2023 has been declared the Year of Peace and Creation. In order to consolidate the Belarusian people, strengthen the ideas of peace and creative work in society as the main conditions for the development of the Belarusian state, the President of the Republic of Belarus signed the decree No. 1, according to which 2023 was declared the Year of Peace and Creation. The key areas of focus in 2023 will be the improvement of the system of military and patriotic education, the promotion of peaceful initiatives of citizens and the public, the fostering of interfaith dialogue that ensures peace and harmony in the Belarusian society, the demonstration of the advantages of the Belarusian economic model in the context of global turbulence, the promotion of creative labor as the main condition for the development of the Belarusian state. Such themes will strengthen the perception of Belarus as an ‘island of peace’, the indisputable value of which is a weighty argument in favor of reaching agreement on other important issues of public life. The Belarusian response to militarization in the European region will be peaceful creative work of compatriots. Information from the Official Internet Portal of the President of the Republic of Belarus .

Dear colleagues and friends! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Let 2023 be a year of success and achievements! Head of Belhydromet, Tamara Gomonova   

On December 7-8, 2022, Mogilev hosted the 74th meeting of the joint board of the Union State Committee on Hydrometeorology and Environmental Pollution Monitoring. Within the framework of the meeting of the joint board of the Committee, a wide range of issues of interaction between the state hydrometeorological services of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation was being considered. For 26 years, the Joint Board has been a platform for constructive dialogue, solving hydrometeorological issues of Belarus and Russia, exchanging experience, discussing current activities and promising scientific developments, as well as building friendly relations between the two countries. Belhydromet and Roshydromet have been working closely for decades, and productive relations have been established during this period. The achievements of specialists serve different sectors of the economies of the two countries. Taking into account the fact that the climate has changed in our countries recently and this process continues, the tasks are becoming more and more urgent.                                                                                                                        Фота з сайта souzveche.ru The meeting was attended by representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia, the Standing Committee of the Union State, the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Irkutsk Region, the public Joint Stock company "Scientific and Production Association "Almaz" named after Academician A.A. Raspletina", Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, state institution "Republican Center for Hydrometeorology, Control of Radioactive Contamination and Environmental Monitoring", Mogilev City Executive Committee. Opening the meeting, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ivan Prikhodko noted that over the years of cooperation between the two services, professional, stable relations have been built, a lot of positive experience has been gained. The joint work of Belgidromet and Roshydromet at the site of the Union State Committee is a good example of effective integration work. The participants of the meeting focused on the exchange of meteorological information, including primary radar, improvement of the regulatory and methodological framework. But the key point in the discussions is the preparation of the Union State program "Ensuring hydrometeorological safety in conditions of climate variability and change" for 2023-2027," the Deputy minister shared. - Five union programs have already been implemented in the field of hydrometeorology and related fields. All the results have been put into practice in the work of the hydrometeorological services of the two countries. Therefore, there is no doubt about the effectiveness of such joint activities - we will continue in the same spirit.                                                                                                              During the meeting, in an interview with the media, the head of the Belhydromet Tamara Gomonova noted: "In February of this year, we were disconnected from the information of the European Center for Medium-term Forecasts. Without any explanation, interaction with the border hydrometeorological services of Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine ceased to exist as such. Also, an international organization providing meteorological forecasts to civil aviation has stopped working with us. But there is a silver lining. We began to look for and find opportunities to work without them. To date, the justifiability of the average daily forecasts of Belhydromet is 98 percent, in regional cities for three days — 95 percent. Moreover, 92 percent is considered a good indicator in the world. We can confidently say that we have become stronger and more independent. We work very closely with our Russian colleagues, they help us in many ways. We have the same methods of synoptic calculation and equipment, so we have developed a joint software. But we also have something to discuss at today's meeting. We will look for new solutions and approaches that will help us integrate and unite even more".   

The 23rd session of the North Eurasian Climate Forum (SEOCAFE-23) was held in a remote format on November 29-30, 2022. For reference: the main task of the SEDAKOV forum is to unite the efforts of scientists and specialists in the field of long-term forecasting to improve the quality of forecasting the behavior of the climate system for the upcoming season. The purpose of SEACOF-23 is to assess the current climatic anomalies in Northern Eurasia, compile a consensus forecast of air temperature and precipitation for the upcoming winter 2022/2023 and discuss the possible consequences of the expected anomalies on the economy and social sphere. Representatives of Belhydromet made a report on the validity of the consensus forecast of the North Eurasian Climate Center (SEACC) for the summer of 2022, as well as information on the impact of seasonal anomalies of air temperature and precipitation on the territory of the Republic of Belarus on economic sectors and the population.

As noted by Andrey Khudyk, the percentage of justifiability of forecasts has increased significantly. "Now the justifiability of daily weather forecasts is 96-98%, three–day – 96-97%, weekly – 95%. This is a fairly high percentage. One of the best in the post–Soviet space," he said. According to him, there are some minor issues related to sanctions pressure, as well as unilateral breaks in agreements with the European Union. "Today we cannot get information from the European Organization of Satellite Meteorology, from the European Center for Medium-term Weather Forecasts. Our Baltic neighbors unilaterally stopped exchanging meteorological information. However, this did not affect the quality of our forecasts, they remain quite high," the Minister said. "As for the joint satellite grouping of Belarus and Russia, we are very much looking forward to this project. I am sure it will allow us to raise the level of justifiability of weather forecasts," Andrey Khudyk emphasized.   </p> </div><o:p></o:p> <p></p>

On October 25, 2022, a meeting of the Commission of the Parliamentary Assembly on Natural Resources, Ecology and Environmental Protection was held in Minsk, attended by the head of the Belhydromet Tamara Gomonova and the first deputy head of the Belhydromet Svetlana Kuzmich. The event was also attended by Chairman of the Commission Nikolay Vasilkov, Deputy Chairman – Nikolay Valuev, members of the commission Valentina Kursevich, Oleg Portnik and Alexander Yaroshuk, representatives of the Standing Committee of the Union State, ministries and departments of Belarus and Russia. The meeting participants considered the results of the implementation in the first half of 2022 of the Union State event “Providing comprehensive medical care to certain categories of citizens of Belarus and Russia exposed to radiation as a result of the Chernobyl disaster” and the Program of joint activities of Belarus and Russia within the framework of the Union State for the protection of the population and rehabilitation of territories affected by the Chernobyl disaster Nuclear power plant. Svetlana Kuzmich, first deputy head of the Belhydromet, provided information about the union programs in the field of hydrometeorological safety. The meeting participants reviewed the results of the implementation of the Union State program “Development of the hydrometeorological safety system of the Union State” for 2017-2021. Based on the information provided, the parliamentarians stated that the activities planned by the program have been fully implemented, goals and objectives have been implemented, the values of the targets exceed the planned ones. They also discussed the development and approval of the draft concept of the Union State program “Ensuring hydrometeorological safety in conditions of climate variability and change” for 2023-2027, the approval of which continues in the prescribed manner. Wnen using the information reference to Belhydromet is obligatory

The XXVI Belarusian Energy and Environmental Forum was being held in Minsk from October 11 to 14, 2022 . The purpose of the forum was to promote the innovative development of the fuel and energy sector of Belarus. Every year the forum becomes a unique meeting place for power engineers and environmentalists, thereby contributing to the expansion of cooperation, the exchange of advanced developments and projects. The business program of the forum included scientific and practical conferences, round tables and seminars where experts presented modern technological solutions in the field of energy, energy conservation and ecology. As part of the business program of the forum, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus , together with the State Enterprise "Belenergo", CJSC "Technology and Communications", organized the scientific and practical conference "ESG-transformation and sustainable development" , which took place on October 11. First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Korbut, addressing to the conference participants, noted that the environmental management system created in Belarus in recent years has provided a reduction in some types of pressures on it in the conditions of economic growth. In particular, there was a decrease in specific indicators (per unit of GDP) of emissions of pollutants and wastewater discharge by 2.5 times, the energy intensity of GDP by 2 times, the area of natural ecosystems increased, the use of industrial waste increased. The ecological situation in the country has improved in a number of areas related to the state of atmospheric air, water resources and ecosystems, and individual biological species. Climate change issues are one of the most important priority areas. Despite the fact that the Republic of Belarus is responsible for only 0.19% of global emissions, we perceive responsibility for climate change as a primary task. The new contribution of the Republic of Belarus to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, determined at the national level, approved by the Government in 2021, assumes a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2030 to the 1990 level, taking into account the sector "Land use, land use change and forestry". According to the data of the state inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and absorption, in 2020 the Republic of Belarus reduced emissions by 38.9 percent, and taking into account the sector "Land use, land use change and forestry" – by 56.3 percent. Systematic work is being carried out to reduce emissions of pollutants into the atmospheric air, to efficiently use renewable energy sources. Considerable attention is paid to minimizing the harmful effects of production on the environment by reducing the amount of waste generation, emissions and discharges, reducing the consumption of single-use plastic, and developing resource-efficient and clean production. The Action Plan approved by the Government of the Republic of Belarus is being implemented, aimed at gradually reducing the use of polymer packaging with its replacement with safe packaging. A priority area for the protection and use of waters is being implemented, issues of conservation of biological and landscape diversity are always relevant. Over the past 5 years, the area of protected areas in the republic has increased by 53.5 thousand hectares and reached 1.8 million hectares or 9.1% of the country's territory. Over 10 years, more than 80 thousand hectares of disturbed peatlands have been restored. Natalia Klevets, Chief of the Climate Change Research Department of Belhydromet,  at the conference  made a report on the topic "On the development of recommendations for the adaptation of the energy industry of the Republic of Belarus to climate change" . On October 11 , the opening of the international specialized exhibition "Energy. Ecology. Energy saving. Electro" (EnergyExpo' 2022)  was held. As part of the exposition of the organizations of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, Belhydromet presented a video reflecting information on the Atlas of Wind Potential, demonstrated a 3D model of the Minsk meteorological station, which allows visitors to visually familiarize themselves with the technical capabilities of Belhydromet in the production of hydrometeorological information, as well as a video and a handout on the mobile application "Weather in your Pocket". Informational materials on environmental issues were presented for a wide range of visitors. Visitors could ask any question they are interested in when viewing the exhibition, which were answered by specialists of Belhydromet.

On September 14-15, 2022, the 33rd session of the Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology of the Commonwealth of Independent States was held via videoconference. Traditionally, the session was attended by the heads of the national hydrometeorological services of the member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States, representatives of the World Meteorological Organization and the CIS Executive Council. The Republic of Belarus was represented at the session by: Alexander Burov , Director of the Department for Security Cooperation and Countering New Challenges and Threats of the CIS Executive Committee; Georgy Samsonov , Head of the Department for Cooperation in the Field of Prevention and Elimination of Consequences of Emergency Situations of the Department for Cooperation in the Field of Security and Countering New Challenges and Threats of the CIS Executive Committee; Tamara Gomonova , Head of the State institution "Republican Center for Hydrometeorology, Control of Radioactive Contamination and Environmental Monitoring" (Belgidromet); Andrey Korobchuk , Deputy Head of the department of International Cooperation and Public Relations of Belhydromet; Polina Palchekh , a leading engineer of the environmental information department of Belhydromet. The session was opened by Levon Azizyan, Acting Director of the Center for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia. Deputy Secretary General of WMO Elena Manaenkova delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of the World Meteorological Organization. Danara Alimbayeva, Director General of the Republican state Enterprise "Kazhydromet" of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, chaired the 33rd session of the CIS MSG. During the session, representatives of the national hydrometeorological services presented reports on the work of the national hydrometeorological services during the intersessional period, as well as considered other topical issues on their interaction and development. The participants of the session from Belgidromet made presentations: "On the activities of the National Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Belarus and its interaction within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the World Meteorological Organization"; "On the organization and conduct of hydrobiological observations on water bodies of the CIS MSG member countries". Following the results of the session, decisions were made determining the further interaction of the national hydrometeorological services of the CIS member states in the near future (2022-2023). In accordance with the documents of the session, Danara Alimbayeva, Director General of the Republican state enterprise "Kazhydromet" of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was appointed Chairman of the CIS MSG for the next period. The next 34th session of the CIS MSG is scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2023 in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The session was opened by Levon Azizyan, Acting Director of the Center for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia. Deputy Secretary General of WMO Elena Manaenkova delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of the World Meteorological Organization. Danara Alimbayeva, Director General of the Republican state Enterprise "Kazhydromet" of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, chaired the 33rd session of the CIS MSG. During the session, representatives of the national hydrometeorological services presented reports on the work of the national hydrometeorological services during the intersessional period, as well as considered other topical issues on their interaction and development. The participants of the session from Belgidromet made presentations: "On the activities of the National Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Belarus and its interaction within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the World Meteorological Organization"; "On the organization and conduct of hydrobiological observations on water bodies of the CIS MSG member countries". Following the results of the session, decisions were made determining the further interaction of the national hydrometeorological services of the CIS member states in the near future (2022-2023). In accordance with the documents of the session, Danara Alimbayeva, Director General of the Republican state enterprise "Kazhydromet" of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was appointed Chairman of the CIS MSG for the next period. The next 34th session of the CIS MSG is scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2023 in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. When using the information reference to Belhydromet is obligatory

The theme of September 16, 2022 is "The Montreal Protocol: Global cooperation to protect life on Earth." This motto is dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the Montreal Protocol, the most successful agreement on environmental protection. On September 16, 1987, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed. In honor of this event, the International Day for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was established. In the mid-70s, scientists discovered that a number of chemicals used by humans cause the destruction of atmospheric ozone. Further study of the atmosphere made it possible to detect a giant ozone hole over Antarctica, and in general to better understand the processes taking place in the air. The discovery turned out to be so important that scientists who claimed the destruction of the ozone layer received the Nobel Prize in chemistry. The protocol adopted as a result of these studies is one of the most successful examples of international cooperation in the field of environmental protection. Thanks to its observance, humanity has not only managed to prevent a global catastrophe, but also to achieve a sustainable recovery of the ozone layer on the planet. Ozone is one of the natural forms of oxygen existence. The gas consists of three oxygen atoms and is designated as O3. About 10% of all atmospheric ozone is in the troposphere, which extends 10-15 kilometers above the Earth's surface. The remaining 90% of ozone is located in the stratosphere at an altitude of about 30 kilometers. This zone with the highest concentration of ozone is known as the ozone layer. The higher the concentration of ozone, the better it protects organisms from solar radiation. Ozone is an extremely unstable gas. At room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure, it turns into ordinary oxygen O2 in a few minutes. In the upper layers of the atmosphere, it can exist relatively steadily, but even there there is a constant process of its decay and formation. All these chemical reactions occur under the influence of sunlight. The thinning of the ozone layer reduces its absorption capacity, which makes ordinary sunlight dangerous for life on Earth. The widespread use in industry and everyday life of gases containing halogens (especially chlorine and bromine) has led to a serious increase in their concentration in the atmosphere. These compounds are relatively inert and can exist in the air for a long time, they are not extracted from the atmosphere with precipitation, and over time, with the natural movement of air flows, they enter the stratosphere. There they actively react with ozone, oxidize, and subsequently return to the ground. Chemical reactions occurring in the atmosphere are complex and multi-stage. Computer simulations show that one atom of bromine or chlorine can, after going through the entire chain of transformations, destroy thousands of ozone molecules. And since the process of its formation has remained unchanged, such an increased rate of decay threatens to disrupt the existing balance. Due to the peculiarities of the movement of air flows and the properties of the gases themselves, their lowest concentration is in the tropics, and the highest is at the poles. This is one of the reasons that the largest ozone hole is located over Antarctica, although emissions of ozone-depleting substances occur all over the world. Despite all the difficulties in assessing the state of the atmosphere, it can be argued that the adoption of the Montreal Protocol and compliance with its conditions have already yielded results. The ozone content is growing by an average of 2% per decade. Today, the ozone layer is being restored. Forecasts for each of the ozone-depleting substances vary, but in general, ozone levels will return to 1980 levels by the middle of the century. In compliance with the Montreal Protocol and its amendments, all countries of the world can expect a complete purification of the atmosphere from ozone-depleting substances by 2100. The ozone layer is also of great importance for maintaining the temperature balance on our planet. The fight against global warming, which is happening today as a result of anthropogenic activity, is an urgent problem of all states, in particular, industrialized countries, including the Republic of Belarus. The ozone layer is considered one of the most important natural objects that are subject to legal protection. The Protocol has been in force for the Republic of Belarus since 1989. Since then, the country has fulfilled all its obligations, the consumption of ozone-depleting substances has decreased by more than 60 times. In order to conduct research in the field of the ozone layer, on June 14, 1997, the Establishment of the Belarusian State University "National Research Center for Monitoring the Ozone Layer" was established, whose specialists monitor changes in the thickness of the ozone layer over Belarus, and also work on the issue of disposal of hazardous gases and replacing them with safe analogues, constantly monitor the state of the atmosphere and the ozone layer. While we protect the ozone layer, it continues to protect all the diversity of life on the planet. When using the information reference to Belhydromet is obligatory

Every year, on September 18, since 2003, the World Water Monitoring Day, or World Water Quality Monitoring Day, is celebrated. This ecological holiday, established on the initiative of the American Clean Water Foundation, has now become an informational and educational program aimed at raising public awareness of the problems of the planet's water resources and participating in protection from pollution. The program provides an opportunity for people to carry out basic monitoring of the state of local reservoirs themselves, carried out with the support of the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the International Water Association (IWA). Traditionally, on this day, it is customary to take water samples from various surface water bodies of our planet to assess its safety for human life and living organisms. The purpose of the World Water Monitoring Day is to raise public awareness about the quality of water resources and the measures taken to protect them from pollution. Systematic monitoring of water resources contributes to improving the quality of water consumed by humans and, as a result, reduces risks to public health. Main sources of water pollution: Surface water pollution Hazardous substances in contact with various water sources lead to contamination of surface waters. Harmful substances from various sources are mixed or dissolved with the water of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and then seas and oceans, which leads to contamination of surface waters. Groundwater pollution Pesticides and chemicals applied to crops and soil are washed deep into the ground during rain. Pesticides are mixed with groundwater and lead to their contamination. Suspended matter pollution With such pollution, pollutants enter the water and don’t mix with water molecules. Therefore, suspended particles in the water form silt on the water bottom. Bacterial contamination Microorganisms cause this type of water pollution. Although most microorganisms are harmless, some bacteria and viruses can cause serious health problems. Chemical contamination of water Many industries and farmers use chemicals for various purposes. This leads to water pollution. Various chemicals are used to control weeds, insects and pests that let leeches into the water and spread pollution. In addition, metals and solvents from industry also lead to water pollution. Our country has sufficient reserves of water resources. However, with the development of industry and agriculture, there is a negative impact on the environment, including on water quality. Within the framework of the National Environmental Monitoring System in the Republic of Belarus, which has been functioning in the Republic of Belarus since 1993, surface and groundwater monitoring is carried out. An effective tool for preventing excessive discharges of pollutants is to conduct analytical (laboratory) control on a regular basis. More than 10,000 water samples are analyzed annually, and more than 500 wastewater releases into surface water bodies are monitored. Observation points for the state of surface waters, indicators and frequency of monitoring the quality of surface waters are determined by the Order of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus No. 180-OD dated July 19, 2019 "On monitoring surface and groundwater". Sampling of surface waters by specialists of Belgidromet Monitoring of surface waters on the territory of the Republic of Belarus is carried out at 297 observation points. Regular observations are carried out on 160 water bodies, including 86 watercourses (176 observation points) and 74 reservoirs (121 observation points). Measurement of water color by specialists of Belgidromet Observations on hydrochemical indicators are carried out by the state institution "Republican center for analytical control in the field of environmental protection" (RCAC), on hydrobiological - by the state institution "Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and environmental monitoring" (Belgidromet). Photo taken from Internet sources An important direction in the development of surface water monitoring in recent years is the phased deployment of observations on hydromorphological indicators carried out within the framework of the state program. Photo taken from the website rad.org.by The problems of the impact of climate change on water resources are in the field of view of the Ministry of Natural Resources and systematic work is being carried out in this direction. Thus, within the framework of the State Program "Environmental Protection and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources" for 2016-2020, approved by Resolution No. 205 of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated March 17, 2016, the Ministry of Natural Resources has developed a draft Strategy for water Resources management in the context of climate change for the period up to 2030. Water is an element without which life on Earth would not have appeared. The human body, like all living things, cannot exist without life-giving moisture and consists of 3/4 of water. Water quality requirements make it possible to protect people from pathogenic bacteria and viruses, so attention to its quality is an important task for every inhabitant of the planet who thinks about his health and longevity. When using the information reference to Belhydromet is obligatory