GOMEL, 23 May (BelTA) - Monitoring of transboundary water objects carried out by experts from Belarus and Russia will help improve the quality of water, Belarus' Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Andrei Khmel told reporters on the sidelines of the 10th session of the joint Belarusian-Russian commission on the protection and rational use of transboundary water bodies, BelTA has learned.
The main issues on the agenda of the Gomel meeting include water quality and the status of water ecosystems in the Dnieper River basin and Western Dvina River basin. According to Andrei Khmel, to control water quality Belarus and Russia have taken various measures such as monitoring, comparing laboratory data. The anthropogenic factor does not have a great impact on them, he noted. Both sides seek to not only prevent deterioration but also achieve improved water quality in transboundary objects. “Of course, this will be achieved primarily through monitoring activities and through the reconstruction of the sewage treatment plants in the basins of these two rivers. We continue joint monitoring. If necessary we take certain management decisions,” Andrei khmel said.
Both sides cooperate almost on a daily basis. According to the co-chair of the commission, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Water Resources (Russia) Tatyana Bokovaya, not only the Ministry of Natural Resources and Federal Agency for Water Resources keep in touch. So do all agencies concerned. “By communicating directly, we find the best solutions possible to emerging issues,” said Tatyana Bokovaya. The parties share practical experience, modern technologies. Sharing operational information helps experts prepare in advance for floods or some other situations.
The goal of the commission is to contribute to the implementation of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, and the Belarus-Russia agreement on cooperation in protection and rational use of transboundary water bodies.
