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16 September 2019, 14:34

Belarus, Ukraine approve transboundary water quality monitoring program

MINSK, 16 September (BelTA) - Belarus and Ukraine approved a program of monitoring and assessment of the conditions of transboundary waters during the 10th meeting of the authorized government representatives of the two countries to implement the intergovernmental agreement on joint use and protection of transboundary waters. The event was held in the Belarusian city of Pinsk, BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

A new technical protocol on the exchange of information on the quality of surface and groundwater waters was signed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus and the State Water Resources Agency of Ukraine.

The documents are aimed at expanding the field of joint monitoring. The parties supplemented the list of hydrochemical, hydrobiological, hydrogeological, hydromorphological and radiation indicators for monitoring and assessment of the conditions of transboundary waters and approved the criteria for processing and evaluation of data. The parties specified the procedures for exchanging operational information in cases when one or more thresholds are exceeded.

Consideration was given to the operation of the Belozersky water feeding system of the Dnieper-Bug Canal, the development of a scientific justification for determining the degree of overgrowth, eutrophication phenomena, and the study of hydrological and hydrobiological regime of the systems of the Svyatoye – Volyanskoye – Beloye lakes.

The meeting considered the feasibility of the project to redistribute the outflow in the watercourses in the Chernobyl zone, and reviewed the preliminary assessment of the impact of the hydroelectric power plants on the Dnieper River on the hydrological regime. “It was established that the state of the aquatic ecosystem in transboundary sections of surface waters was stable and healthy. Despite the low water in 2018-2019, thanks to the joint operation of the Belozersky water feeding system, the range of fluctuations in water levels recorded by hydrological posts was within the agreed limits,” the press service.

Representatives of Belarus and Ukraine informed each other about the ongoing engineering and construction works on water facilities in the basins of transboundary rivers and in transboundary areas to protect against spring floods. The appropriate authorities have prepared a plan of cooperation between the water management organizations of the transboundary territories of Ukraine (Volyn, Zhitomir, and Rovno regions) and Belarus (Brest Oblast) for 2020.

The parties reviewed the results of the monitoring of surface and groundwater waters in the vicinity of the Khotislavskoye chalk field. “The analysis of the data for 2018 showed that the hydrological-hydrogeological situation remained stable, the negative changes in the environment were absent, and the regime of surface and groundwater waters was subject to seasonal climatic conditions. As of August 2019, the operation of the second phase of the field has had no impact on the surface and groundwater waters in the surrounding areas,” the press service noted.

Kiev will host the 11th meeting of authorized government representatives in September 2020.

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