the National Environmental Monitoring System in the Republic of Belarus functions will be organized.

European Mobility Week (EMW) is held from September 16-22, 2018. The European Mobility Week is an international campaign conducted under the auspices of the European Commission in partnership with the International Union of Public Transport. The main idea of the event is to  “green” streets of city, to streamline the usage of public spaces, to focus on issues of air pollution by harmful emissions from transport. Each year, this campaign dedicates to topics related to attracting public attention to the problems of excessive motor transport and involves the holding of actions, surveys, conferences and events involving different age groups aimed at popularizing urban public transport, non-motorized vehicles, pedestrian walks, a healthy lifestyle, the preservation of the ecology of municipalities. The official motto of the international campaign this year is "Smart Mobility. Strong economy". It is expected that the participating cities will discuss the economic benefits from the transition to sustainable mobility. Such an event has been taking place in Belarus and many other countries for several past years. So, 48 cities (including the city of Minsk) joined the campaign in Belarus in 2017. Ecologists are sure that the activization of the official participation of Belarusian cities in the European Mobility Week will serve as a clear example of our country’s commitment to the principles of sustainable development, the basis of which is improving of the quality of people’s lives. Within seven days, Minsk is waiting for an extensive program of events. The final stage of the EMW is World Car Free Day, which is held all over the world on September 22. The city ecological event will be organized in Minsk. Lenin str. will traditionally become a pedestrian, there will be organized a big city fest. At a daytime there will be fairs, master classes, exhibitions, film screening and a concert, and in the evening Nezavisimosti ave. will be closed for autos, and will become a bikeway. The motto for evening bike ride is “Biker, let’s rock!”. Traffic along Lenin str. from Nezavisimosti ave. to Kirov str. will be closed from 6.00 a.m. to midnight on September 22, 2018. The fest dedicated to the World Car Free Day will begin at 2 p.m. and finish late in the evening with a bright alternative vehicles parade. The bike ride along Nezavisimosti ave. from Lenin str. to the building National Library of Belarus will become the culmination of the event. Not only bikers but also users of other ecological vehicles such as rollers, monoculars, skateboards, scooters, gyro pacemakers, segways will be invited. The ride along Nezavisimosti ave. will begin at 9 p.m. and will pass at a calm way of 15-18 km/h. To participate in the event, it is essential to equip your vehicles with luminous elements. Experts from Belhydromet traditionally take the most active part in such. Among the main activities are route surveys of the state of atmospheric air in areas with various anthropogenic loads: highways, recreational zones and recreation. Measurements of atmospheric air pollution are carried out on the eve and immediately on the World Car Free Day. The results are compared with the data obtained from a stationary monitoring network of atmospheric air, and the nature of meteorological conditions is necessarily taken into account. The administration and the Trade union committee of Belhydromet call to support of the ecological event and take part in the upcoming events! Get a charge of cheerfulness, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of an ecological fest!

  The Second stage of the volunteer clean-up took place at “The complex of meteorological and upper-air observations “Minsk” in the district of military town “Uruchie” on September 15, 2018. More than 30 people were cleaning the territory of the construction site of The Complex. One part of the employees were working on the site of the future instrument platform, the other was arranging lawns, the third were sweeping pathways. The employees of Belhydromet were working smoothly, and only the rain that has been forecasted broke the working mood at 12 pm. The next stage of the volunteer clean-up will be held on Saturday, September 22, 2018.  

The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan visited the Republic of Belarus on September 11-13, 2018. Within the framework of the visit on Tuesday, September 11, there was a presentation of the potential of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus and its’ subordinate organizations. The head of the Belhydromet Roman Labaznov took part in the meeting, and reported upon the activities and prospects for the development of the hydrometeorological service of the Republic of Belarus.

 In the coming weekends, uncertain weather with rains is expected in the Republic.  On Saturday under the influence of active atmospheric fronts, rains with various intensity are forecast mainly in the south-west at night, in most of the country in the morning and at daylight hours. Temperature will considerably decrease especially at night hours. Short-term rains are forecast mainly in eastern part of the country at night hours on Sunday. Significant precipitation is not expected in the area of increased atmospheric pressure throughout the rest of the country. At the beginning of next week (17-18 September), influence of atmospheric fronts will have an impact on the northern regions of Belarus where short-term rains are forecast. Temperature will be in general +5 +13°С, in some areas - +2 +4°С, prevailing temperature at daylight hours – +15 +21°С, in the south-west – 1-2 degrees warmer.  As at 14 September, there is an increase of water levels with the intensity 1-25 cm per day on the Zapadnaya Dvina near Polotsk-Verhnedvinsk, on the Viliya near Mikhalishki village, on the Berezina near Svetlogorsk and on some of its affluents as well as on the affluents of the Neman, the Zapadnyi Bug and the Pripyat. Decrease of water levels is observed on the rest of the rivers as well as on the Dnieper, the Sozh and the Pripyat.  Unfavourable conditions for river transport are observed on the shipping areas of the Zapadnaya Dvina, the Neman, the Dnieper, the Berezina and the Sozh. Weather conditions of last week contributed, in general, to potato harvesting, rise of flax straw, fodder, fruits and vegetables conservation. Warm weather and sufficient water availability in most of areas contributed to formation of winter vegetables harvest, second crops and winter rape development. Favourable conditions for growth and drying of maize grain. In the coming days, expected rains will complicate field works. Because of long-term precipitation deficit, mainly in southern part of the Republic, agrometeorological conditions for formation of agricultural crops harvest and winter cereal crops sowing remain difficult – topsoil is poor moistened in many areas, in some places – completely dry. Conditions for sowing and emergence of winter cereal crops seedlings are unfavourable here. In the coming days expected rains of various intensity should ameliorate water availability of agricultural crops. However, because of uneven distribution defecit of moisture content in soil can remain in certain areas.