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 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. 

 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. 

 

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. 

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.

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.