MINSK, 10 February (BelTA) - The agreement between the governments of Belarus and Poland on cooperation in the protection and management of cross-border waters was signed in Bialowieza, Poland, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.
“This agreement is very relevant. Today, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development raises the issue of environmental protection, including water resources, because they are the most vulnerable and important in the context of cross-border cooperation,” Deputy Minister of Belarus' Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Andrei Khmel said.
According to the document, the parties shall cooperate in the field of joint monitoring of surface and groundwater in cross-border areas, exchange the data, protect water from pollution and excessive consumption, identify pollution and impacts on water quality. The areas of cooperation listed in the agreement also include protection against floods and adverse effects of ice events, drought control, prevention and elimination of emergency water pollution. Special attention is paid to the protection and use of aquatic ecosystems, biological resources dependent on water, to specially protected natural areas, maintenance of the natural regime of border riverbeds.
The agreement will be a key factor in attracting foreign investment for joint projects to restore and preserve the environmental status of water objects, including by means of reconstruction and modernization of wastewater treatment plants located in the Zapadny Bug River basin, the press service noted.
After the ratification of the agreement, the parties will begin working on the national memberships of the Belarusian-Polish commission for cooperation in cross-border waters and working groups. The commission is set to convene for the first meeting in Brest in August 2020.
