Pripyat River Basin Management Plan in Belarus

European Union Water Initiative Plus for Eastern Partnership Countries (EUWI+): Results 2 and 3

ENI/2016/372-403

PRIPYAT RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN IN BELARUS

March 2020

Responsible EU member state consortium project leader Mr Alexander Zinke; Umweltbundesamt GmbH (AT) EUWI+ country representative in Belarus

Mr Aliaksandr Stankevich; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Responsible international thematic lead expert

Mr Philippe Seguin; Office International de l’Eau (FR) Responsible Belarusian thematic lead expert

Ms Victoriya Voronova; Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection

Authors

Mr Vladimir Korneev; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Mr Kanstantsin Tsitou; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Mr Aliaksandr Pakhomau; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Mr Ivan Bulak; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Ms Sniazhana Dubianok; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Ms Anastasiya Rusina; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Ms Alena Hramadskaya; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Mr Vladimir Anufriev; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Ms Asya Penkovskaya; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Ms Volha Mikhan; Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Ms Olga Berezko; branch «Institute of Geology» RUE «Research and Production Center for Geology» Ms Elena Cehervach; branch «Institute of Geology» RUE «Research and Production Center for Geology» Mr Igor Vitsen; branch «Institute of Geology» RUE «Research and Production Center for Geology»

The translation into English has been made by Ms Yuliya Shepeleva (translator of the scientific- organizational department of the branch “Institute of Geology”).

Disclaimer: The EU-funded program European Union Water Initiative Plus for Eastern Partnership Countries (EUWI+ 4 EaP) is implemented by the UNECE, OECD, responsible for the implementation of Result 1 and an EU member state consortium of Austria, managed by the lead coordinator Umweltbundesamt, and of France, managed by the International Office for Water, responsible for the implementation of Result 2 and 3. The project is co-funded by Austria and France through the Austrian Development Agency and the French Artois-Picardie Water Agency. This document, “Pripyat RBMP (Belarus)”, was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union or of the Governments of the Eastern Partnership Countries. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of, or sovereignty over, any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries, and to the name of any territory, city or area.

Imprint

Owner and Editor: EU Member State Consortium Umweltbundesamt GmbH Office International de l’Eau (IOW) Spittelauer Lände 5 21/23 rue de Madrid 1090 Vienna, Austria 75008 Paris, France Responsible IOW Communication officer: Ms Yunona Videnina [email protected] Ms Chloé Dechelette [email protected] March 2020

Pripyat RBMP - Belarus

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 13 Chapter 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRIPYAT RIVER BASIN ON THE TERRITORY OF BELARUS ...... 15 1.1 Physical and geographical characteristics...... 15 1.1.1 Climate ...... 16 1.1.2 Topography ...... 17 1.1.3 Geological and hydrogeological conditions ...... 19 1.1.4 Soils and vegetation ...... 20 1.1.5 Natural and disturbed swamps ...... 21 1.1.6 Information on protected areas ...... 22 1.2 Water resources ...... 26 1.2.1 Hydrographic network ...... 26 1.2.2 Surface water resource ...... 32 1.2.3 Groundwater ...... 43 1.3 Administrative territorial division and social and economic information ...... 47 1.3.1 Administrative territorial division and population ...... 47 1.3.2 Agriculture (plant production, animal husbandry) ...... 48 1.3.3 Fish breeding ...... 50 1.3.4 Forest husbandry ...... 51 1.3.5 Manufacturing ...... 51 1.3.6 Hydraulic power industry ...... 54 1.3.7 Accumulation of wastes ...... 55 1.3.8 Shipping industry ...... 55 1.3.9 Tourism and recreational use of water bodies ...... 56 1.3.10 Linear infrastructure ...... 57 1.4 Risk (including climate change) ...... 58 1.4.1 Floods ...... 58 1.4.2 Low-water seasons ...... 58 1.4.3 Erosion processes ...... 58 1.4.4 Health issues ...... 59 1.4.5 Radionuclides pollution ...... 60 1.5 Stakeholders and programs ...... 61 1.5.1 Administrative organization ...... 61 1.5.2 Water User Guidance ...... 61 1.5.3 Summary of water strategies, programs, plans and projects ...... 61 1.6 Diagnosis: synthetic description ...... 62

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Chapter 2. PRESSURES AND IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON WATER RESOURCES ...... 63 2.1 Estimation of point source pollution ...... 63 2.2 Estimation of diffuse source pollutions ...... 65 2.3 Estimation of quantitative pressures on surface water and groundwater ...... 69 2.4 Analysis of other pressures and impacts of human activity on hydromorphological conditions ...... 74 2.5 Other pressures ...... 75 2.6 Synthesis ...... 76 2.6.1 Quantity of pollution affected by domain of origin and balance during low flows ...... 76 2.6.2 Quantitative balance between abstractions and resources ...... 76 2.6.3 Global synthesis of problems based on pressures and hot spots analysis ...... 77 2.6.4 Advantages and possible problems concerned with the possible prospective use of water resources of the Pripyat river basin ...... 78 2.6.5 Water balances...... 80 2.6.6 Brief SWOT analysis ...... 81 Chapter 3. IDENTIFICATION AND MAPPING OF PROTECTED AREAS ...... 83 3.1 Drinking water abstractions ...... 83 3.2 Economically significant species ...... 83 3.3 Bathing waters ...... 84 3.4 Vulnerable zones ...... 85 3.5 Sensitive areas ...... 86 3.6 Special areas of conservation (habitats), special protection areas (birds) ...... 87 Chapter 4. MONITORING ...... 88 4.1 Monitoring networks ...... 88 4.1.1 Surface waters...... 88 4.1.2 Groundwater ...... 94 4.2 Results of the monitoring programmes ...... 99 4.2.1 Status of surface water (ecological, chemical) ...... 99 4.2.2 Status of groundwater ...... 104 Chapter 5. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS (PART 1 RELATED TO BASIN CHARACTERISATION) ...... 106 5.1 Economic weights by relevant water uses (results from chapter 2), socio-economic issues, main trends ...... 106 5.2 Water prices, tariffs for discharges by sector and by territory ...... 109 5.3 Description of recipient of the funds and management principles ...... 112 5.4 Funding (investment, maintenance) by sectors of economy ...... 113 5.5 Preliminary cost-recovery assessment ...... 114 Chapter 6. OBJECTIVES ...... 117 6.1 Risk assessment ...... 117 6.2 Environmental objectives ...... 120

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6.3 Water-related objectives related to the Suistanable Development Goals (SDGs), Protocol for water and health, other International and National strategies and/or policies .... 121 Chapter 7. PROGRAMME OF MEASURES ...... 124 7.1 Principles of measures ...... 124 7.2 Localised measures ...... 127 Chapter 8. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS (PART 2 RELATED TO THE PROGRAMME OF MEASURES) ...... 130 Chapter 9: INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION ...... 132 1. River Basin Organisation ...... 132 2. Public consultation ...... 132 REFERENCE LIST ...... 133 Annex A: TABLES TO THE PRIPYAT RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN (presented in A separate document) ...... 135 Annex B: MAPS TO THE PRIPYAT RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN (presented in A separate document) ...... 136

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List of Tables Table 1.1: Protected natural territories of republican significance in the Pripyat River Basin (Republic of Belarus) ...... 22 Table 1.2: Monuments of nature of republican significance in the Pripyat River basin ...... 23 Table 1.3: The length and number of rivers in the Belarusian part of the Pripyat River Basin ...... 27 Table 1.4: Hydrographic characteristics of the main rivers of the Pripyat basin ...... 28 Table 1.5: Lakes with a surface area of more than 1 km², selected to identify surface water bodies in the basin of the Pripyat River ...... 28 Table 1.6: Reservoirs with a surface area of more than 1 km², selected to identify reservoir irrigating polders the basin of the Pripyat River ...... 29 Table 1.7: Number of channels and their length in the Pripyat basin ...... 31 Table 1.8: General characteristics of the reclaimed land fund of the Belarusian part of the Pripyat basin ...... 31 Table 1.9: Indicative water levels for the rivers of the Pripyat basin (as of January 1, 2018) ...... 35 Table 1.10: Long-term characteristics of the annual flow of the rivers of the Pripyat basin ...... 36 Table 1.11: Correlation of flooded areas of the flood plain of the Pripyat on occurrence, % ...... 37 Table 1.12: Maximum discharges of spring flood water in the Pripyat river – Mazyr ...... 37 Table 1.13: The maximum dangerous water levels of floods on the rivers of the Pripyat basin during the observation period ...... 38 Table 1.14: Years of floods of different gradations ...... 39 Table 1.15: The estimated minimum flow of the rivers of the Pripyat basin and their statistical parameters ...... 40 Table 1.16: Population size in the Pripyat river basin as of January 1, 2018 ...... 47 Table 1.17: Volumes of water use for fish farming in the Republic of Belarus and in the Pripyat river basin ...... 51 Table 2.1: The estimated level of application of mineral and organic fertilizers per 1 ha of the catchment area of the Pripyat river basin ...... 68 Table 2.2: General assessment of the importance of water resources for the economy and social sphere ...... 81 Table 2.3: Strengths and weaknesses of the Pripyat RBMP as a whole and its main directions ...... 82 Table 4.1:Amount of NEMS monitoring observation points ...... 89 Table 4.2: Proposed additional observation points for monitoring and control monitoring of watercourses ...... 91 Table 4.3: Proposed additional observation points for monitoring and control monitoring of reservoirs ...... 92 Table 4.4: Proposed additional sampling sites under the operational monitoring program of water bodies ...... 93 Table 4.5: Ground water bodies in the Pripyat river basin to be included in the RBMP ...... 95 Table 4.6: Recommendations for improvement of GW monitoring network of wells of the Pripyat river basin ...... 96 Table 4.7: List of analysed substances and indicators for GW observational monitoring...... 98

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Table 4.8: List of controlled parameters for GW operational monitoring ...... 98 Table 4.9: Estimated/proposed groundwater monitoring system ...... 99 Table 6.1: Sections of watercourses (watercourses) at risk of not achieving at least a good ecological status ...... 118 Table 6.2: Parts of water bodies (water bodies) at risk of not achieving at least a good ecological status ...... 119 Table 6.3: Dynamics of indicator 6.3.1 “The share of safe wastewater” in the Republic of Belarus and the Pripyat river basin“ ...... 122 Table 6.4: Dynamics of indicator 6.4.2 “Intensity of use of fresh water reserves (water stress)” in the Republic of Belarus and in the Pripyat river basin for 2010-2018...... 123 Table 6.5: Indicators for the use and protection of water resources established in national strategic documents ...... 123 Table 7.1: Distribution of water bodies affected by supplementary measures due to different types of measures ...... 128 Table 8.1: General distribution of estimated cost of measures due to different tipes of measures ...... 131

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Abbreviations ADA ...... Austrian Development Agency

BOD5 ...... Biological oxygen demand COD……………….Chemical Oxygen Demands DoA ...... Description of Action DG NEAR ...... Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission EaP ...... Eastern Partnership EC ...... European Commission EECCA ...... Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia EMBLAS ...... Environmental Monitoring in the Black Sea EPIRB ...... Environmental Protection of International River Basins ESCS ...... Ecological Status Classification Systems EU ...... European Union EU-MS ...... EU-Member States EUWI+ ...... European Union Water Initiative Plus FD ...... Floods Directive GEF ...... Global Environmental Fund ICPDR ...... International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River INBO ...... International Network of Basin Organisations IOWater/OIEau .... International Office for Water, France IWRM ...... Integrated Water Resources Management MPC ...... Maximum permitted concentration MSFD ...... Marine Strategy Framework Directive NESB ...... National Executive Steering Board NFP ...... National Focal Point NGOs ...... Non-Governmental Organisations NPD ...... National Policy Dialogue OECD ...... Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development RBC ...... River Basin Council RBD ...... River Basin District RBMP ...... River Basin Management Plan RBO ...... River Basin Organisation ROM ...... Result Oriented Monitoring SDG ...... Sustainable Development Goals SCM ...... Steering Committee Meeting (of the EU Action EUWI+) SEIS ...... Shared environmental information system TA ...... Technical Assistance ToR ...... Terms of References UBA ...... Umweltbundesamt GmbH, Environment Agency Austria UNDP ...... United Nations Development Programme

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UNECE ...... United Nations Economic Commission for Europe WISE ...... Water Information System for Europe WFD ...... Water Framework Directive

Country Specific Abbreviations Belarus

AWO ...... Artificial water object Belarus...... the Republic of Belarus Belhydromet ...... State Institution “Republican centre for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contamination and environmental monitoring” (MNREP, Belarus) BC ...... Bovine cattle BSCA ...... Belarusian State Centre for Accreditation CRICUWR ...... Republican Unitary Enterprise “Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Wa- ter Resources” (MNREP, Belarus) entral Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources GW ...... Groundwater GWB ...... Groundwater body Institute of Geology…..Branch «Institute of Geology» from Republican Unitary Enterprise «Research and Production Center for Geology» NEMS……………..National Environmental Monitoring System of the Republic of Belarus NCAM……………. The state institution “National Center for Analytical Monitoring in the Area of Envi- ronmental Protection” Minprirody ...... Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection (MNREP) of Belarus NSSD-2030 ...... National Strategy for Sustainable Development HMWB ...... Heavily modified water body PA ...... Plan of action SCUWR ...... Scheme for complex use of water resources SWL ...... Solid waste landfill SPAs ...... Specially protected water areas SWB ...... Surface water body Water Convention…United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) - Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes

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Term and definitions

The following terms with the corresponding definitions are used in this paper: Water resources – surface and groundwater which can be used in economic or other activities. Water body - the concentration of water in artificial or natural depressions of the earth’s surface or in its depths, which has sharp boundaries, volume and characteristics of the hydrological or groundwater regime. Reservoir - a surface water body in the depression of the earth's surface, characterized by slow motion of water (flowing) or its complete absence (non-flowing). Water protection zone - a territory adjacent to surface water bodies where a regime of economic and other activities is established, which ensures the prevention of their pollution and impurity. Water use - the use of water resources and (or) the impact on water bodies in the implementation of economic and other activities. Water course – a surface water body, characterized by the motion of water in the direction of the slope. Water management system – a set of water bodies and hydraulic structures and devices, functionally interrelated. The probability of exceedance (provision of a hydrological quantity) – a probability that considered value of the hydrological quantity can be exceeded (or not exceeded) among the set of all its possible values. Restoration of a water body – carrying out a set of actions aimed at achieving standards for the water quality of surface water bodies and hygienic standards for the water safety of water bodies for household, drinking, cultural and community (recreational) use. Hydrological regime – alterations in time and space of surface water body state, including changes in depth, flow rate, volume and temperature of water in a surface water body, including those caused by natural and climatic conditions, consequences of economic and other activities. Hydraulic engineering structures and devices – engineering structures and devices designed for extraction (intake), transportation, water treatment, wastewater discharge, regulation of water flows, navigation needs, water protection and prevention of harmful effects of water (water intake structures, canals, dikes, dams, gateways, waterworks, pumping stations, water pipelines, collectors and other similar engineering structures and devices). Water pollution – an income to water (water bodies), finding and (or) occurrence as a result of harmful effects substances, physical factors, microorganisms, the properties, location or amount of which lead to negative changes in physical, chemical, biological and other indicators of the status of water bodies, including the excess of standards in the field of water protection and use. Flooding – covering the area with a layer of water during the high water period, flood runoff and flooding, or due to the installation of a water-supply structure in the river bed, as well as with the retention of local runoff in relief depressions.

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Channel – an artificial watercourse in the depression or embankment, intended for transportation, discharge of water, regulation of water flows, as well as for the needs of navigation. Normal water level (NWL) – the highest specified retaining level of the headwater, which can be main- tained in normal operating conditions of hydraulic structures. The NWL provides the specified full volume of the reservoir. And the operation of its facilities (dams, dikes, water disposals, water intakes, etc.) is conducted in compliance with the normal reliability reserves provided for by the project. Separate water use – a prerogative right of one legal entity for water use conducted on the basis of the state act for the right to separate water use, or the right to use excavated tanks, located within the boundaries of land properties granted to legal entities, citizens, including individual entrepreneurs, in the prescribed manner, and technological water bodies, justified by documents certifying land rights. Objects that have an impact on water bodies – objects located on surface water bodies within the territory of their water protection zones and coastal strips. Water protection – a system of measures aimed at preventing or eliminating pollution, water clogging, as well as their conservation and restoration. Surface water body – a natural or artificial reservoir, a watercourse, a permanent or temporary concentration of water having sharp boundaries and characteristics of a hydrological regime. Groundwater body – a concentration of water in the depths, which has sharp boundaries, volume and characteristics of the groundwater regime and consists of one or several aquifers. Hydrogeological post-consists of several observation wells, which are equipped on different aquifers and located in natural conditions. Observation point is an observation well, the equipment of which allows to carry out instrumental observations of the status of groundwater. Observation site is the same as the observation point, i.e. the observation well. Observation well is a hydrogeological well designed to monitor the regime of groundwater (level, temperature, chemical composition). Conserved well is a well that is equipped but not used, but can be reused in the future. Well preservation is performed to protect underground sources of drinking water from pollution and is carried out strictly in accordance with the technical regulatory legal act (TCH 17.04-21-2010 (02120). Active well is a hydrogeological well that operates and is used to monitor the groundwater regime (water level, temperature and/or chemical composition). Underflooding – a rise of the groundwater level as a result of rising water horizons when constructing reservoirs, filled out ponds and building of hydraulic structures, in the result of satu- ration of soils when filtering water through the bottom and banks of canals, water losses from the water supply network, siltation of river beds, etc. Coastal strip – a part of a water protection zone directly adjacent to a surface water body, where on the implementation of economic and other activities are imposed more strict requirements than in the rest of the water protection zone. Pond – an artificial reservoir with a surface area of water of not more than 100 hectares, created for the purpose of accumulating and storing water. Water consumption (m3/s) – the volume of water flowing through the water cross-section of flow per unit time. Efficient (sustainable) use of water resources – water use when a set of activities is carried out to ensure the preservation of water resources, reduction of water losses, prevention of pollution, water pollution.

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River – a natural watercourse with a constant flow, which has a clearly defined course with a length of 5 kilometers or more. River basin – a part of the earth’s surface, including soils and aquifers, where the water flows into a separate river. Sewage water – water discharged from residential, public and industrial buildings and structures after using them in economic and other activities, as well as water occurring during precipitation, snow melting, watering and washing of road surfaces (watering actions) within the territory of residential areas, industrial facilities, construction sites and other facilities and discharged into the environment, including through the sewage system.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The European Union Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a policy initiative launched at the Prague Summit in May 2009. It aims to deepen and strengthen relations between the European Union and its six Eastern neighbours: Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. In recent years, the countries of the Eastern Partnership have demonstrated a willingness to align their water policies and practices with the general principles and specific requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), as well as other thematic and sectoral water directives and UN Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). Moreover, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine have made commitments to reform their water policies and implement the EU water acquis as part of Association Agreements signed with the EU in 2014. It is in this context that the European Union Water Initiative Plus for the Eastern Partnership (EUWI+) for Eastern Partnership Countries was initiated by the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) of the European Commission. The European Union Water Initiative Plus for the Eastern Partnership (EUWI+) was launched in September 2016 to assist the 6 Eastern Partner countries to approximate their legislation to the EU Water Framework Directive and its associated directives. Its objective is to improve the sustainable management of water resources with a focus on trans-boundary river basin management. EUWI+ focuses on five thematic areas: 1. Legislation, policy development and institutional strengthening 2. Laboratory and monitoring systems strengthening 3. River Basin Management Plan development 4. River Basin Management Plan implementation 5. Public awareness, communication, and data/information management The OECD and UNECE are implementing activities under thematic area 1. Thematic areas 2–5 are implemented by an EU Member States Consortium comprised of the Environment Agency Austria (UBA) and the International Office for Water (OIEau/IOWater) of France. Experts from other EU Member States will also be involved in activities of the project. The budget for these thematic areas for all 6 countries amounts to Euro 24.6 million in total, which is financed by the European Union (Euro 23.5 million grant) with contributions from the Governments of Austria and France. Its planned period of implementation is from September 2016 until August 2020 (48 months). The project has developed a website (http://euwipluseast.eu/en/) to publish and disseminate all data, information and services developed and used in the frame of this project.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Pripyat River Basin Management Plan has been prepared by the CRICUWR in the frame of realization ToR on the Contract between CRICUWR and IOWater/OIEau “Development of draft River Basin Man- agement Plan for PRIPYAT River Basin in Belarus” (Registration N° EUWI-EAST-BY-07). Water resources of the Republic of Belarus are one of the key aspects of the management of sustainable development of the Republic of Belarus. Currently, the Republic of Belarus does not experience issues with the lack of this resource. Belarus possesses sufficient resources for renewable surface waters and groundwater to meet both current and future water needs. The management plan draft for the Pripyat River Basin was developed by RUE "CRICUWR" on the basis of Article 15 of the Water Code of the Republic of Belarus dated April 30, 2014 No.149-З [1] in order to preserve and restore water bodies, as well as to guarantee the integrated use of water resources in the Pripyat River Basin. The catchment area of the Pripyat River basin is located in five regions (12 administrative districts of Gomel region, 11 – Minsk region, 11 – Brest region, 3 - Mogilev region and one district of Grodno region), as well as 5 cities of regional subordination. In total, it fully includes the lands of 38 administrative districts. The Pripyat River Basin Management Plan project was addressed at the first meeting of the Pripyat Basin Council on June 29, 2018 in Gomel. According to the meeting minutes of the basin council, it was recommended to finalize the Pripyat river basin management plan taking into account the results of the inventory and identification of water bodies, as well as specification of the proposed measures aimed at improving the ecological status or potential of surface water bodies of the Pripyat River Ba- sin. In 2019-2020, RUE “CRICUWR” finalized the Pripyat River Basin Management Plan in the framework of the international technical assistance project “European Union Water Initiative Plus for Eastern Partnership Countries (EUWI+)”. RBMP was developed taking into account the requirements of the Water Framework Directive of the European Union (WFD), as well as taking into account the requirements of the technical code of established practice of TCP 17.06-14-2017 (33140) “Environmental protection and nature management. Hydrosphere. Requirements for the development, preparation and designing of drafts of river basin management plans”, approved and enforced by the Resolution of the Ministry of Natural Resources No.4-T of April 26, 2017 RBMP with consideration to Change No.1 of 2019. Monitoring and status assessment of surface and groundwater bodies was done according to the applicable law of Belarus. Thus, terms used in this chapter such as water body or methods used for status assessment have a different meaning, which cannot be compared in most cases with the terminol- ogy and requirements of the WFD. A further alignment with the WFD is planned for the next planning cycles. This includes an evaluation of the status of the provisionally assigned heavily modified water bodies (HMWB) as well as a complete economic analysis. The RBMP consists of an explanatory note (on 132 pages), sets of tabular material presented in An- nex A (21 main tables and 53 additional tables), as well as cartographic material presented in Annex B (two separate documents). The RBMP is developed taking into account data from the state water cadastre, state cadastre of subsurface, surface water monitoring, including data for 2017–2018 of surface water monitoring and local monitoring of sources of impact on them, groundwater monitoring, results of previous studies [2], as well as recommendations from the first meeting of the Pripyat Basin Council. In the framework of the RBMP, measures have been developed aimed at improving the status or potential of water bodies of Pripyat River basin. The implementation of the RBMP is planned for 10 years from 2021 to 2030. The developed measures should also be taken into account for adopting state programs, regional series of measures in the field of water protection or impacting water resources.

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CHAPTER 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRIPYAT RIVER BASIN ON THE TERRITORY OF BELARUS

1.1 Physical and geographical characteristics

The Pripyat River is the most water-abundant tributary of the Dnieper River. It originates near the city of Volodymyr-Volynskyi (Ukraine). Its headstream is located near the settlement Gupolyto the south- west of the city of Shatsk at an altitude of 165 m above sea level.Over about 200 km the river flows through the territory of Ukraine, and then it flows through the territory of Belarus. The mouth of the river is 70 km long, stretching from the Krasno settlement to the confluence of the Kiev reservoir (the DnieperRiver) within Ukraine. From the headstream to the city of Pinsk (Belarus), the river flows mainly from the southwest to the northeast.Near the city of Pinsk, Pripyat turns to the east and flows almost along the latitudinal direction to the city of Mazyr, where it changes its direction to the southeast, which continues up to the mouth. According to the latest data, the Pripyat basin area is 114300 km2, and the length of the river is 761 km (Figure 1.1, map B.1 of the Annex B). Within the territory of the Republic of Belarus, these values constitute, respectively, 50900 km2 (24.6% of the area of the Republic of Belarus) and 495 km. The Belarusian part of the basin accounts for 44.5% of the catchment area, and the Ukrainian part includes 55.5%. The form of the Pripyat river basin is almost a square one with a certain irregular watershed line. The basin borders with the Berezina and Dnieper river basins in the northeast, with the Southern Bug and Dniester river basins in the south, and with the Western Bug and Neman river basins in the south- west, west and north-west.

Figure 1.1 - Global map of the Pripyat river basin

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The Pripyat River (from Pinsk to the border with Ukraine) is part of the inland waterways of the Repub- lic of Belarus and is navigable. In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Bela- rus No.133 of February 28, 2008, the Republic of Belarus joined the European Agreement on the most important inland waterways of international importance. The list of inland waterways of international importance includes the E40 main waterway. Its Belarusian part from the city of Brest to the border with Ukraine includes the navigable part of the Pripyat River. The Pripyat river basin is located in the southwest of the East European Plain within the zones of mixed forests and forest-steppe. The relief of the northern part of the catchment area of the Pripyat River (the territory of the Republic of Belarus) is characterized by the interchange of moraine hilly elevations with flat plains. From the northwest and north, the basin is surrounded by the Belarusian moraine ridge with altitudes up to 350 m above sea level. In the south and southeast, it descends to the Polesye lowland. The western, more elevated part of the lowland (Brest Polesye) has surface levels of 140–150 m. The central part of the lowland hollow decreases to the Dnieper to 110 m (further to the southeast up to 100 m) and has an altitude of 140 m only between the Ptich and Berezina rivers. In the west between the Pina and Yaselda rivers, a plateau-shaped terrace-like residual hill stands out among the lowlands with surface level up to 150–170 m. It is a relatively small isolated elevated relief element, a part of the once higher surface, preserved from destruction, including erosion and denudation, as a separate massif surrounded by younger rocks (see map B.5 of elevations in the Pripyat RB).

1.1.1 Climate

The climate of the Pripyat basin is moderate continental, characterized by warm and humid summers and fairly mild winters. Climate continentality increases in the South-East direction. The annual amounts of the radiation balance increase from southwest to East and South-East from 1200 MJ/m2 to 1735 MJ/m2. The radiation balance of the territory largely predetermines the temperature regime [3,4]. The spatiotemporal distribution of the average monthly air temperature depends on the radiation conditions, seasonal fluctuations of atmospheric circulation, and the physical-geographical features of the territory. The average annual temperature of air in the basin varies from + 6.30C to + 7.20C. The average temperature of the coldest month (January) varies from southwest to northeast from -4.60C to - 7.00C. The average temperature of the warmest month (July) increases from north-west to south-east from + 18.3 0C to + 19.20C. The absolute air temperature minimums within the basin were recorded in January-February and reach -320С – -380С. And the highest air temperatures are typical for July-August and reach + 330С – + 380С.The duration of the frost-free period varies from 170 days in the south-west to 150 days in the east of the basin. The average dates of spring frosts on the soil are the period of April 25 - May 5. Autumn frosts begin in late September - early October. The main regularity of the spatial distribution of precipitation within the Pripyat basin, due to general circulation factors, is their decrease from the north-west and south-west to the west and east.Some precipitation increase can be traced with a transition to higher absolute surface level. Monthly amounts of the precipitation have a clearly defined annual variation with a minimum in February – March and a maximum in June – July. Precipitation of small intensity prevails, although several tens of millimetres of precipitation may fall out for individual rain showers. According to different meteorological stations the maximum daily precipitation in the basin ranges from 114 mm to 177 mm (map B.9 of the Annex B).

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The snow cover within the basin is characterized by considerable variability.The time of its occurrence varies to a great extend.The average dates for the formation of sustainable snow cover vary from De- cember 20 in the northeast of the basin to December 30 in the south-west.A similar situation concerns the destruction of snow cover. The average dates of destruction of sustainable snow cover change in the opposite direction - from March 5 in the south-west to March 15 in the north-east of the Pripyat river basin. The average maximum height of snow cover ranges from 10–15 cm in the west to 20–25 cm in the east of the basin. The average depth of soil freezing is 30–50 cm. It depends not only on the temperature and height of the snow covering, but also on the nature of the soil [5]. The wind regime of the Pripyat basin is determined by macrocirculation processes in the atmosphere and the position of the pressure centres over the Eurasia continent and the Atlantic Ocean [3]. The distribution of total evaporation clearly shows a tendency for its reduction from the north and north-west of the basin to the south and southeast from 590 mm to 525 mm. The winter in this area is mild, gloomy, with thaws. Average monthly sub-zero temperatures are preserved from December to March, inclusive, with the exception of the south-western part of the basin, where average March temperatures are above 00C. A distinctive feature of winter is the frequent in- cursions of warm air, accompanied by thaws. This sometimes leads to the complete disappearance of snow cover, which is set fair again after a few days. In some winters, when the spurs of a high pressure strip reach the basin, severe frosts are observed. Within the territory spring is lengthy and unstable, with frequent changes of cold and warm occurrenc- es. In the spring the cyclonic activity weakens due to the equalization of the temperature contrast between the Atlantic and continental air. Along with the rapid increase of air temperature, there are, on some days, its significant reductions. Within the basin summer is warm with rains. The spurs of the high pressure strip of the Azores maximum enter the territory of the basin, which contributes to the transfer of moist air from the west. During the summer months more than 200 mm of precipitation falls on this territory. A significant part of precipitation is showers. They are associated with the cyclones passage from the southwest. The average temperature of the summer months (June - August) is kept around + 160С - + 200С. Dur- ing the outbreak of tropical air, temperatures can reach absolute maxima (+ 380C). Sometimes in July there are fall of temperature and the temperature at night drops below 00C. The change from summer to autumn is gradual, with frequent reversions of warm weather. Autumn is lengthy, often overcast, with drizzling rain, especially in November, when about 75% of the days are cloudy (of which 25% are rainy days). Over the past decades, there have been some changes in the characteristics of the climate. The average annual temperature of the air in this region (as well as throughout the northern hemisphere) tends to increase.On the territory of the Pripyat basin, this increase was + 0.7°С – + 0.9°С over the past 100 years. This is particularly with regard tothe cold season, where the rate of temperature rise is 2–3 times higher.With regard to precipitation, then there is a tendency of their reducing.An average height of snow cover has the tendency to decrease, which is explained, first of all, by an increase in winter temperatures.These processes in a particular way affect the formation of river flow in the basin, especially its annual distribution. The share of spring runoff decreases and the share of summer and autumn runoff increases. The role of rainfall floods in the formation of runoff also increases [6].

1.1.2 Topography

The morphological features of the surface of the Pripyat River Basin (depth of dissection, altitude distribution, and step structure of the relief) are closely interrelated with the geological structure.

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The modern relief of the Pripyat River Basin is represented mainly by flat and billowy-sloping lowlands and plains, river valleys and individual massifs of glacial-moraine formations. The depth of dissection usually does not exceed 5 m. And only in some places, in the area of elevation, it can reach 50 m or more. The main relief-forming factor of this area is the activity of the middle anthropogenic glaciers, such as the Dnieper and Sozh. The glacial relief created at that time was modified to one degree or another by the erosion activity of temporary and permanent watercourses, aeolian and gravitational, karstic processes. Recently, an anthropogenic human activity has become an important relief-forming factor, which leads to a change in the natural relief, the creation of a large number of artificial ponds, careers, dams, canals, etc. Here, the relief-forming rocks are anthropogenic and Holocene sediments, which are represented by fluvioglacial, lacustrine-alluvial, alluvial, moraine, and marsh genetic types. The lithology of pre- anthropogenic rocks, especially the moraine-Cretaceous strata, which accompanied the formation of karst forms, had a significant impact on the relief. The main territory of the left bank of the Pripyat is Belarusian Polesye, which is largely characterised by tectonic structures, such as the Podlyassky- Brest depression, the Polesye saddle. In the north, there are spurs of the Orsha depression of the Central Belarusian Massif, most of the Bobruisk subsurface brow passing into the Pripyat graben, which in the south passes into the Ukrainian crystal shield. In the west, the Lukovo-Ratno horst of the Kola-Azov plate is being penetrated.Tectonic heterogeneity largely defined the large amplitude of the sedimentary cover. A complex tectonic structure within a limited area predetermined the formation of a large number of biogenic morphostructures of various sizes with large amplitude of neotectonic movements. Tectonic and neotectonic movements had an influence on the features of distribution, on the dynamics of the glacial cover and glacial morphogenesis, the morphology of river valleys, and etc.The raised position of the southern part of the territory prevented the penetration of glacial cover. The placement of margin ridges, glaciological dislocations, hollows of plucking and erosion is connected with fault zones. In the preglacial period, the relief of the anthropogenic thickness was a subsurface plain with a relatively flat surface in the west and more elevated and dissected surface in the northeast.The modern relief of the whole Polesye was formed under the influence of diverse geological processes of endog- enous and exogenous nature.The main processes that influenced the formation of the modern relief are the activities of glaciers of Quaternary period, melt waters of glaciers, precipitation waters and wind. In the glacial period of the Quaternary age, the left-bank territory of the basin was continually subjected to glaciation.Glaciers on their way destroyed found roughs and changed the relief.A large amount of detrital material rich in boulders and attritus, called moraines (basal, lateral and terminal), accumulated from the destroyed rocks under the glaciers along their edges and at the end. During the melting of the glacier, the material brought and deposited by it was eroded by melt waters, especially the terminal moraines, and water-glacial deposits were formed with a calm relief. A significant part of the water-glacial rocks was deposited down the valley beyond the ridge of the terminal moraines. During the deglaciation, the material brought and deposited by it was eroded by melt waters, especially the terminal moraines, and water-glacial deposits were formed with a low relief. A significant part of the water-glacial rocks was deposited down the valley beyond the ridge of the terminal moraines. During the glacial retreat, water flows entrenched into the previously deposited thickness of water- glacial rocks, which led to the creation of terrace benches. Under the conditions of the repeated spread of glaciers, their sediments were overlaid on the previous ones, changing the previously formed relief and forming a new one. In the period of the last glaciation, the glacier boundary passed through north of Polesye, and its present territory was a lowland preglacial zone.The processes of deposition of sediments and relief for-

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mation carried under the influence mainly of water currents and wind. During the post-glacial time (Holocene), the relief of the region changed under the influence of waters of precipitation and wind. This process is currently proceeding.The surface of the Belarusian part of the basin slightly rises above the river valleys.In the Pripyat flood plain, the banks of the river bed rise almost everywhere by only 0.5–1.0 m. Less often they rise to a greater extent above the water level in the river in summer.The flood plain of the river is wide and flat with a large number of potholes filled with water. The transition to the terrace above the floodplain is weak. Only in some places for a small distance there are areas where the valley side rises relatively high above the flood plain. The flat terrain with small flat degradations, the proximity of groundwater to the surface of the earth and weak runoff lead to swampiness of the territory.Therefore, peaty surfaces of lowland plains are widespread in the region. Among them are peaty lacustrine-glacial and lacusrine-boggy plains, the vast majority of which are located in large massifs to the north of the Pripyat river basin, ranging from the eastern borders of the region to the western. To the south of the Pripyat, peaty plains of flood plain terraces are widespread [7, 8]. The influence of the geological structure on general view of the river network and the geomorphological structure of the river valleys of the Pripyat basin is very large. The valley of the same river abruptly changes its morphology depending on the geostructural features. The modern plan of the river network of the Pripyat basin is the result of its long development during the Neogene and the Anthropogen periods. Especially major changes in the river network occurred within the Pleistocene period, when the latitudinal direction of the main river valleys changed to the meridian and gradually acquired a modern plan. The river valleys of the Pripyat basin, with all their diversity, have a number of common features.The main one is that almost all of them have the same number of terraces, which reflect the main stages of the development of river valleys. In the river valleys there is a flood plain and two terraces above the flood plain. The main characteristics of the terraces are the height, width, and thickness of alluvial sediments which are associated with the geological structure of the territory and the size of the river including its length, width, and catchment area [5].

1.1.3 Geological and hydrogeological conditions

Three artesian basins (Pripyat, Brest, Orsha) are confined to the Pripyat River basin. The Pripyat Artesian Basin is confined to the Pripyat Trough. In the west it captures the part of the Polesye Saddle.The foundation within its boundaries is opened at depths of 200–500 m in the margin parts, sinking into the most submerged zone to a depth of 5–6 km.The greatest thickness of sedimentary rocks within the basin is 6,200 m.The zone of active water exchange extends to a depth of 200- 350 m. It is represented by fresh groundwater of bicarbonate composition with various combinations of calcium, magnesium, sodium, Quaternary, Palaeogene-Neogene, Cretaceous, Devonian and Upper Proterozoic sediments. The Brest artesian basin is confined to the Podlyassky-Brest depression and the western slope of the Polesye saddle. The foundation is opened at depths from 200 to 1900 m. Its immersion is noted in the south-west direction. The zone of active water exchange (up to 1000 m) contains freshwater of hydrocarbonate composition with various combinations of cations of calcium, magnesium, sodium, etc., and covers horizons and complexes of the Quaternary system, Neogene, Palaeogene, Cretaceous, Juras- sic, and the upper part of the Proterozoic. The Orsha artesian basin occupies the north-eastern part of the Pripyat river basin. Structurally, it is confined to the Orsha Basin. The depth of the sedimentary cover reaches 1,800 m. The total immersion of the foundation is observed from west to east. The capacity of the active water exchange zone here is about 350 m. The waters of the hydrocarbonate composition are confined to it with various

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combinations of cations and with mineralization up to 0.4 g/dm3. Aquifers from Quaternary to Upper Middle Devonian and Upper Proterozoic sediments are widespread [9]. Aquifers and complexes. In accordance with the mode of occurrence, filtration properties of water- bearing rocks, their water content and degree of protection from the penetration of pollutants, the following aquifers and complexes are distinguished: 1) aquifers confined to Quaternary deposits (subsoil aquifer, Holocene swamp aquifer, Holocene lacustrine-alluvial aquifer andalluvial aquifer, Poozersky alluvial aquifer,Poozersky lacustrine-alluvial aquifer, Sozh super-morainefluvioglacial aquifer, Dnieper super-moraine fluvioglacial aquifer, Dnieper- Sozh aqueoglacial water-bearing complex, Berezina-Dnieper aqueoglacial water-bearing complex, Narev-Berezina aqueoglacial water-bearing complex; 2) aquifers confined to Pre-Quaternary deposits (water bearing complex of Palaeogene-Neogene sediments, Middle-Cenomanian Maastricht carbonate aquifer, Albian and Lower-Cenomanian terrigenous aquifer,locally water-bearing Bathonian and Lower-Callovian terrigenous complex, Visean terrigenous water-bearing complex, locally water-bearingMiddle and Upper Famennian terrigenous-carbonate complex,Upper-Frasnian and Lower-Famennian carbonate aqifer, Sargayev and Semiluki carbonate water-bearing complex, Starooskolsky and Lansk terrigenous water-bearing complex,Vitebsk-Narov terrigenous-carbonate water-bearing complex, Vendian terrigenous water-bearing complex, Riphean terrigenous water-bearing complex, zone of fracture of the Archean-Lower Proterozoic igneous and metamorphic rocks).

1.1.4 Soils and vegetation

The soil cover of the catchment is very mixed. The leading place belongs to the light-textured soils, such as sandy and sabulous soils constitute more than 60%. Waterlogged degradations are occupied by peat bogs. The share of peaty-gley soils is 20%. Loamy soils prevail on the southern and northern raised periphery of the basin (see map B.11 of the Annex B). A particularity of the Pripyat basin is the occurrence of large forests. Forests of the Pripyat river basin on the territory of Belarus are part of the southern geobotanical subzone of broad-leaved pine forests. The subzone is characterized by hornbeam oak forests without spruce, with a mixture of broad-leaved and small-leaved species rich in underbrush. The formation of forests includes 27 local tree species, about 60 shrubs, over 40 subshrubs and low shrubs.Forest vegetation is represented by the formations, including coniferous (61.1%), deciduous (7.9%), small-leaved (12.4%), small-leaved indigenous forests in the swamps (18.6%). The most common forest formations are pine (58.7%), birch (15.3%), black alder (13.5%), oak (7.2%), spruce (2.4%), and aspen (1.2 %) woods. The remaining formations occupy an insignificant specific proportion. And such as maple, ash, linden, and elm forests are represented fragmentary [10]. Mainly the right-bank part of the Pripyat river basin, is characterised by hornbeam oak forests without spruce, with a mixture of broad-leaved and small-leaved species rich in underbrush. Oak grows in pine formations in the best habitats in the first tier, along with pine. There is a mixture of hornbeam, bark, and cork elm in the forest stand. In the undergrowth, along with the usual types of undergrowth, there is a common woodwaxen and a Russian broom. A lot of forest-steppe and steppe plants appear in the herbage of pine forests. The reduction of the volume of cut and reforestation contributed to an increase in the forest cover of the Pripyat basin. Most valuable (for the conservation of biological diversity) categories of plots are areas in the forest fund.

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1.1.5 Natural and disturbed swamps

The Pripyat basin is notable for a high degree of bogging. About 1/3 of its surface is covered by swamps. Herbal (eutrophic) swamps occupying wide floodplains of river valleys prevail here. Swamp is a moistened area of the earth's surface, overgrown with hygrophilous vegetation.. It is characterized by the accumulation of undecomposed plant residues and the formation of peat (a layer of at least 0.3 m.). Swamps and swamps complexes are very specific natural ecosystems.Almost all species of plants and animals that live in swamps are rare or vulnerable, as they can only live in swamps, and a reduction in the area of swamps imminently leads to a reduction in the number and sometimes to the complete extinction of many unique species.At present, as a result of hydrotechnical land reclamation and peat mining, swamps are preserved only as island sites. Therefore, the majority of swamp species live in isolated groups. Rich marshy floodplains of the Pripyat and tributaries, rich in food resources for birds, as well as the largest eutrophic swamps in Europe, allows birds to relax, feed and then go on.Swamps and flooded areas of flood plains are not only rest areas, but also the most important nesting sites for many of Eu- rope’s endangered birds. Swamp drainage causes the complete destruction of the habitats of marsh biodiversity, which has a very negative impact on the European and world populations of many species of migratory birds. One hectare of a lowland swamp removes from the atmosphere and preserves in the form of peat annually an average of 0.71 tons of carbon dioxide. And one hectare of an upland swamp preserves 1.45 tons. Swamp drainage and peat depositsimminently leads to the termination of the purification of the atmosphere from carbon dioxide and the large emissions of this gas into the atmosphere, because it is the end product of the mineralization of the organic matter of peat. Within the Pripyat river basin reclaimed peat soils annually release the following amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. During the cultivation of tilled crops the amount of 20.9 ± 3.4 t/ha is released; during the cultivation of cereal crops – 12.8 ± 2.3 t/ha; during the cultivation of perennial grasses – 7.5 ± 1.3 t/ha;during the cultivation of long-standing meadows – 4.26 ± 1.1 t/ha.One hectare of produced peat deposit in a dried state releases 21–23 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Thus, in the result of drainage, peat bogs are turned from areas which clean the atmosphere of carbon dioxide into areas that pollute the atmosphere with this gas, which ultimately leads to climate warming.Almost all types of economic activity within the swamps and peat deposits lead to the destruction of wetland ecosystems, destabilization of the biospheric functions of swamps. Every year, only in Belarus, between 2500 and 8000 fires take place in drained swamps, peat deposits and soils, of which about 60% occur in the Pripyat basin. Under the conditions of widespread hydrotechnical amelioration of wetlands and the functioning of a highly developed peat industry, the protection of ecologically most significant wetlands and marsh landscapes takes on particular importance (map B.3 of the Annex B). At present, the area of swamps and peat lands of the environmental fund in the Pripyat basin is about 140 thousand hectares, which includes wetlands belonging to reserves, reserved forests for various purposes (botanical, biological, hydrological, berry, zoological, and others), on which the change of water regime is prohibited.Most of them are located in the flood plains of rivers and lakes, and their drainage can cause negative effects in the hydrological and hydrochemical regimes of natural water bodies and adjacent territories. The first compiled Red List of the marshes of Belarus includes more than 200 objects, including 69 in the Pripyat basin (see map B.31 of the Annex B with swamps and peat bogs in the Pripyat river basin). .

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1.1.6 Information on protected areas

The Pripyat River basin is unique in Europe in terms of biological diversity. Polesye swamps are called the "lungs of Europe" for a reason. Many Red Book species of flora and fauna live in the river basin, including species such as bittern, black stork, aquatic warbler, avocet, stilt, marsh turtle, rare bat “giant noctule”. The first project to create a designated swamp-forest reserve in the Belarusian part of the Pripyat river basin was developed in the 1930s. due to the initiative of Polish environmental experts. The reserve was planned to build between the rivers Lva and Stviga. This idea was implemented only in 1969, when the first “Pripyat” landscape-hydrological reserve was created in the territory of the USSR. Its area is 61,500 hectares on the lands of the Turov, Pietrikaw and Lyelchytsy forest enterprises. The creation of specially protected natural areas was particularly carrying through in the late 1960s – the second half of the 1990s. At the present time the area of the natural-reserved fund in the Belarusian Polesye is 7.8%. The area of reserves is about 297.2 thousand hectares. The area of reserved forests is 187.3 thousand hectares. The total reserved and forbid area is 484.5 thousand hectares or 8.03% of the region's area (including the reserved area of 4.93%). Local reserved forests occupy 0.9% and are represented by 6 hydrological, 30 biological types. Republican reserved forests are represented by 4 landscape, 2 hydrological, 19 biological types. There are State National Park “Pripyat” (in the place of the former Landscape and Hydrological Re- serve “Pripyat”) and the Polesye State Radiation and Ecological Reserve functioning in the Pripyat river basin. A national park, a reserve and 3 republican reserved forests, as well as a network of local specially protected natural areas (hereinafter – protected areas) have been created imminently in the Pripyat flood plain (Tables 1.1, 1.2, Map B.4 of Annex B). Table 1.1: Protected natural territories of republican significance in the Pripyat River Basin (Republic of Belarus)

Year of founda- Name District Area, ha tion Nature reserves Polesye State Radiation and Ecological Brahin, 1988 215500 Reserve Naroulia, Khoiniki National parks Pripyat Zhytkavichy, 1996 82461 Lyelchytsy, Pietrykaw Naturalreservedforests of republican significance Zhytkavichi, Zhytkavichy, 1978 15000 Radostovo Drahichyn 1978 7000 Bilological Zvanets Drahichyn 10460 Lunino Luninets 1997 9283 Sporovo Byaroza, 1991 11280 Drahichyn, Ivanava, Ivatsevichy Hydrological Vygonoschi Hantsavichi, 1968 43000 Ivatsevichy, Lyakhavichy Stary Gaden Gytkovichy, 2015 17048,39

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Lelchicy Cranberry bogs Babiniec Akciabrski 1979 850 Borsky Hantsavichi 1979 2805 Bukcha Lyelchytsy 1979 4915 Falicksky moh Staryya Darohi 1979 1700 Chirkovichi Svietlahorsk 1979 463 Yalovo Hantsavichi 1979 963 Landscape Mazyr ravins Mazyr 1986 1141 Olmansky swamps Stolin 1998 94219 Prostyr Pinsk 1994 3440 Srednaya Pripyat Pinsk, Luninets, Stolin, Zhytka- 1999 90447 vichy Strelsky Kalinkavichy, Mazyr 1999 12161

Table 1.2: Monuments of nature of republican significance in the Pripyat River basin Name District Karelian birch in the ecosite "Osovka", forest stand Ivatsevichy Karelian birch in the ecosite "Terebezh", forest stand Ivatsevichy Oaks in Kozhan-Gorodok (2) Luninets Oval hickory in Broshevichi Drahichyn Park "Mankovichi" and caucasian fir Stolin Park "Porechie" ` Pinsk White fir in the park "Duboy", area of growing Pinsk "Suvorov Oak" Kobryn Oak in the Galevichi Forestry Kalinkavichy Oak in Gorokhovishche forestry Akciabrski Oak in Danilevichi forestry Lyelchytsy Oak forest in Leninsky Forestry Zhytkavichy Oak forest in the Ludenevich forestry Zhytkavichy Oak forest in Leylchytsy forestry Lyelchytsy Spruce islands in the Klin and Gorbovichsky forest areas Kalinkavichy Geological outcropnear Doroshevic Pietrikaw Park «Lipovo» Kalinkavichy Crystal rocks near Glushkovichi, outcrop Lyelchytsy Yellow rhododendron in Vetchinsky forestry Zhytkavichy Oak "Tsyganski" in Sosnovsky forestry Lyuban Petiolar Oak in Lyuban forestry Lyuban Petiolar Oak в Yaminsky forestry Lyuban Larch, spruce and oak in Urechsky forestry Lyuban

Polesye State Radiation and Ecological Reserve was created in 1988 on an area of 215500 hectares in a 30-kilometer protected zone (in the Khoiniki, Brahin and Naroulia districts) formed after the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.The reserve is unique in the forest zone of Europe.It was created to implement a set of measures to prevent the transportation of radionuclides outside the contaminated zones, study the state of natural plant complexes, conduct radiation and ecological monitoring, and conduct radiobiological research. The flora of higher vascular plants has 855 species. 29 protected plant species, 33 species of verte- brate animals included in the Red Book of Belarus are registered.The reserve is included in the list of the most important plant areas of Europe [11]. The complete termination of economic activity, the removal of the disturbance factor, the recurring water logging led to the widespread renaturalization of transformed ecosystems and a heavy increase of the number of wild animals.Belarus’s only outwash- dune ecosystems preserve with a rare species in zoocenosis which is called a thick neep. The most numerous in Belarus group of a rare species is ortolan which nests on dry meadows. Unique for Bela- rus wintering of large predatory birds has been formed.

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State National Park “Pripyat” was created in 1996 on an area of 82461 hectares in Zhitkavichi, Ly- elchytsy and Pietrikaw districts. The largest upland and transition swamps, floodplain oak forests, black alpine forests, meadows, dune complexes, coniferous forests, as well as former riverbeds in the Pripyat ecosystems of Belarus and the estuaries of the right tributaries of this river remain the largest within the Belarusian Polesye.827 species of higher vascular plants have been registered. 18 of them are included in the Red Book of Belarus. Among 246 species of birds and 49 species of mammals, 66 and 4 species are included in the National Red Book, respectively. 5 species of birds are under threat of global extinction. The republican landscape reserve “Srednaya Pripyat” was created in 1999 on an area of 90447 hectares along the Pripyat riverbed in the Pinsk, Lyninets, Stolin and Zhytkavichy districts.Here the largest in Europe section of the river flood plain is presented, which has been preserved in its natural state.The longest flood plain complex of the large river, meadow and forest ecosystems typical for Polesye, remain the most extensive in Belarus. 11 protected species of flora are identified. Among 182 species of ornithofauna, 52 are included in the Red Book of Belarus. It has an international importance for preserving of 6 globally endangered bird species and for a number of birds during the period of spring migration [12]. The republican landscape reserve “Olmansky swamps” was created in 1998 on an area of 94219 hectares in the Stolin district. Here the largest in Europe complex of upland, transition and lowland swamps is presented. 687 species of higher vascular plants, 151 birds, and 26 mammals are registered. 40 species of fauna and flora are included in the Red Book of Belarus. It has an international importance for preserving of the endangered species: the greater spotted eagle, great snipe, and Eu- ropean mink. The republican Biological Reserve “Zvanets” was established in 1996 on an area of 10460 hectares in the Drahichyn district, located on the Pripyat-Western Bug watershed. The largest in Europe massif of lowland bogs of mesotrophic type with numerous upland islands is presented. The largest in the world population of the globally endangered species of the aquatic warbler is living here. 10 rare plant communities remain. 44 species of fauna and flora are included in the Red Book of Belarus. It should be noted that in addition to the aquatic warbler, nesting sites of the great spotted eagle and dupel, which are under the threat of extinction, were also found in the reserve. In order to preserve them in Belarus, on the territory of "Zvanets" and "Sporovsky" reserves, with the support of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, the UNDP-GEF project “Sustainable Management of Forest and Wetland Ecosystems to Achieve Mul- tipurpose Benefits” is being implemented "(Wetlands). This project is aimed at restoring the habitats of endangered species: the aquatic warbler, the great spotted eagle, the dupel, the large spindleog, as well as the sustainable management of forest and wetland ecosystems. As part of the Wetlands project, it is planned to clear large areas of reserve from shrubs and swamp vegetation. In this case, the resulting biomass will be used as fuel, bedding, in the production of biofertilizers. It is expected that the measures taken will make it possible to increase populations of such species on the territory of wildlife sanctuaries such as: aquatic warbler, great spotted eagle, dupel, curlew, european otter, european turtle, and dwarf dragonfly. The living environment of the dytiscus latissimus will also improve. The republican hydrological reserve “Vygonoschi”was created in 1968 on an area of 43000 hectares in the Ivatsevichy, Lyakhovichy and Hantsavichi districts. It is located on the watershed of the Pripyat and Neman basins. The largest in Belarus complex of indigenous small-leaved forests, wetlands, and river and lake floodplains is represented here. The largest in the Belarusian Polesye lake-floodplain ecosystems are preserved in their natural state. It has an international importance for preserving of 4 endangered species of ornithofauna. A significant part of the protected area of the left-bank part of the basin of Ramsar lands, main ornitho- logical territories, and potential elements of the Pripyat ecological network has international and na-

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tional importance for the conservation of landscape-biological diversity and resource potential (map B.53 of the Annex B). Management plans are being developed for the most important areas. Water protection zones and and coastal strips In accordance with the Water Code of the Republic of Belarus, water protection zones are established to prevent pollution, clogging and depletion of water bodies, as well as to preserve the habitat of wildlife fauna and the growth of plants in areas adjacent to water bodies. Within the water protection zones, coastal zones of strict protection regime are distinguished. In the water protection zone of rivers and reservoirs a special regime of economic and other activities is established. Since the eighties of the twentieth century, the development of projects for water protection zones and coastal strips of small rivers, reservoirs, medium and large rivers in the territory of the Republic of Belarus has been conducted on the basis of various legal, methodological and organizational con- cepts. The projects’ development for small rivers was carried out on the basis of the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the BSSR "On strengthening the protection of small rivers from pollution, clogging and depletion and on the rational use of their water resources" of December 11, 1980 No.415 and "On improving of work organization to protect small rivers from pollution, clogging and depletion”of March 21, 1986 No.86. The methodological basis for delineation the boundaries of water protection zones and coastal strips was “Regulation on water protection strips (zones) of small rivers of the Bela- rusian SSR” of January 18, 1983 No.18 (as amended by the Council of Ministers resolution No.189 of June 14, 1989). Maps of 1:10 000 scale were used as a topographical basis. Projects of water protection zones and coastal strips of small rivers and streams flowing into them were developed and approved by decisions of regional executive committees in 1990-1991 by the “Belgiprozem” Institute and its regional branches in 1988-1991. For streams, springs, water protection zones coincide in width with coastal stripes and are 50 meters; for natural reservoirs, small rivers - 500 meters; for medium and large rivers - 600 meters. from the coast of river for the average long-term low-water level. And the width of the coastal strip was set from 30 m to 100 m. The total area of water protection zones in the Pripyat river basin is estimated from 20% to 40% of the catchment area of the basin. Projects for water protection zones and coastal strips of large and medium rivers of the Republic of Belarus were developed by RUE "CRICUWR" in 2002-2005. on maps of 1:50 000 scale and approved by decisions of regional executive committees. At present, the following legal acts are the regulatory framework for project development: - Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Environmental Protection” dated November 26, 1992 No.1982-XII (as amended on June 16, 2014 No.161-3); - Water Code of the Republic of Belarus of April 30, 2014 No.149-З; - The Law of the Republic of Belarus "On the sanitary-epidemic welfare of the population" as amended by the laws of the Republic of Belarus of January 7, 2012 No.340-3; - National State Standard 17.1.3.13 - 86 "Nature conservation. Hydrosphere.General requirements for the protection of surface water from pollution”. At present, in accordance with the requirements of the Water Code, the boundaries of water protection zones for water bodies of Byaroza, Pinsk, Drahichyn, Ivanava and Pruzhany districts of the Brest region have been adjusted. By 2020, work to adjust the boundaries of water protection zones and coastal strips of all surface water bodies in the Pripyat basin should be completed. Typical sizes of water protection zones and coastal strips of surface water bodies are presented in table A.18 of the Annex A.Information on water protection zones in the Pripyat river basin and the characteristics of potential pollution sources located in water protection zones and coastal zones of water bodies of the relevant areas are presented in tables A.20 of the Annex A.

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1.2 Water resources

1.2.1 Hydrographic network

General plan of the hydrographic network of the Pripyat basin is determined by the relief, geological structure of the territory and the history of the development of the river network. The river Pripyat itself flows in a valley that has a latitudinal direction from the west to east in the lower part of the Polesye lowland. The tributaries of the Pripyat have mainly submeridional direction, and only in the eastern part of its basin the direction of the rivers from west to east prevail (rivers Slovechna and Uzh). General plan of the hydrographic network refers to the pinnate type. Modern hydrography of the Pripyat river basin is characterised by wandering, calm, overgrown rivers and many direct reclamation channels, straightened rivers, as well as various reservoirs of natural and artificial origin and swamps.In total, the Pripyat river basin has more than 14.9 thousand watercourses, of which almost 92% are small rivers less than 10 km long (map B.7 of the Annex B). The total length of small rivers is 55% of the length of the entire river network. Main characteristics of hydrographic network are presented in tables A.3, A.3.1, A.3.2 and A.4 of the Annex A. The following 3 main criteria were used for the SWB delineation process: 1. Categorization of SWB in accordance with WFD requirements (rivers, lakes, AWB and candidates to HMWB designation); 2. Typology of SWB in accordance with WFD System A (altitude, size and geology typology for river SWB; altitude, size, depth and geology typology for lakes SWB); 3. The Existence of significant human pressures and surface water monitoring data (wastewater discharges, surface water intakes, hydromorphological alterations, not an achievement of a good ecological/chemical status (hydrobiological/hydrochemical parameters). According to the identification (delination) [13,15], taking into account the stock data [14,16], the hydrographic network in the Pripyat River basin includes 715 surface water bodies, including:  636 SWB on watercourses or their parts (rivers, streams, channels) with a catchment area of more than 30 km2 and an average length of 15.9 km;  79 water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, ponds) with a water surface area of more than 0.5 km2 and an average water surface area of 3.60 km2. For the identified SWB, 9 types of rivers and 13 types of lakes were determined. 85.5% of river SWB and 76% of lake SWB are candidates to HMWB designation. In the Pripyat river basin in Belarus, only 14.5% of river water bodies and 26 % of lake water bodies are close to their natural state. The remaining surface waters bodies were changed in view of various engineering activities. A large number of artificial and heavily modified water bodies is due to the presence in the basin of 735 existing drainage systems for land reclamation, mainly for agricultural purposes. For this purpose, the prevailing hydromorphological changes are straightening and deepening of channels and channels, regulation of river flow by hydraulic structures, such as barrage, dams, locks, polder systems, including flood protection. The criteria used in the typification of watercourses and reservoirs in the Pripyat River basin are given in tables A.4.1 and A.4.2 of Annex A, respectively. A summary of the results of the identification (delination) of SWB in the Pripyat River basin is given in Table A.4.3 of Annex A and on map B.8 of An- nex B. Rivers

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The Belarusian part of the basin (these are all left-bank tributaries, the Pripyat itself for almost 500 km and the lower reaches of a number of right-bank tributaries) has 10.5 thousand rivers and streams, including watercourses less than 10 km long.The total length of the river network in Belarus exceeds 47 thousand km. More than 700 rivers have a length of up to 100 km. 21 rivers are up to 500 km. And only Pripyat and Goryn have the length over 500 km (Table 1.3). Table 1.3: The length and number of rivers in the Belarusian part of the Pripyat River Basin

The amount Categories of rivers by length Total of rivers and Very small Small Medium Large their length <10 10-20 26-50 51-100 101-200 201-300 301-500 >500 The amount 4453 257 62 15 11 2 1 1 4802 of rivers Total length, 11924 4065 2156 863 1644 534 421 580 22087 km

The watershed line of the basin is prominent in the north, where it matches with the main watershed of the Baltic and Black Sea slopes. And in the south it runs along the elevations of the area. It is difficult to draw a watershed line in the west and in the east of the basin. This is due to flat watersheds, which create conditions for the artificial flow of water through reclamation and navigable canals not only inside the Pripyat basin, but also to neighboring basins. For example, it is difficult to outline the watershed of the Pina and Mukhavets rivers in the system of the Dnieper-Bug canal, the Yaselda and Shchara rivers in the Oginsky channel system, a flat marshy watershed in the headstream of the Pripyat and the valley of the Western Bug. The same situation is observed at the headstreams of the Yaselda and Narev rivers, which originate from the marshy plain. The Yaselda and Bobrik rivers are connected by melioration channels with the Shara river system. Part of the water of the river Ptich across the river Titovka enters the river Svisloch. And in the lower reaches of the Ptich River it has a connection with the Berezina river system. The Pripyat basin is characterized by a hydraulic connection with the neighboring rivers, and it can be both natural and artificial. So, according to the system of ameliorative channels of the river Lan is connected with the Sluch river, which, in turn, is connected with the tributaries of the Ptich river. In the lower reaches the rivers Goryn and Stviga, Slovechna and Zhelon, etc. are interconnected. Hydrographic characteristics of the main catchments of the rivers of the Pripyat basin are given below in table 1.4 and in more detail in table A.4 of Annex A. The number of tributaries also determines the density of the river network in the Pripyat basin, which varies from 0.20–0.63 km/km2. On average for the basin the density is 0.42 km/km2. The maximum parameters of the density of the river network are characteristic of the headstream of the Sluch River (Ukrainian) and reach 0.62–0.66 km/km2, which is due to the increased dissection of the territory of this part of its basin. The smallest values of the parameter of the density of the river network are appropriate to the marshy basins of Stokhod (0.28 km/km2), Vyzhevka (0.29 km/km2) and Bobrik (0.30 km/km2). In general, the density of the river network is higher within the left-bank tributaries of the Pripyat, which is due to the greater general moisture of the territory of their basins. Analysis of the table 1.4 shows that the values of an average slope for the Pripyat tributaries vary in the range of 0.09–0.7‰.Such a significant differentiation is due to the nature of the relief and the geological and geomorphological structure of the territory [14]. The greatest values of the slopes are appropriate for the rivers draining the surface of the Ukrainian crystalline shield and the Volyn upland, where they can reach 1.2‰. The values of the average slope also depend on the size of the watercourse. For small rivers this indicator is usually larger and may exceed 2.0‰. The smallest river slopes are specific to the marshy areas of the Polesye lowland (the Pripyat river proper (0.09‰) and the Yaselda river (0.15‰).The mean height of their catchment areas generally correlates well with the average river slope values of the Pripyat basin. The highest slopes of rivers correspond and elevated average marks of their basins (map B.6 of the Annex B).

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Table 1.4: Hydrographic characteristics of the main rivers of the Pripyat basin

оо

River station % % %

tage,%

Average

height, m

area,km

slope,

Density of

catchment

Catchment

Marshiness,

Ploughness,

Lake perce Forest cover,

Average river

rivernetwork, Pripyat – settlement Lubyaz 6100 0.2 170 - <1 16 26 20 Vyzhevka – mouth (l) 1270 0.5 180 0.29 <1 15 26 20 Tyriya – mouth (r) 2800 0.7 170 0.29 <1 10 20 30 Stokhod – mouth (r) 3150 0.4 170 0.28 <1 6 34 20 Yaselda – mouth (l) 7790 0.15 154 0.47 1 32 32 25 Styr’ – state border (r) 12370 0.4 210 0.27 <1 5 24 - Bobrik – mouth (l) 1890 0.2 145 0.30 <1 29 53 15 Tsna – mouth (l) 1130 0.3 153 0.46 <1 15 59 15 Goryn – settlement Rechytsa (r) 27000 0.36 233 0.45 <1 6 21 - Lan – mouth (l) 2620 0.35 180 0.58 <1 16 50 25 Sluch – mouth (l) 7530 0.24 160 0.51 1 15 55 30 Stviga – state border (r) 2620 0.5 170 0.31 <1 - - - Ubort’ – mouth (r) 5820 0.3 171 0.38 <1 11 65 20 Ptich – mouth (l) 9470 0.4 160 0.48 <1 7 50 25 Vit’ – mouth (l) 991 0.4 131 0.42 <1 15 59 25 Slovechna – mouth (r) 3600 0.7 148 0.33 0 12 70 15 Uzh –mouth (r) 8080 0.5 170 0.31 <1 4 27 - Pripyat – mouth 121000 0.09 179 0.42 <1 16 26 25 Note: (l) – left tributary, (r) – right tributary

Lakes Lakes are natural water bodies with slow water exchange. Lake percentage of the main tributaries of the Pripyat does not exceed 1%, and in the whole basin it is 0.22%. On the right bank of the Pripyat, about 2.5 thousand lakes with a total area of 165 km2 were taken into account. Lakes of Polesye have a different origin and therefore differ in shape and depth. The most distinctive are shallow overgrown reservoirs among the marshy and forested spaces.These include the largest lakes of the Pripyat basin, which were formed on the place of the former periglacial sea. In the valleys of large rivers there are many small shallow flood plain lakes, which are called former river beds. Lakes can be also found among swamp areas. In the west of Polesye, on the right bank of the Pripyat, in the Yaselda catchment area, between the Pripyat and the Dnieper-Bug canal, lakes of karst origin are developed. Most of them are deep, circular-shaped bodies of water. The largest lakes in the basin are Chervonoye (40.8 km2), Vygonovskoye (26 km2) and Chernoye (17.3 km2) (Table 1.5). Table 1.5: Lakes with a surface area of more than 1 km², selected to identify surface water bodies in the basin of the Pripyat River

Water Surface Maximum Medium № Name Sub-basin/district 2 volume, area, km 3 depth, m depth, m million. m 1 Beloye DBK/Drahichyn 5,39 12,22 12 5,4 2 Zavischovskoe Pina/Ivanava 1,32 7,05 10,7 5,3 3 Peschanoye Pina/Ivanava 2,09 5,64 5,7 2,7 4 Beloye Yaselda/Byaroza 5,69 45,02 13,2 7,9 5 Chernoye Yaselda/Byaroza 17,3 23,01 3 1,3 6 Sporovskoye Yaselda/Byaroza 11,1 10,78 1,5 0,9 7 Motolskoye Yaselda/Ivanava 1,15 1,15 1,7 1 8 Vygonovsckoye Yaselda/ Ivatsevichy 26 31,2 2,3 1,2 9 Beloye Sluch/ Zhytkavichy 1,56 7,41 9 4,75

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Water Surface Maximum Medium № Name Sub-basin/district 2 volume, area, km 3 depth, m depth, m million. m 10 Chervonoye Bobrik II / Zhytkavichy, 40,82 27.35 2,9 0,7 11 Vechera Oressa /Lyuban 3,24 3,51 1,6 1,1 12 Sergeevskoye Ptich /Pukhavichy 2,75 4,7 2,9 1,7

The characteristics of the lakes of the Pripyat basin are given in more detail in Table A.3 of Annex A.

Reservoirs Reservoirs correspond to artificial reservoirs with an area of water surface of more than 100 hectares, created in order to accumulate, store water and regulate flow. Such reservoirs with volumes less than 1 million m3 are called ponds. Reservoirs, with a volume from 1 to 10 million m3, are called small reservoirs. The modern reservoir fund was formed in several stages. After the World War II, reservoirs were created only for energy purposes.Inter-collective farm and district hydropower stations were built on the rivers.Several reservoirs were created on the basis of a lake or group of lakes.At the same time, the number of reservoirs has increased due to their construction during the drying and land reclamation (Krasnoslobodskoe, Lyubanskoe, Selets, and others). Besides lakes and river reservoirs, reservoirs of pouring type were built for two-sided regulation of the soil moisture of reclaimed land. Such reservoirs are: Bolshie Orly, Krasnaya Ploschad, Golovchitskoe, etc. Some of them were created from existing lakes (e.g. Pogost, Sporovskoe, Lukovskoe). In the basin of the Pripyat pouring ponds are dominating.Water is supplied to them by the pumping station from canals or intake channels of land-reclamation systems. Quarry ponds are located, as a rule, in the place of peat extraction or other diggings.According to their purpose, ponds are used for fish farming, recreation and moistening of reclaimed agricultural lands. The most common are the ponds of cultural and fishery purposes. Ponds used as sources of irrigation and subsoil moistening of reclaimed land began to be constructed only after 1970. Besides these mentioned ponds, there are pond facilities in the basin. The largest fish farms are Lyuban, Krasnaya Sloboda, Loktyshi, Selets. There are many artificial reservoirs in the Pripyat basin. Their amount has especially increased in view of widespread land-reclamation works and the need to regulate flow for the purposes of agriculture and developing industry. At present, large (Krasnaya Sloboda, Soligorsk, Luban, Selets) and small artificial reservoirs of complex purpose have been created in the basin. In the Polesye area, a number of reservoirs are formed on the basis of lakes, for example, Pogost in the Bobrik basin, and also Cher- noye in the Yaselda basin. The total area of ponds and reservoirs in the Pripyat basin is reaching ap- proximately 500 km2, and the volume is 1.00 km3.

Table 1.6: Reservoirs with a surface area of more than 1 km², selected to identify reservoir irrigating polders the basin of the Pripyat River

Full volume / Sub-basin / Surface Medium Type of № Name 2 useful capacity, Type district area, km 3 depth, m regulation million m 1 Zhidche Pripyat / Pinsk 1,2 5,1/4,6 6,0 Pouring Seasonal 2 Liberpol’ Yaselda/ 2,9 4,2/3,1 1,4 Channel Seasonal Pruzhany 3 Selets Yaselda / 20,7 56,3/41,5 2,7 Pouring Seasonal Byaroza 4 Koziki Yaselda / 2,1 10,0/9,2 4,7 Pouring Seasonal Ivatsevichy 5 Obrovo Yaselda / 1,6 7,1/5,9 4,4 Pouring Seasonal Ivatsevichy 6 Jidenye Yaselda / 2,52 6,9/4,3 2,7 Pouring Seasonal

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Full volume / Sub-basin / Surface Medium Type of № Name 2 useful capacity, Type district area, km 3 depth, m regulation million m Ivanava 7 Morochno Stur/ Stolin 1,4 4,3/3,5 3 Pouring Seasonal 8 Razdyalovichi Bobrik I / 2,0 9,4/7,0 4,7 Pouring Seasonal Hantsavichy 9 Bobrik Bobrik I / 1,2 5,3/4,2 4,4 Pouring Seasonal Hantsavichy 10 Pogost Bobrik I / Pinsk 16,2 54,5/44,8 3,3 Lake Seasonal 11 Bolshie Orly Pripyat / Stolin 1 3,6/3,1 3,6 Pouring Seasonal 12 Velyga Tsna / Luni- 7,6 31/23,8 4 Pouring Seasonal nets 13 Sobelskoye Smerd’/ Luni- 2,9 14,2/13,6 4,9 Pouring Seasonal nets 14 Loktyshi Lan’ / Hantsa- 15,9 50,2/29,8 3,1 Channel Seasonal vichy 15 Krasnaya- Sluch/ Kletsk 23,6 69,5/50,0 2,9 Channel Perennial Sloboda 16 Rudnya Sluch/ Slutsk 3,8 14,1/8,8 3,7 Channel Seasonal 17 Soligorsk Sluch / Sa- 21,3 55,9/38,0 2,6 Channel Seasonal lihorsk 18 Mlynok Skripitsa / 1,5 6,1/4,1 4 Pouring Seasonal Zhytkavichy 19 Svidnoe Ubort’ / 2,2 5,7/4,6 2,6 Pouring Seasonal Lyelchytsy 20 Volchkovichskoe Ptich / Minsk 0,9 2,8/1,9 3,1 Channel Seasonal 21 Levki Ptich / Staryya 4,4 23,6/16,1 5,4 Pouring Seasonal Darohi 22 Luyban Ptich / Luyban 22,5 39,5/32,7 1,7 Channel Seasonal 23 Bobruikovskoye Mytva/ El’ 1,0 1,8/1,0 1,8 Channel Seasonal 24 Knyazheborskoe Mytva / El’ 1,4 2,3/1,9 1,6 Channel Seasonal 25 Velikoborskoe Vit’/ Khoiniki 2,7 9,0/6,9 3,3 Pouring Seasonal 26 Sydkovo Vit’ / Khoiniki 1,0 3,0/2,0 3,0 Pouring Seasonal

In more detail, the characteristics of water bodies in the Pripyat basin are given in tables A.3.1, A.3.2 of Annex A. Swamps are specific and peculiar water objects.These are basically waterlogged areas on the surface of the earth, covered with wet vegetation. The Pripyat basin is a typical swamp region. The largest marsh massifs are located here. In the interstream area of Pina and Pripyat, the lower reaches of the Styr, well-known Pinsk swamps are located. The small Grichin massif is located between the Tsna and Lani rivers. The huge Galo bog is located between the lower reaches of the Goryn and Stviga. Part of swamps has been already reclaimed. Natural swamp massifs will soon be preserved only in protected areas.

Reclamation systems The Pripyat River basin is distinguished by a large degree of land wetness. The Polesye zone is particularly overmoistened, where the share of overmoistened agricultural land on average equals 75%. Belarusian Polesye has become a kind of testing area for reliability and durability of various methods of land reclamation in the country.The latest scientific and design developments were tested here. A wide range of systems have been built in the region such as drying with a network of open canals and closed drains, drainage and humidifying and irrigation systems, as well as polder systems, water circulation systems and objects with submerged drainage mouths, vertical drainage, etc (table 1.7).

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Table 1.7: Number of channels and their length in the Pripyat basin

Length, km Indicators Total 5-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-50 >50 Number 657 151 60 28 14 15 1 926 Total length, 4559.4 1842.8 1040.8 651.0 393.6 556.1 52.0 9095.7 km

General characteristics of the land fund, taking into account reclamation activities in the basin, by administrative units, using the materials of statistical records, are given in table 1.8

Table 1.8: General characteristics of the reclaimed land fund of the Belarusian part of the Pripyat basin

Land area, Swamps Drained lands Irrigated lands Administrative area, dis- ha area, area, area, tricts % % % ha ha ha Brest region 1 662 300 13.28% 220 735 22.63% 376 208 1.06% 17 605 Byaroza 150 000 8.10% 12150 25.00% 37500 1.20% 1800 Hantsevichy 15300 9.50% 1454 18.20% 2784.6 1.30% 198.9 Drahichin 152000 12.80% 19456 41.90% 63688 1.30% 1976 Ivanava 150000 5.60% 8400 30.40% 45600 2.40% 3600 Ivatsevichy 165000 12.90% 21285 17.90% 29535 0.40% 660 Luninets 280000 14.10% 39480 22.80% 63840 0.90% 2520 Lyakhovichy 20000 7.50% 1500 32.00% 6400 1.70% 340 Pinsk 320000 13.70% 43840 22.90% 73280 1.50% 4800 Pryzhany 70000 3.50% 2450 13.40% 9380 0.50% 350 Stolin 340000 20.80% 70720 13.00% 44200 0.40% 1360 Gomel region 1 987 900 4.79% 95 134 16.54% 328 773 0.67% 13 281 Yelsk 140000 5.10% 7140 19.50% 27300 1.40% 1960 Zhytkavichy 290000 6.50% 18850 12.80% 37120 0.40% 1160 Kalinkovichy 260000 2.00% 5200 30.80% 80080 0.90% 2340 Lyelchitsy 320000 10.30% 32960 8.30% 26560 0.70% 2240 Mazyr 160000 2.70% 4320 6.70% 10720 1.10% 1760 Naroulia 160000 4.40% 7040 12.70% 20320 0.20% 320 Akciabrski 133000 2.20% 2926 21.80% 28994 0.70% 931 Pietrikaw 280000 3.50% 9800 18.20% 50960 0.70% 1960 Rechytsa 42900 1.80% 772 15.20% 6520.8 0.70% 300.3 Svetlogorsk 62000 1.30% 806 12.90% 7998 0.50% 310 Khoiniki 140000 3.80% 5320 23.00% 32200 1.10% 1540 Grondo region 7 000 5.80% 406 16.30% 1 141 0.50% 35 Svisloch 7000 5.80% 406 16.30% 1141 0.50% 35 Minsk region 1 099 000 2.46% 27 022 26.85% 295 110 0.87% 9 524 Dzyarzhynsk 4000 0.60% 24 35.40% 1416 0.30% 12 Kletsk 95000 0.30% 285 17.20% 16340 2.30% 2185 Kapyl 96000 0.30% 288 21.70% 20832 0.80% 768 Lyuban 190000 0.50% 950 37.50% 71250 0.70% 1330 Minsk 20000 0.60% 120 10.20% 2040 2.40% 480 Nyasvizh 5000 0.60% 30 8.80% 440 0.70% 35 Pykhavichy 112000 7.40% 8288 17.70% 19824 0.60% 672 Slutsk 175000 2.70% 4725 29.80% 52150 0.60% 1050 Salihorsk 250000 4.00% 10000 29.30% 73250 1.00% 2500 Staryya Darohi 140000 1.60% 2240 25.00% 35000 0.30% 420 Uzda 12000 0.60% 72 21.40% 2568 0.60% 72 Mogilev region 176 000 2.99% 5 260 15.45% 27 184 0.13% 222 Babruysk 8000 2.00% 160 2.20% 176 0.20% 16 Hlusk 130000 2.90% 3770 18.70% 24310 0.10% 130 Asipovichy 38000 3.50% 1330 7.10% 2698 0.20% 76 Total over the basin 4 932 200 7.07% 348 557 20.85% 1 028 415 0.82% 40 667

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Melioration systems with a total area of more than 600 thousand hectares, built in Belarus more than 20 years ago, especially those with organogenic soils, currently need reconstruction, restoration and improvement of the technical condition, including improving the reliability of their operation. Within the older systems, moreover, land productivity is 25–50% lower than within systems with a modern technical level. Totally, more than 2,641.8 thousand hectares of agricultural land were drained, 1,140.0 thousand hectares of which were arable land. This caused the destruction of the natural ecosystems of the whole unique natural region. In the Polesye region of Belarus, over 40% of wetlands have been drained [8]. As well as the left bank tributaries of the Pripyat, its right tributaries are significantly subjected to drainage reclamation. At this time, the number of large drainage systems is about 550, and the total area of drained lands is more than 1,060 thousand hectares, Draining systems of various areas (from a hundred to tens of thousands of hectares) are confined mainly to flood plains of rivers, terraces and glacial-water plains. Drainable soils are mainly mineral and peat lands. The type of water supply is atmospheric subsurface everywhere. According to structural features, drainage systems of the combined type (open and closed network) allow for large areas regulating the water-air regime and to create an optimal reclamation environment for growing crops. Draining lands are mainly used for tilled crops and pastures. According to the method of land drainage and regulation of the water-air regime of the soil, all these systems can be roughly classified into five groups: 1) open system, which are working only for the discharge of excess surface water in the spring and after prolonged rains in summer and autumn; 2) open with a system of water regulating structures, which allow locking of channels in order to retain local runoff and use it for subsurface moistening; 3) closed system (with tile drainage); 4) closed using local runoff for soil moistening by means of preventative locking; 5) drainage-moistening system with a constant source of water for sub-soil hydration.

1.2.2 Surface water resource

The main hydrological characteristics The main source of water resources in the Pripyat river basin is precipitation that forms surface runoff, fill lake ditches, and replenish groundwater reserves. In the average year of water in the catchment area of the Pripyat River (its Belarusian part) falls 32.9 km3 of atmospheric precipitation, of which 5.6 km3 falls as river flow. 3.3 km3 is formed due to underground flow, 2.3 km3 is formed due to surface water. And 27.3 km3 evaporates. Natural resources of river waters of the river basin Pripyat is given in Tables A.1, A1.1-A.1.7 of Annex A. Basic indicator of river water resources is the average long-term value (norm) of river flow. It is determined according to direct observations of the flow. Annually renewable resources of river flow are usually called surface runoff resources.At the same time, the river beds are drains along which an excess of surface and ground waters of their active interaction zone flows.Thus, renewable resources, which are rated according to the river flow data, simultaneously characterize resources not only of surface water, but also groundwater.The share of the underground component of the river flow is determined by the division of the annual flow into its genetic surface and underground components.Due to the unequal distribution of runoff throughout the year, as well as from year to year, only part of the average and annual runoff can be practically used. Therefore, data on average annual flow characterize only potential water resources and water availability. Relevant or operational water resources in different environmental conditions account for a different share of the average annual flow. Average long-term characteristics and quantitative values of water resources in the Pripyat river in the years of estimated frequency (P = 50%, 75% and 95%) are given in Table 1.4 of Annex A. The aver-

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age annual runoff module in the territory of the basin varies slightly (from 3.98 l/s⋅km2 - the Styr river - the Mlynok settlement to 3.32 l/s⋅km2 – the Uzh river - settlement Polesskoe) except for rivers, which originate within the Slovechansko-Ovruchsky ridge, where in the upper reaches of the Lva an Ubort’ rivers the average annual runoff module reaches 4–5 l/s⋅km2. Water resources of the rivers of the basin are characterized by significant variability depending on the availability of the year. This especially applies for small rivers in the basin. Thus, 75% occurrence (low- flow period) water resources of medium-sized rivers which are the main tributaries of the Pripyat (the Stur, Goryn, Sluch) as the resources of the small rivers of the basin decrease 1.6–3.6 times. If the volume of water resources of medium rivers is 73–82% of the average water level of the year, then this figure for small rivers equals only 28–63%. More significant decrease in the basin’s water resources for the year is 95% occurrence (that is very low-water).For medium rivers of the basin, it makes up 44–61% of the resources of the year of 50% occurrence. And for small rivers this value is only 15–30%. Thus, the decrease of river flow resources for a very low-water year is from 1.6–2.2 times for medium rivers of the Pripyat basin to 3.3–6.5 times for small rivers of the Pripyat basin. The left bank tributaries of the Pripyat have less variability of the flow, thus the reduction of water resources in general for the entire basin in the years of 75% and 95% occurrence is not so significant. So, for the section of the Pripyat River - Mazyr, the volume of the runoff of the low-water year is 80%. And the volume of runoff of the very low-water year is 54% of the volume of the runoff of the average water content of the year. The size of the local (which is formed within Ukraine) runoff of the rivers of the Pripyat basin is 6.87 km3 in the average water content year. At the same time, within the territory of the Republic of Belarus in the year of 50% occurrence, 5.78 km3 of flow is generated (or 46% of the flow volume of the entire Pripyat).At the same time, due to the lower variability of the runoff of the left tributaries of the Pripyat in the low-water year of 75% occurrence, the runoff from Ukraine is 3.1 km3. And in the territory of the Republic of Belarus 3.72 km3 of runoff is generated (which makes up 55% of the flow volume of the entire Pripyat). The water regime of the rivers of the Pripyat basin is defined by their nourishment, which can be snowy, rainfall and underground, depending on the season of the year.Nourishment often has mixed nature with a predominant value of one species or another. Thus, in the spring, the rivers of the basin have mixed nourishment, including snowy, rainfall and underground. During low water (summer- autumn and winter) season underground supply is the prevailing. During the autumn floods rainfall and underground nourishment prevail. During the summer-autumn and winter low-water periods the nourishment of rivers is provided by drainage of groundwater.A wide development of groundwater confined to different stratigraphic complexes of different ages (from Precambrian to modern Quaternary sediments) is typical for the basin. The aquifers of the Quaternary and sub-Quaternary sediments of the zone of active water exchange constitute a hydraulically connected system. The nourishment of waters of Quaternary sediments occurs due to the infiltration of precipitation, flood water in the spring and autumn periods, groundwater inflow from the underlying aquifers. Within the Pripyat flood plain and its tributaries the discharge of pressure water happens. The amount of groundwater recharge varies widely from 18.6 mm to 114.2 mm per year. The discharge of large amount of groundwater in the Pripyat flood plain with small slopes of the river and groundwater areas, weak outflow, causes a constantly high groundwater level from 0 to 1.0 m, less often to 2.0 m. Low water season is periodically interrupted by rain floods. In these cases, due to rainy nourishment the water content of the river is roughly increasing. The volumes of waters of each type of nourishment entering the river for short intervals of time are practically impossible to measure. Therefore they are determined by separation of the runoff hydrograph into components corresponding to individual types of nourishment. The rivers of the Pripyat basin have a retaining regime of underground flow into the river.During a retaining regime, namely in the presence of a hydraulic connection between groundwater and channel waters, the opposite orientation of the phases is observed as compared with the regime of river waters

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due to the formation of back slopes of groundwater in the channel zone.The maximum flow of the river may fall on the minimum of the underground flow into the river.For the right bank tributaries of the Pripyat, the most high-water phase of the year is the spring flood, which accounts for an average of 61% of the annual flow.The share of summer-autumn runoff of the year is about 23%. The share of winter runoff is about 16%.In order to determine the correlation of types of nourishment for some water posts of the Pripyat basin, runoff hydrographs were constructed and analyzed over the years with different water content.The following years were selected among the total number of observations for the hydrological posts of Rechytsa and Lyubyaz: very high-water year (5% of supply), moderately high-water year (25%), average water year (50%), moderately low-water year (75%), very low-water year (97%).For each year, the separation of the hydrograph was carried out with the definition of snowy, rainy and underground components. Then the percentage correlation between the components was calculated. For the upper reaches of the Pripyat there is a significant ratio of underground nourishment, which is explained by the lowland relief, close groundwater occurrence, forestation and swampiness of the territory.All mentioned factors contribute to the transfer of surface runoff into the subsurface, with its subsequent flow into the rivers.In general, the average ratio between power nourishment for the rivers of the Pripyat basin is as follows. Snowy source accounts for 10–50%, underground - 30% and rainfall - 20–30%. According to research data, in the upper reaches of Pripyat the proportion of underground nourishment exceeds 40%, decreasing further downstream to 28.5%. And in general it constitutes 35%. The proportion of snowy nourishment increases downstream, which is connected with an increase in the catchment area and a decrease in dependence on the underground component of the runoff. As for the correlation between types of nourishment in years with different water levels, it is difficult to trace the general factors, since the water content of the proximate supply years can be due to both spring flood and rain floods. However, there are some trends in this process.Thus, very high- water years in the upper Pripyat basin are usually caused by rainfall, so the share of rainy nourishment ranges from 59% to 87%, against the background of very low snowfall which constitute 4-4.5%.In regards to the latter, its largest proportion is observed in average water years (from 42% to 86%).During the transition to low-water and very low-water years, the snow nourishment is again reducing.Part of the rainy nourishment is minimal in average water years and moderately dry years, increasing in very dry years. The share of underground nourishment at the top post remains consistently high in all years (from 36% to 59%). At the bottom post the share of underground nourishment naturally increases as the water content of the year decreases (from 8% to 45%). Water level regime Water level measurements are carried out at all hydrological posts located in the Pripyat river basin. The annual change in the levels on the rivers of the specified territory, which belongs to the areas of high and sufficient water content in the hydrological zoning, is usually characterized by high spring flood and rather low water period, which is interrupted by floods from rain or snow melting. The highest levels of the spring flood are usually the highest in a year. The average height of the spring rise above the minimum summer level is 3.5–4.5 m on the Pripyat River. 1.5–3 m is for left bank tributaries and 1–2.5 m is for right bank tributaries. Most often (on the average 1 time in 2 years) spring floods are observed in the area of the post Cher- nichi on the Pripyat River. 1 time in 2-3 years they are observed in the area of the posts Rechytsa on the Goryn River, at posts of the city of Pinsk, Korobi, Pietrikaw on the Pripyat River, Krasnoberezhie on the Ubort River. The spring flood is changed by summer-autumn low water, characterized by significant variability. Summer low water is usually lower than in winter. Rainfall floods in the summer- autumn period occur almost annually. Floods occurring in the autumn are characterised by the highest height and duration. The winter low water period is often interrupted by thaws, the consequences of which are winter floods, in some years exceeding the spring flood. Maximum water levels are observed at most posts during the flood period. Fluctuations of water levels in different phases of water content are given in table 1.9.

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The minimum levels are observed in general in the period of summer-autumn low water, i.e. in the period of the smallest water content. Table 1.9: Indicative water levels for the rivers of the Pripyat basin (as of January 1, 2018)

Mark "0" Н , Maximum level Minimum level River-post medium post m BS cm cm data cm data Pripyat-Pinsk 133.18 112 302 21.04 13 -27 04.09.15 28- Pripyat-Chernitsy 119.23 356 637 21-22.03 1999 110 29.08.1992 Pripyat-Pietrikaw 112.55 562 933 03-04.04.1979 327 16.08.1961 Pripyat-Mazyr 110.93 224 742 22-24.04.1895 -22 19.09.15 Pina-Pinsk 132.29 169 366 01.04.1979 25 11.12.1995 Yaselda-Senin 134.39 126 247 27.03.1999 -16 03.09.15 Goryn-Malye Vikto- 129.67 298 635 11.04.1956 126 15.0916 rivochy 20.04- Sluch-Lenin 129.97 114 314 -32 31.08.15 21.04.1958 Ubort- 07- 126.26 157 390 11.04.1932 48 Krasnoberezhie 18.10.1939 Ptich-Daraganov 150,0 186 339 13.04.99 92 06.09.15

An important characteristic of the level mode is the amplitude of its fluctuations. For Pripyat itself, according to long-term observations, the amplitude of changes in water level varies from 2–3 m (in the upper reaches) to 5–7 m (in the middle and lower reaches). The maximum parameters of this value for the rivers of the basin belong to the Pripyat River near the city Mazyr and constitute, respectively, 747 cm. This is due to the considerable water content and the shape of the river valley. In general, for the rivers of the Pripyat basin, the highest values of water level fluctuations occur in areas of drainage by the water courses of the shield and the northern spurs of the Volyn-Podolsk Upland (4–5 m), which is due to the structure of their valleys and flood plains. The smallest indices of these values are typical of lowland, wide-flood plain, marshy areas of the Polesye Lowland (2–3 m). Annual flow distribution Seasonal and monthly distribution of river flow is due to regularities of annual changes of the main components of the water balance: precipitation and evaporation, the geomorphological structure of the basin, hydrographic and hydrogeological conditions, the nature of the soil, vegetation, economic activity in the river basins. The most reliable in calculating the annual distribution of runoff is the adoption as limiting periods and seasons, during which the lowest consumption of water is observed. Within the Pripyat basin, five hydrological areas are distinguished due to the annual distribution of the flow. Numeration of the regions is given according to the zoning of the identified territory, conducted in Belarus and Ukraine. For the Belarusian part of the Pripyat basin, according to the overregulation nature and, consequently, uniformity in the distribution of the flow, two regions are distinguished (map B.35 of the Annex B). There are three subdistricts inside one of them (VI). The rivers of subdistrict VIa are characterized by a relatively low natural flow discharge. On the average, the limiting period runoff is 35%. Summer-autumn period is 22% and winter equals 13%). The rivers of subdistrict VIb is noted for greater overregulation of the runoff. According to the type of distribution of seasonal runoff, they approach the rivers of subdistrict Vb.The annual runoff share of the limiting period of the rivers is on average about 44% (summer-autumn - 28%, winter - 16%). The most levelled off runoff is observed within rivers of subdistrict VIv.The average runoff of the limiting period is 54% (summer-autumn - 31%, winter - 23%).There are rivers with large deviations in the

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intra-annual distribution of runoff in this area.The largest monthly runoff within large and medium rivers is in spring, in April, and on small rivers in March.On rivers with catchment areas of 900–5000 km2 in high water years, the largest runoff is usually observed in March, and in other years in May.The lowest runoff in a year is more often observed in September, less often in July or August.In autumn, the runoff in November is often greater than the runoff in October. In winter, on the contrary, runoff decreases by February. Generalization of the calculated distribution of runoff for years of different water content for the specified areas is presented in Table 1.12. Totally, with a decreasing of water content of the year, the share of annual runoff, which falls on limiting periods and seasons, decreases and, consequently, the share of spring runoff increases [17]. The peculiarity of the regime of rivers of the І and ІІІ areas is a significant proportion of autumn-winter runoff in high-water (up to 42.4% and 38.3% of annual) and average water years (up to 29.7% and 37.4% of annual). This is due either to heavy intense widespread rainfall (for example, in November 1974 and 1980), or intense thaws with rains and melting snow cover (Jan- uary 1975, 1989, 1998), which leads to the formation of high rainfall or snowy rainfall. As for the second district, there is a tendency for an increase in the share of runoff during the limiting season (autumn) with a decrease in water content of the year and certain stability in runoff values in summer.This is explained by the fact that in low-water and very low-water years the input component of the water balance increases in this area.It should be noted that the data on the annual distribution of runoff of the ІІ district have a weak representativeness relative to the Ukrainian part of the Pripyat basin, since only the Uzh river basin is located within it.In this regard, to determine the limiting period, season and month, as well as analysis of the annual balance of the flow, taking into account its transboundary transfer, its distribution for the І and ІІІ districts should be used. Average annual runoff A factor that determines the potential water resources of the river basin, and also serves as the initial value when determining the annual flow of estimated provision, is the average long-term flow or flow rate. The largest right-bank tributaries of the Pripyat which are Styr, Goryn and Sluch have the greatest water content. The rate of the flow of the rivers Styr and Goryn when they cross the border between Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus is 44.5 m3/s and 97.9 m3/s, respectively. The Pripyat within the border area has an average annual consumption of 26.4 m3/s. However, in accordance with the conditions of flow formation, there are certain regularities of its spatial distribution. These regularities are most clearly shown in the maps of the average multi-year runoff constructed in the runoff modules (l/s⋅km2). The possibility of geographical interpolation is due to a rather slow (gradual) change in the flat territory of the main landscape factors of flow formation. An analysis of changes in runoff modules shows that the rivers located in the upper reaches of the Styr and Goryn rivers (more than 5 l/s · km2) have the highest water density. The smallest values of these indicators (less than 3 l/s ⋅ km2) are typical for the rivers of the upper part of the Turya and the Uzh river basins. The values of runoff modules for the Belarusian part of Pripyat are given in Table 1.10. Table 1.10: Long-term characteristics of the annual flow of the rivers of the Pripyat basin

Flow rate River-site Water flow , m3/s Runoff modulus , l/s km2 Pripyat-Mazyr 390 3.86 Yaselda-Byaroza 4.80 5.24 Tsna-Dyatlovichy 4.59 4.74 Oressa-Andreevka 17.1 4.78

Maximum runoff Within the rivers of the Pripyat basin, the maximum flow is formed either from melt water or from heavy rains.

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An indicative phase of the hydrological regime of the rivers of the described territory is the spring flood, which is formed annually in the spring as a result of snowmelt and rainfall during snowmelt.Within the Pripyat it usually begins in the first half of March, but in some years it may change to February or April.The average annual duration of floodplain afflux is 80–110 days. And in some years it can up to 150–180 days [18,19].The width of the spring flood within the Pripyat varies from 5 to 15 km, in some areas (near the city of Pinsk) reaching 30 km.The depth of flooding is mainly 0.3–0.8 m, in some places reaching up to 2–2.5 m [20].The flooding width of 1% occurrence reaches 1.5–6.0 km within the area from the headstream to the mouth of the river Styrand from the town of Mazyr to the mouth, in the middle part - 8–15 km, in some areas - 20–30 km.The correlation of flooded areas in the floodplain of the Pripyat River on floods of various supply level is shown in Table 1.11 [21,22]. The duration of floods on small rivers ranges from 40 to 45 days. Table 1.11: Correlation of flooded areas of the flood plain of the Pripyat on occurrence, %

Occurrence, % 1 5 10 25 50 Area, thousand ha 579 550 487 404 197

Table 1.12 presents the water consumption of the 10 most significant floods.

Table 1.12: Maximum discharges of spring flood water in the Pripyat river – Mazyr

Year 1845 1877 1895 1888 1889 1940 1979 1932 1970 1958 Qm3/s 11000 7500 5670 5100 4700 4520 4310 4220 4140 4010

The peak of the flood on the prevailing majority of rivers accounts for the end of March - the beginning of April.Within the tributaries, compared with the Pripyat, the dates for the beginning of floods change. On the left bank floods occur later, on the right bank floods occur earlier. However, during a long spring, almost simultaneous opening of the rivers in the basin is possible, and then there are high floods in Pripyat occurring. The raising of water leveldepends mainly on water content, as well as on the structure of the river valley or its particular area.Thus, in the upper reaches of the Pripyat, in the context of a wide and marshy flood plain, along with a small increase in the catchment area, flattened, weakly expressed floods are formed. Their height exceeds the elevated level by an average of 0.5 m. The most flood-prone area is the basin in the middle and lower reaches of the Pripyat River. This is due to the narrowing of the flood plain to 6–8 km in the area of Turov and up to 1.5–2 km in the area of the city of Mazyr, as well as a sharp increase in intermediate inflow. Such large tributaries as the Goryn river (with a catchment area of 27,000 km2), the Sluch (5,350 km2), the Ubort (5,820 km2), the Ptich (9,480 km2) are flowing into this area. The highest levels of the spring flood are usually the highest in a year.The average height of the spring flood above the minimum summer level is 3.5–4.5 m on the Pripyat River. 1.5–3 m account for left bank tributaries and 1–2.5 m are for right bank. Within small rivers, the stand of water on the floodplain lasts an average for 25–30 days. On medium and large river the stand lasts for about 1.5–2 months. The maximum value of the flow of spring flood on the Pripyat River was observed in 1845.This year, an extremely high spring flood was formed over a large area of Eastern Europe.In the Pripyat basin, it was so disastrous that it can probably be attributed to the group of maximum possible in our climatic era.At the same time, the water consumption is estimated at 11,000 m3/s with a module runoff of 113 l/s⋅km2. Taking into account the height of the maximum level of 1845, the conditions for the formation of flood, as well as the identified data for historical time, we can assume that at least from the end of the XIV century and up to the present date the height of this flood is unsurpassed. The maximum level and consumption of Pripyat in the flood of 1845 can be considered as repetitive no more than once every 800 years. High floods on the Pripyat River and the associated significant flooding of the area are given in table A.1.6 of the Annex A.

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The characteristics of the maximum and average runoff of the spring flood for the period of observations on the rivers of the entire basin are given in table 1.7 of the Annex A. Data for some posts have been restored. Analysis of the data shows that the maximum modules of the spring flood flow vary from 34.6 (the Styr – the Mlynok) to 364 l/s · km2 (the Tnya – the Broniki). As a rule, with an increase in the catchment area, the maximum flow modules decrease. A similar trend is also characteristic of runoff-average flow modules. The spring flood earlier begins in the south-west (on the average early in March) and a little later in the north-east (mid-March).Dates of the beginning of the spring flood in some years vary considerably.The earliest beginning of the spring flood can be observed in early February (1957, 1966, 1973, 1992), and, at the latest, early in April (1956, 1962, 1969, 1975, 1983, and 1996).There is a definite connection between the time of the beginning of the flood and its intensity and duration.As a rule, in the late spring during snow melting, the highest and short-term flood with the highest maximums is formed (1956, 1958, 1970, 1976, 1986, and 1996). In the early spring, a gradual melting of the snow cover occurs, and the loss of melt water due to infiltration and spring floods are usually low and prolonged (1961, 1973, 1977, and 1992). The duration of the seasonal flood also depends on the length of the river, forestation, swampiness and karstification of the catchment area. For small rivers with karst and swampy watersheds, the average duration is 40–45. And for large rivers it is up to 80 days. For rivers with unkarst and slightly marshy watersheds, it is significantly less and equal to 36 and 55 days respectively. Flash floods, in contrast to seasonal floods, occur irregularly and in terms of the maximum flow rate and the runoff layer, floods, as a rule, are significantly less than the height of seasonal flood.However, rainfall floods of 1952, 1960, 1974, 1993, and 1998. within many watercourses and areas on the Pri- pyat exceeded the flood and caused considerable damage to the national economy (agricultural land and other developed territories were seriously affected).Even local floods of prominent intensity on the left bank or right bank tributaries can cause significant rises in the lower reach of the Pripyat due to the downward movement of the flood wave.The height of floods in the middle and lower reaches of the Pripyat reaches 2.0–3.5 m above the elevating level (Tables 1.13, 1.14). In the basins of the right bank tributaries of the Pripyat, the maximum rainfall discharge may exceed the snow levels with catchment areas of up to 1,500–2,000 km2. The maximum is 2,210 km2 within the Pripyat River – the Rechitsa settlement).The maximum modules of rainfall runoff reach 364 l/s⋅km2 (the Tnya River – the Bronniki village) and are confined to the territory of the outcrop of rocks of the Ukrainian crystalline shield. The drainage factors for rain floods in the Pripyat basin are 0.50–0.52.The codes of rainfall floods runoff in the Pripyat basin are 0.50–0.52.The codes of variation of the maximum discharge of rainfall floods are quite high and reach 2.90 (the Ubort river – the Rudnya Ivanovskaya village). High summer-autumn floods cause the most significant damage to various branches of the national economy such as agriculture and others. Table 1.13: The maximum dangerous water levels of floods on the rivers of the Pripyat basin during the observation period

Dangeroushigh Maximum water level level Winter flood Rainfall flood

River-site

, % date date

,% ,%

cm cm

ater level

Water le

Probability Probability

water level

occurrence,

W Pripyat - Pinsk 250 42 284 15.01.1981 1 - - - Pripyat - Koroby 420 40 431 08.01.1975 2 439 19-23.11.1993 2 Pripyat - Pie- 800 45 826 12-13.01.1981 1 829 02,05.05.1975 2

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trikaw Pripyat - Mazyr 550 30 Yaselda - Senin 195 37 221 19.12.1980 2 203 30.11-17.12.1990, 1 1995 Goryn - Re- 530 52 550 29.01.1948 2 567 41.07.1993 3 chitsa

Table 1.14: Years of floods of different gradations

Flood characteristics Winter Summer River-site Outstanding Large Outstanding Large Р=3-10% Р=1-2% Р=3-10% Р=1-2% Pripyat - Pinsk 1980-1981 1979-1980, 1992-93, - - 1993-94,1997-98, 1998- 99 Pripyat - Koroby 1974-75 1947-48, 1980-81 1974 Pripyat - Pietrikaw 1980-81 1947-48,1974-75, 1981- 1974,1975 1993 82 Yaselda - Senin 1980-81,1998-99 1970-71,1974-75,1988- 1990 1974,1980,1988,19 89,1990-91,1997-98 98 Goryn - Rechitsa 1947-48, 1981-82, - 1948,1969,1974,19 1997-98 75,1977,1988,1993, 1998

Over the past 50 years, 8 significant rainfall floods were observed in the Pripyat basin caused by heavy rainfall (June – August 1948, June – July 1955 and 1965, June – August 1969, October – No- vember 1974, June –August 1980, June – July 1993 and 1998). Herewith, rain periods often lasted (intermittently) for 2–3 months.The capacity of flood plains is significantly decreasing in the warm season.If in the overgrown riverbed, water discharge at the same levels is 1.3–1.5 times less in comparison with the channel free from vegetation, then on the floodplain, they decrease already 2.0–2.5 times.In some cases, the flood plain may be immersed, and there is no current within it (the upper reaches of the Pripyat, the Vyzhivka, Turya, Stokhod, Styr, Goryn).Thus, during floods, water in rivers is retained for 2–3 months or more at high levels, which are 1.5–4.5 m higher than ordinary low flows, immersing floodplains and preventing lowering of groundwater levels in the adjacent territory.Frequent annual thaw periods in the Pripyat basin often lead to winter floods, which are well defined on small rivers. As a rule, these floods do not exceed the spring flood in height, except for those years when snowmelt is accompanied by rain precipitation (1948, 1982, 1986, 1989, and 1998). Minimum runoff Formation conditions of low-flow runoff of the rivers of the territory considered (as compared with the rivers located to the south of the forest-steppe and steppe zones) can be regarded generally favourable.The Pripyat basin is located in the zone of excessive moisture, where the outflow of groundwater into the river network is more or less long and permanent. Therefore, the nourishment of surface watercourses with groundwater in this area is permanent. Minimum levels and runoff during the summer period are observed with high average daily air temperatures and with prolonged periods of deficiency of precipitation. In winter minimum levels and runoff during the summer period are observed at low temperatures.Within the territory considered, in dry years (1939, 1951, 1952, and others), drying up of watercourses with catchment areas over 1000 km2 was observed. Freezing can be present only on small rivers and for a short time. The summer-autumn low flow period usually occurs in late May - mid June and ends in October.In some years with a sudden spring flood, the period of low runoff in rivers begins much earlier, at the end of April and beginning of May. In the years of prolonged flood or when rains fall on it the period of low runoff in rivers begins at the end of June and mid July.

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In some years, in view of the absence of autumn floods, the low flow period may continue until the occurrence of ice formations in mid-November or early December.The average runoff for the period of summer-autumn low-flow on small and medium rivers ranges from 3 mm to 15 mm. The most low-water season of summer-autumn low-water periods is mainly observed in July-August, less often in September.Its duration for small and medium-sized watercourses is up to 130 days, for Pripyat it is 85–90 days. The winter low water period is usually set up at the end of December. The earliest dates of the low flow period occur at the end of October and the beginning of November. The latest are in January. The end of low water period occurs with the beginning of the spring flood. The average duration of low water on small and medium rivers varies from 49 to 100 days. Within the Polesye territory, zero runoff is noted within 17 watercourses with catchment areas of 11– 1,280 km2.The average duration of one case of zero flow can reach 195 days in summer, and 75–100 days in winter. Table 1.15 shows the calculated minimum flow of the rivers of the Pripyat basin and their statistical parameters. Table 1.15: The estimated minimum flow of the rivers of the Pripyat basin and their statistical parameters

Flow rate River Site Сv Cs/Cv Discharge, m3/s Runoff modulus, l/s km2 Pripyat Mazyr 155 1.53 0.52 4.0 Yaselda Byaroza 1.25 1.36 0.82 2 Tsna Dyatlovichy 0.89 0.91 0.90 4 Sluch Novodvortsy 0.45 0.50 1.02 3.0 Ptich Lychitsy 14.3 1.63 0.49 2.5 Oressa Andreevka 5.68 1.59 0.53 2.5

The rivers of the basin are characterized by summer-autumn low water period, disturbed by separate rises caused by rain floods, as well as winter low water period, interrupted in some years by level rises due to snow melting during thaw periods.The earliest beginning of the summer-autumn low season is observed in the first decade of May. Its average duration equals 120–140 days. The maximum is 180–220 days.The average duration of the driest period of the summer-autumn low-water period is 20–30 days. The maximum is 60–140 days.The end of the summer-autumn low water period refers to the third decade of November and the first half of December.The beginning of winter low water falls mainly in the third decade of November and the first half of December.The average duration of winter low water is 60–80 days. The largest is 100–120 days. The end of the winter low water period is mainly in March, in some years - February. Analysis of the observation data shows that the magnitudes of the lowest average monthly summer runoff naturally decrease throughout the basin from northwest and north to south and southeast, complied geographic zoning on large and medium rivers.However, on small rivers, the intra horizontal character of changes is observed, depending on local hydrogeological features such as the occurrence and thickness of the groundwater horizons, the nature of the opening by river valleys and the conditions for their discharge. The most water-abundant are aquifers in fractured and karsted carbonate-sulphate rocks of the Upper Cretaceous and Neogene.The outcrops of the Cretaceous waters are observed within the limits of the Polesye lowland in the form of artesian springs with discharge up to 200 m3/h.These waters supply a number of lakes, numerous marsh massifs and partly right-bank tributaries of the Pripyat, such as the Turya, Stokhod, Goryn, Styr Rivers and others.The modulus of the minimum average daily runoff of these rivers for 97% occurrence varies from 0.07–0.18 l/s ⋅ km2.Those rivers, that are supplied from aquifers of alluvial and fluvioglacial sediments, have low minimum flow modules. And in dry years their runoff completely stops for a period of 15 to 120 days.Interruption of runoff on these rivers is also possible during cold winters.

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The module of the minimum average daily runoff of 97% occurrence of this group of rivers varies from 0.00–0.02 l/s ⋅ km2 during the summer low water period to 0.00–0.05 l/s ⋅ km2 during the winter low water period. According to research and analysis of the characteristics of the minimum flow according to some stream gauges located in the upper reaches of the Pripyat, human economic activity has a significant impact on the formation of low-flow flows of rivers in this area.Here, with an increase of the catchment area, there is a decrease in the minimum flow rates and runoff modules. The main water objects influencing the formation of the minimum flow of the upper reaches of the Pri- pyat, are the Upper Pripyat drainage and humidification system and the water intake of the Dnieper- Bug Canal, the functioning of which contributes to its reduction. As for the other rivers and tributaries of the Pripyat, according to long-term observations for most of them there is a clear trend to increase the modules of the minimum flow with growth of the catchment area.This is due to the increase in the share of underground supply in the total runoff and the large number of groundwater aquifers that are drained by the river.Thus, the minimum flow modulus of the Goryn river varies from 1.29 l/s⋅km2 (Yampol post with a catchment area of 1400 km2) to 1.74 l/s⋅km2 (Derazhnoye post with a basin area of 9160 km2).The codes of variation of the minimum flow along the rivers of the Pripyat basin vary from 0.54 (the Goryn river - the Deryzhnoe) to 1.41 (the Sluch – Gromada), and the ratio Cs/Cv is from 1.0 (the Turya river, the Goryn) to 4.0 (the Bobrik river, the Tsna river). In most cases, the minimum flow of water within the right bank tributaries of the Pripyat is recorded in the autumn season. In about 20–30% of cases, the minimum runoffs are recorded in the summer period, and the same amount in the winter. Assessment of changes in the water content of rivers Analysis of changes of river runoff over a multi-year period of observations on the rivers of the basin shows the presence of constant fluctuations in typical costs over the years.These fluctuations show as consequential changes in high-water and low-water groups of annual segments.These mentioned groups create cycles of varying duration and range of fluctuations in water content.The period of time during which an increase in water content can be traced is named the high-water phase of the cycle (high-water period), while the period of water content reduction is named the low-water phase [20]. An analysis of the calculations shows that for high-water (5%) and low-water (95%) years, the difference in percentage of runoff in the spring reaches a maximum, while the minimum discrepancies are observed in summer – autumn. That is in dry years the formation of the main part of the total annual river flow takes place in spring (50–60%), while in high-water years it takes place in summer-autumn (40–50%). Based on the analysis, low-water and high-water periods in the fluctuations of the maximum and minimum flow are distinguished. Two periods of water content are clearly identified in the fluctuations of maximum costs until the early 80s (high water period with significant maximum in 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1966, 1967, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1980) and after 1982 (low water period) exept 1998, 1999 yy. Taking into account that the maximum flow rates characterize the flow, mainly of spring flood, we can state with assurance that over the past 20 years, the share of spring flow in the annual distribution has been steadily decreasing. Hydrochemical characteristics of river water The peculiarities of the chemical composition of the Pripyat River waters are determined by the complex of landscape-geochemical conditions of its basin. Its main part is located in the zone of mixed forests within the Polesye lowland. Only the upper reaches of the rivers Styr, Sluch and Goryn, origi- nating in the Volyn-Podolsk upland, are situated in the zones of deciduous forests and forest steppes.

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Besides soils and water-bearing rocks, the chemical composition of the surface waters of the Pripyat River, is significantly influenced by its orographic features determining the shallow erosional incision of the rivers and small slopes of the groundwater flow. The surface of the basin is rich in negative landforms, covered with dense vegetation. In this regard, the capacity of the floodplain in the warm period of the year is notable reduced. Due to the difficult discharge, some of the water may be on the flood plain before the beginning of the next high-water season, which creates favourable conditions for the intake of soluble substances from the catchment surface. Small slopes and a shallow depth of the groundwater contribute to the natural swampiness of the Pripyat river basin. As it is known, swamps play a retaining role in relation to the water runoff. In the period of high water content they are able to release a significant part of the accumulated moisture, with which a significant amount of organic substances, biogenic elements and, iron and other metals. A major part of the swamps in the river basin of the Pripyat River have been drained in the past. But in the last 25 years, due to the degradation of land-reclamation systems, an intensive process of recur- rentswampiness has been observed. The peculiarities of annual dynamics of the components of chemical composition are closely related to the water flow of the river, which is formed due to the atmospheric and underground factors. The predominant source of atmospheric supply of rivers is precipitation in the cold period. In dry years, the relative share of atmospheric supply is 50% of the water runoff volume, while in wet years it increases to 85%. There are 3 main periods for annual distribution of runoff: spring flood, summer-autumn and winter low water period, rainfall floods. The hydrochemical regime of rivers is closely related to the annual distribution of the runoff. During the flood period, there is usually a significant decrease in the concentration of dissolved salts concerned with dilution of the channel waters with atmospheric precipitation. After the beginning of the formation of soil-ground runoff, reaching its maximum by the end of the flood, a significant amount of nutrients and organic substances washed from the soil layer flow into the channel. Right-bank tributaries are mostly nourished by groundwater, which caused a low content of organic compounds and a large amount of water salinity. According to the last factor, three hydrochemical regions are distinguished within the right bank:

 right tributaries of the upper reaches of the Pripyat River (the Turya, Stokhod, lower and middle reach of the Styr, the Goryn, the Sluch rivers) with an average mineralization of water of about 280 mg/l;  right tributaries of the lower reaches of the Pripyat River (the Uzh, the Ubort rivers), where water salinity decreases to 144 mg/l;  upper reaches of the Styr, Goryn, Sluch. Due to underground nourishment, the mineralization of their waters is greatest and reaches 352 mg/l. The left bank tributaries of the Pripyat are mainly nourishedby wetlands, as a result of which their waters are richin organic matter. And the mineralization is insignificant reaching 116-325 mg/l. In the last 25 years, in the context of the termination of the ameliorative systemsmaintenance, an increase in water salinity has been noted, both in the left bank and in the right bank tributaries of the Pripyat. In the downstream direction of the Pripyat River, the content of soluble salts is impure and varies periodically due to the inflow of tributaries with different mineralization. A close dependence on its costs is typical for the annual distribution of the salt composition and salinity of water. Maximum concentrations of the main ions are observed in winter, when the river is completely nourished by underground.

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The average oxygen concentration in the water of rivers is 10.7 mg/l. And the limits of its variation vary from 2 to 18 mg/l. The content of mineral compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus is increased compared with neighbou- ring regions. Swampiness of the basin territory also leads to an increase in the water colour in the river as a result of washing out of coloured organic matter of humus origin from the surface of the catchment area. Pripyat waters contain a significant amount of organic matter. According to the indicator of water oxidation, their content averages 17.3 mg O/dm3 for the permanganate index and 36.5 mg O/dm3. For waters, flowing through swamp massifs, an increased regional background is also noted for iron, aluminium and manganese.

1.2.3 Groundwater

Within the Pripyat river basin in Belarus in total 11 groundwater bodies have been identified and delineated which will be included in the river basin management plan for the Pripyat river basin (table A.4.9 of the Annex A). The characterization of the groundwater bodies in the Pripyat river basin within Bela- rus is presented in table A.4.10 of Annex A and each groundwater body is presented on a separate map in Annex B (maps B.18-B.28). According to the conditions of occurrence and formation, groundwater of the basin is subdivided into groundwater and interstratal, as well as sporadic water spread in sand lenses and interlayers of moraines and other water beds. Depending on the total salt content, groundwater is divided into fresh (up to 1.0 g/dm3) and mineralized (over 1.0 g/dm3) groundwater. Shallow groundwater is mainly characterised by predominantly lowland nature of the Pripyat basin. Moreover, the smoothed groundwater surface repeats the hypsometry of the terrain. In the lower areas (swamps and river floodplains), their depth is 0–2 m, and during periods of high water they interact with surface waters. The depth of groundwater increases to 5 m and more to the watershed areas, and in the northern part of the Baranavichy district the depth of groundwater increases to 10 m and more.The filtration coefficients of water-containing sands depend on their size and vary widely from 0.2–2.8 m/day for silty sands to 10–15 m/day for medium and coarse sands.Values of water conductivity are 5–300 m2/day.The velocity of the groundwater flows varies from 1.0 to 10 m and more, reaching its maximum values in the valleys of large rivers. The level regime of groundwater depends on climatic factors, mainly on the amount of precipitation, and coincides with seasonal changes in surface watercourse levels and reservoirs.The summer low water period is observed in April - May, and the autumn and winter rise in November – December. The annual amplitude of groundwater levels depends on their distance from the rivers. The largest amplitude values (up to 1.5–2.5 m) are typical for river flood plains. The recharge of groundwater is mainly due to atmospheric precipitation.The area of their recharge coincides with the area of distribution. At the same time, the watershed areas supply hypsometrically lower aquifers and are, as it were, areas of feeding itself. Groundwater flows are drained by surface watercourses, their water table is linked to the river beds. Natural groundwaters are fresh hydrocarbonate calcium-magnesium with low mineralization of 0.1– 0.3 g/dm3. And according to the content of the main components they are suitable for drinking purposes. The exceptions are high concentrations of iron (up to 1.4–2.5 mg/l) and generally low concentrations of fluorine (up to 0–0.2 mg/l). Due to economic activity which was especially intense in recent decades, groundwater has been subjected to pollution. In most cases, the degree of their natural protection, determined by the thickness and filtration properties of the aeration zone rocks, is low. There is no protected groundwater within the considered territory. Groundwater is considered to be conditionally protected if the aeration zone is composed of clay with a capacity of 3–10 m, and loam with a

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capacity from 30 m to 100 m or more in the presence of clay layers with a capacity of more than 1.5 m. The protection of the first interstratal aquifers is determined by the capacity of the local aquiclude. If the thickness is more than 10 m, waters are considered protected. If the thickness is 3–10 m, waters are conditionally protected. And if the capacity is less than 3 m, waters are unprotected. A term “protected” does not mean that in a given area groundwater is protected from unlimited inflow and infiltration of polluted runoff. “Protected” defines the security to a greater degree as compared to areas where other, less favourable conditions exist. Thus, groundwater is unprotected and poorly protected. Under these conditions, soluble substances from the earth's surface easily reach groundwater by infiltration waters, and the chemical composition is deviating from its natural hydrochemical composition, formed during the geological history. This causes not only an increase of the concentration of individual chemicals, but also their total content. Waters of sporadic distribution occur in sand lenses and interlayers of the Narev, Berezina, Dnieper and Sozh moraines. At the Sozh and Dnieper moraines, they are forming the first aquifer. The depth of sporadic water occurrence depends on the hypsometric position of sand lenses and interlayers, as well as the moraines themselves. In the areas of their distribution, the depth of occurrence depends on the relief and varies from 1.0 m to 10–12 m and more. In the section of Quaternary sediments, as noted above, moraines alternate with layers of interglacial formations. At the same time, the top of the Dnieper moraine (in the zone of the Sozh glaciation) opens at depths of 23–57 m. And in the south it opens at depths of 2.8–24.1 m. Berezina moraine lies at depths of 21.8–129.2 m, and Narev moraine distributed only locally in the buried valleys. At great depths, waters of sporadic distribution are everywhere approaching interlayer formations. Their piezometric surfaces are comparable. The thickness of water-saturated interlayers and lenses, represented mainly by different-grain, often clay sands, varies from a few millimetres to 1.5–8.0 m and more. Auriferous lenses are often isolated from each other, which contributes to the local accumulation of surface contamination. Natural chemical composition of these waters is calcium-magnesium bicarbonate, and mineralization does not exceed 0.1–0.3 g/dm3. At the areas of the Sozh and Dnieper moraines on the Earth’s surface, within the farmland and especially in the territory of settlements and in the zone of influence of various pollution sources, have been subject to intensive surface pollution.The waters of sporadic distribution, as a rule, do not form a continuous aquifer, having in general low and very motley water abundance. In rural settlements and within separate construction sites in cities without centralized water supply, these waters, when they occur first from the surface, are operated by mine wells. In areas of deep occurrence and in view of considerable thickness of sand lenses, they are occasionally operated by water intake wells (for example, in the village of Krainovici in the suburb of Pinsk). Interstitial waters are widespread and occupy most of the hydrogeological section. The thickness of the freshwater zone in the territory of the Pripyat basin varies from 180 m to 350 m, and in the Brest depression it reaches from 300 m to 800–1035 m. Within large areas fresh water occupies the entire hydrogeological section. According to the stratigraphic factor, and to some extent to the lithological composition of rocks, fresh water is found in aquifers and complexes of Quaternary, Paleogene-Neogene, and Upper Cretaceous sediments. These deposits are common everywhere, in the Pripyat depression - in the Jurassic and Upper Devonian, in the Brest - Jurassic and Paleozoic, and within the Belarusian anteclise and the Polesye saddle - the Upper Proterozoic sediments. Quanti- tatively, fresh groundwater resources in the basin are distributed unevenly. The most sustained in terms of capacity and extent are the Quaternary Berezina-Dnieper, the combined Paleogene-Neogene aquifers and the Lower Lenomanian aquifer. Within the corresponding geological structures, the Upper Jurassic, Paleozoic and Upper Proterozoic aquifers can be outlined. In the zone of the Sozh glacier, the Dnieper-Sozh aquifer is widespread. Groundwater resources of the Belarusian part of the Pripyat River Basin Groundwater, together with the surface waters, as well as moisture of the atmosphere and aeration zones form the water resources of any land area are closely interrelated and part of the water cycle.There is a hydraulic interconnection between groundwater and surface water. Groundwater is a

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unique mineral deposit that is found in nature predominantly in liquid form, constantly renewable and fluid. Due to the different quality and the different target use, the resources of fresh and mineralized groundwater are determined separately. Natural and operational resources, as well as operational reserves, characterize their quality to the fullest extent possible. Natural resources means the total amount of groundwater recharge under natural conditions formed by precipitation, filtration from surface water bodies and watercourses, overflow from the upper and lower horizons, and inflow from adjacent territories. They represent the main feature of groundwater as a renewable mineral in the process of the general circulation in nature. They can be determined for each aquifer individually or for the entire freshwater zone. Quantitatively natural groundwater resources are characterized by the volume of the modulus of underground runoff, which is the average groundwater discharge flow of a given occurrence per unit area of the aquifer (complex) or groundwater basin within which this flow is formed. In this case, the module of underground runoff refers to the entire zone of active water exchange and characterizes the total underground runoff of fresh water. The runoff module is more accurately determined by the method of hydrological and hydrogeological separation of a river hydrograph. Natural conditions of the territory, in particular, its flat surface, do not contribute to the formation of underground runoff. The average weighted mean value is estimated at 1.52 l / s⋅km2 [23]. Within the Belarusian territory of the Pripyat basin, natural resources are estimated at 7010 thousand m3/day, and forecast resources are rated at 10,229 thousand m3/day [24]. The operational resources of groundwater are the flow of water which can be obtained from aquifers and complexes using a common underground runoff (both local river and transit), and partly, drawdown of capacitive reserves. They are defined without taking into account the specific location of the water intake structures and their technical and economic characteristics; therefore, they are named forecast (Table 2 of Annex A). Operational resources, as a rule, are significantly greater than the natural ones and only in regional catchment areas of large artesian basins they may be less than the natural resources. To estimate the value of operational resources, their module (Me) is used, which represents the potential groundwater discharge of the zone of active water exchange, which can be obtained from a unit of their distribution area.The mean-long-term value of the module of operational resources, according to the data of the Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, is estimated at 2.0 l/s·km2. Operational groundwater resource is the amount of water which can be extracted by technically and economically efficient water intake facilities under a given operating mode and with water quality that meets the requirements during the entire estimated water consumption period. They are determined by hydrogeological calculations (model investigation) as a result of hydrogeological exploration within particular sites of group water intakes and are approved by the Republican Commission on Mineral Reserves (RKZ) of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Belarus. Within the Belarusian territory of the Pripyat basin, the total approved reserves at 40 fields of fresh groundwater are estimated at 982.7 thousand m3/day. For category А+B their amount is 823.9 thousand m3/day. Operational reserves of single water wells are their maximum flow rate, and they are not approved by the RKZ. As a rule, resources are not determined for saline waters, characterized by an increase in the amount of salts with depth, and the variability of the chemical composition in the upper zone.The operational reserves of saline water are estimated by the actual flow rate of exploration wells under the condition of their constant quality. Requirements of the population in drinking water can be met by both groundwater and surface water. Under the existing alternative choice, priority is given to groundwater, which has several advantages over surface waters. The main one is the uniform (in terms of area) distribution of groundwater, which allows to be extracted directly in the area of consumption or close to it. Besides, groundwater has

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greater natural protection from surface contamination, and its migration is much slower. In this case, the accumulation of harmful substances occurs, as a rule, near the source of pollution. The chemical composition and organoleptic properties of groundwater provides better taste as compared with surface waters. Tables A.2, A.2.1 of Annex A reflect the resources and groundwater reserves within the Pripyat River Basin in the Republic of Belarus, as well as the groundwater resources and reserves for the administrative regions that are part of the Pripyat River Basin in Belarus. Springs In the Republic of Belarus, since ancient times, springs have been used by the population as sources of water supply. In addition, springs play a significant role in the social and spiritual life of people: springs were and are objects of worship, because of their healing properties. At present, springs, among other things, are important in the development of tourism. The distribution of springs within the basin territory is connected with the surface structure and climatic conditions (map B.38 of the Annex B). Due to the diversity of the geological structure and territory relief, the distribution of springs throughout the territory is uneven. More than 100 springs were found in the basin. Many springs are situated within the territory of the Pinsk district, which lies within the limits of the Logishin water-glacial plain with marginal glacial formations, the eastern part of the Sub- urban area and the Luninets alluvial lowland. Here, springs are often associated with shallow groundwater and are located in marshy swamps. Groundwater sources in the Ivanava and Drahichyn districts are also confined to the marginal glacial formations with glaciological dislocations and peaty degradations of the water-glacial plains of the Suburban area. Due to the high swampiness of the territory and widespread land reclamation works, the upper aquifers are often opened by drainage channels, causing the formation of many springs in the region (Ko- brin, Drahichyn and Stolin districts). According to the morphology of the groundwater outcrop, they can be divided into three types of springs: springs (reocrenes), feeders (limnokremy) and swamplands (geocrenes). Swamplands are the most widespread springs in the Pripyat basin, which are located in swampy degradations. So from a closed marshy degradation, overgrown with alder and ivy, groundwater pinched out onto the surface near the Vartytsk village of the Ivanava region. There the creek originates, lost among the swamp vegetation. A source near the Hrishanovichi settlement of the Ivatsevichi district has the same origin. This spring is supplied with a concrete ring, has a silted bottom and heavily over-moistened muddy soil is located around it. In the marshy degradation of the Duboisk Park in the Pinsk district, the established water level is only 10 cm, and below it is a layer of silt with a capacity of 80 cm. Located in the northwest of the village of Duboy in the forest and near the village of Nyanavichy in the Brest district, in the settlement of Kovnyatin in the Pinsk district springs are also swamplands. Springs (reocrenes) are formed on uneven terrain and have a clearly defined groundwater outcrop. In a pine forest in 5 km from Stolin, a spring outcrops from the lower part of the eolian hill. Due to the dense hydrographic network, relatively flat terrain and high swampiness, there are a significant number of submarine sources (limnokren). They represent the groundwater outcrop in the form of feeders at the bottom of reservoirs (rivers, lakes, melioration channels, etc.). Such sources at the bottom of melioration channels are located in the settlement Zaprudy in the Kobrin district, the settlement of Zaelenie in Drahichyn district, the settlement Psyschevo in the Ivanovo district. Among the springs, along with soak and superfluent springs, erosion springs were the most common, resulting from active anthropogenic impacts on the river network systems and on the reclamation network that caused the opening of aquifers. An example of this are the springs of the Ostromichi village in the Kobrin district, the settlement of Zaverilie of Drahichyn district, the Loza ecosite near the settlement of Glinka in the Stolin district and others. The discharge of springs is mainly coming from groundwater. Spring flow rate hydrograph has a represented seasonal nature. The spring waters are fresh with low mineralization, which varies from 89 mg/l in the settlement of Lakhva up to 887 mg/l in a spring near the village of Botovo in the Pinsk district. Currently, waters of many springs are used for economic needs. Springs located near settlements

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are used for drinking needs not only by local habitants, but also by guests. In a number of places (the settlement of Kovnyatin, the settlement of Duboy and the settlement of Rudka in the Pinsk district, etc.) the territory around the springs is equipped not only for water intake, but also equipped with places for recreation. Although such careful treatment is not observed everywhere. Springs outside of settlements, for example in forests, within meadows, in ameliorative canals, along the banks of small rivers are in their natural state or only partially landscaped dammings (in the form of timber blocking). The irrigation and drainage constructions in the territory have significantly affected the state of the springs. General decrease of the groundwater level was one of the main reasons for the water discharge from a number of springs. Springs have dried up in the village Ratkevichi in the Ivatsevichi district, on the farm Krinichnaya of the Drahichyn district, in the "Morochno" ecosite near the village Kolodnoe of the Stolin district and in some other places. At the same time, while inserting melioration channels, aquifers were opened, and new springs appeared in Kobrin, Byaroza and other areas. Hav- ing definite unique qualities, the springs have so far not been sufficiently studied and are not used appropriate.

1.3 Administrative territorial division and social and economic information

1.3.1 Administrative territorial division and population

The Pripyat River basin occupies a fourth part of the entire territory of the country within the Republic of Belarus.The Pripyat catchment area is located in the southern part of the country on the territory of five (of six) regions (11 administrative districts of the Gomel region, 11 districts of the Minsk region, 10 districts of the Brest region, 3 districts of the Mogilyov region and one district of the Grodno region), as well as 5 cities of regional subordination. In total, it fully covers the land of 38 administrative districts (map B.2 of the Annex B). .A population of 1060.675 thousand lives within the territory of the Pripyat river basin. This amount includes 602.49 thousand urban populations and 458.185 thousand rural populations (table 1.16). Table 1.16: Population size in the Pripyat river basin as of January 1, 2018

Population District, Population number Mid-year 2 density, Area, km region population person /km2 total urban rural Brest region Byaroza 62882 41745 21137 62882 1398 45 Hantsavichi 27297 13925 13372 27297 1693 16 Drahichyn 28346 11615 16731 28346 1020 28 Ivanava 38353 16417 21936 38353 1551 25 Ivatsevichy 16123 3950 12173 16123 1469 11 Luninets 1426 0 1426 1426 95 15 Lyakhavichy 46537 1932 44605 46537 3256 14 Pinsk 5912 493 5419 5912 850 7 Pryzhany 73101 25385 47716 73101 3342 22 Stolin 62882 41745 21137 62882 1398 45 Gomel region Yelsk 35510 18767 16743 35510 2916 12 Zhytkavichy 57543 34553 22990 57543 2205 26 Kalinkavichy 23833 11498 12335 23833 3221 7 Lyelchytsy 133437 111733 21704 133437 1603 83 Mazyr 10427 8046 2381 10427 1589 7 Naroulia 13342 6594 6748 13342 1243 11

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Akciabrski 27001 12976 14025 27001 2835 10 Pietrikaw 1866 0 1866 1866 543 3 Rechytsa 6200 0 6200 6200 950 7 Svietlahorsk 18552 11520 7032 18552 1419 13 Khoiniki 15128 9046 6082 15128 1363 11 Grodno region Svislach 585 0 585 585 42 14 Minsk region Dzyarzhynsk 317 0 317 317 14 23 Kletsk 255 0 255 255 963 0 Kapyl 23111 8062 15049 23111 976 24 Lyuban 31163 13878 17285 31163 1914 16 Minsk 17640 0 17640 17640 116 152 Nyasvizh 2962 0 2962 2962 95 31 Pykhavichy 12159 2455 9704 12159 1220 10 Slutsk 89889 61818 28071 89889 1670 54 Salihorsk 134309 116793 17516 134309 2499 54 Staryya 19166 10406 8760 19166 1370 14 Darohi Uzda 4488 0 4488 4488 129 35 Mogilev region Babruysk 2311 0 2311 2311 527 4 Hlusk 13341 7138 6203 13341 1336 10 Asipovichy 3281 0 3281 3281 681 5 Total 1060675 602490 458185 1060675 49511 21

As of January 1, 2018, in the Pripyat river basin 362,859 people lived in the Brest region (including 152,207 people in the city, 205,652 people in rural areas). In the Gomel region there are 324,839 people (including 224,733 people of the urban population and 118,106 people of the rural population). In the Minsk region there are 335,459 people (213,412 people of the urban population and 122,047 people of the rural population). In the Mogilyov region there are 18,933 people (7,138 people of the urban population and 11,795 people of the rural population).In the Grodno region there are 585 people (all 585 people related to the rural population). Considering an average population density in the basin of 23 people per 1 km2, the highest density is in the Minsk, Mazyr, Slutsk and Salihorsk districts (more than 50 people per 1 km2).

1.3.2 Agriculture (plant production, animal husbandry)

The most geographically significant nature management in the basin as a whole is agricultural activity. The percentage of overbuild areas within the Pripyat basin is 3.7%, which is slightly less than the average for Belarus (4.0%). The Pripyat floodplain has been quite extensively modified. According to various estimates, up to 24% of it is occupied by arable and refined meadow lands. The Pripyat basin belongs to the regions of intensive hydrotechnical land reclamation. Drained land covers about 1,115 thousand hectares or 22% of its territory (with 16.4% on average in Belarus). Agricultural land accounts for 84% of drained land. Their share decreased by 1–2% as a result of the transfer of part of the land contaminated with radionuclides into unused lands. Drained lands are tilled within 38% of the territory, that is, for the most part they are used as grasslands. In this region, agriculture is largely based on drained agricultural land. In particular administrative districts, in their total area, drained land occupies more than half. Thus, in the Hantsavichi and Luninets districts 70% of lands were drained. In the Elsk district 61% of lands were drained. 56% of agricultural land was drained in the Pinsk district. In agricultural organizations, on the average, more than half of the agricultural land area is situated on reclaimed lands. And in some organizations this figure reaches 95% or more. A particular importance for the formation of a modern land use system in the region was the peculiarity of the soil cover, a third of which formed peat-marsh soils, underlain mainly by sands (map B.10 of the Annex B). About half of these soils are shallow peatlands with peat capacity of up to 1 m, which is an

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objective prelude for agriculture specialization. The region is characterized by rapid degradation of drained peatlands due to intensive and often unsustainable economic use, for example, for the cultivation of cultivated crops. These negative processes are associated with the expansion of the area of garden plots, which are traditionally used very intensively. At present, about 84.5 thousand hectares of agricultural lands, contaminated with radionuclides as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (1.6% of the basin’s area), have been withdrawn from economic use and are close to natural status. This is about 40% of the total land area come out of agriculture in the whole country for a long time. The area of wooded land has remained almost unchanged over the past 20 years (map B.15 of the Annex B). Drainage of land in the Pripyat basin has led to the intensification of soil degradation processes within drained lands. These processes include, first of all, drying up of soil and development of deflation (which was not previously in Polesye), quick “burning” of organic matter of dry peat soils, depletion of nutrients in soils with light mechanical composition, development of recurrent gleying and swampiness due to their unconsidered drainage. According to some estimates, the soil fertility of most species of soddy podzolic soils in Polesye decreased by 1.3–1.5 times. It is worth mentioning, that at present paludiculture can become an alternative use of drained lands in the basin - re-swamping of drained territories and growing hygrophilous plants. Everything related to paludiculture can be used for the production of feed, generating renewable fuels, and the production of environmentally friendly building materials. At the same time, there is already a positive experience of paludiculture in Belarus. Within the framework of the EU project “Swamp Energy”, on the basis of OJSC “Lida Peat Briquette Plant”, the production of innovative mini-briquettes from biomass obtained on swampy and re-swamped land plots was developed. In the forest-steppe part of the Pripyat basin the main factors of land degradation are excessive ploughness of the territory, leading to plane and linear erosion, consolidation and compaction of soils, and their dehumification (map B.12 of the Annex B). The leading role in the economy of most areas included in the Pripyat basin belongs to agriculture. Agriculture is associated with many industries (food, chemical, etc.), forming an agro-industrial complex, which main task is to provide the country with reliable provisions and agricultural raw materials. The natural basis of agriculture is agricultural lands. These are lands used in agricultural production. The Pripyat river basin is distinguished by the smallest economic development compared to the basins of other major rivers of Belarus. In the land fund structure the Pripyat basin is characterized by a high relative share of forest and swamp areas. The relative area of swamps in Polesye in the Pripyat basin is 1.5–2 times (depending on the region) more than the average for Belarus. In general, the percent of “ecological framework” lands (forests, swamps, rivers and lakes, natural grassland lands, etc.) in the total land area constitute 50–60%. The share of widely used land in the total area of agricultural lands in the Pripyat catchment area is 90.4%, although its ploughness is the lowest and reaching only 21.9%. There are still many improved hayfields and pastures created in the result of the drainage of wetlands in order to provide food reserve for the animal husbandry. The use of mineral fertilizers is an important characteristic of the intensification of agricultural production. Together with plant protection products, they account for about 70% of the improvement of crop yields over the past thirty years. Fertilizers have a priority role in the zone of radioactive contamination, where differentiated doses of potash and phosphate fertilizers in combination with the liming of acid soils make it possible to reduce the intake of cesium-137 and strontium-90 radionuclides to crop production in 2-3 times. Agriculture specializes in meat and dairy husbandry. Grain crops predominate in crop production, such as wheat, triticale, barley, rye, potatoes, and fodder crops. Flax cultivation is at a high level.

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Livestock of animals within swine breeding complexes of administrative and territorial districts of the Pripyat River often exceeds estimated number. In view of this, manure discharges are formed mainly due to industrial swine breeding. Moreover, water washout of animal excrement is most widespread within such kind of enterprises. Disposal of discharges in agriculture is much more complicated than usual litter manure, taking into account their excessive dilution with water and low content of plant nutrients. For example, with an increase in the moisture content of liquid manure from 92 to 98%, the content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in it decreases by 2 times or more.

1.3.3 Fish breeding

Fisheries management in the republic are carried out in two main areas - fish farming (breeding and rearing of fish in artificial conditions) and fisheries in fishing areas. Fish breeding is carried out by specialized fish breeding organizations whose property is owned by the republic, organizations whose property is owned by the community, in which fish farming is not the main activity, as well as farms and individuals, including individual entrepreneurs. Fishery management is carried out by legal entities using water bodies provided for rent or for free use (only ponds and flooded quarries are provided for rent for fish farming). Fisheries are managed through commercial fishing and the organization of paid amateur fishing. Calculation for the volume of fish caught is carried out by all legal entities engaged in fishing and (or) fish farming. They fill out the State statistical reporting in the form 4-ci (fish) “Report on catch and sale of fish” (approved by the resolution of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus dated 09.07.2013 No.80 “On the approval of the state statistical reporting form 4-si (fish)“ Report on fish catch and sale” and instructions for its completion”). The legal framework for fisheries activities is established in the Rules of fisheries and fishing industry, and issues related to the protection and use of wild animals that are not related to fishing facilities are regulated by legislation on the protection and use of wildlife. The main issues of fisheries are reflected in the following regulatory legal acts: - Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus as of 08.12.2005 No.580 “On Certain Measures to Improve the Efficiency of Fisheries Activities, Improve the Public Administration” (the Decree approved the rules for fisheries and fishing industries); - Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus as of 02.06.2015 No.459 “On the Concept for the Development of Fisheries in the Republic of Belarus”; - Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus as of 25.04.2015 No.333 “On approval of the Regulation on the procedure for leasing surface water bodies for fish farming and recognition as invalid of the decisions of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus” (as amended by the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus as of 01.03.2017 No.169); - Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus as of 05.12.2017 No.58 “On the Establishment of a Republican Integrated Scheme for the Placement of Ponds and Flooded Quarries Adapted for Fish Farming”. The list of facilities provided in the Pripyat river basin for rent for fish farming is given in Table A.16 of Annex A. Fish farming is represented by the following types of production: pond fish farming, fish rearing in cages, pools and settings of locked water supply. According to the SWC in 2013-2018, the use of water for fish farming is a priority in agriculture, including the Pripyat river basin (table 1.17).

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Table 1.17: Volumes of water use for fish farming in the Republic of Belarus and in the Pripyat river basin Million m3 per year Criteria 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Water used for agriculture - total 484 490 403 461 454 427 including for fish farming 372 378 293 344 335 307 among them in the Pripyat basin 288 266 187 223 215 201

The State Program for the Development of Agrarian Business in the Republic of Belarus for 2016– 2020 (subprogram 5 “Fishery Development”) provides for technical re-equipment and modernization of fish-breeding organizations, stocking sections of the Pripyat River with fish, such as catfish, pike perch, pike, fish-reclamation activities to restore natural breeding grounds, construction, including reconstruction, and also modernization of industrial fish-breeding complexes. Economically viable species of fish in the Pripyat basin are produced at specialized fish-farming enterprises, the main of which are OAO “Opytny Rybhoz “Selets”, the section “Tsentralny Berezovsky Dis- trict”, OAO fish farm “Loktishi” of the Hantsavichy District, Branch Experimental fish farm “Lahva” of JSC “Pinskvodstroy”, OAO fish farm “Krasnaya Sloboda”, OAO “Opytny Rybhoz "Beloe", OAO fish farm "Polesye" of the Pinsk district, OAO fish farm "Tremlya", OAO fish farm "Krasnaya Zorka".

1.3.4 Forest husbandry

Within the Pripyat basin, as well as throughout Belarus, the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Belarus coordinates the activities of other republican government bodies, local executive and administrative bodies, legal entities leading forestry, regardless of the form of ownership in the use, protection and forest fund and forest reproduction. The main legal entities include state forestry institutions of the Ministry of Forestry are 38 forestry enterprises by the number of administrative districts in the Pripyat basin. The main woodworking enterprises in the Pripyat basin are:  ZAO “Pinskdrev” is one of the oldest and largest enterprises of both the city of Pinsk and the industry in the whole. The soft furniture integrated plant includes the joint company OOO “Pinskdrev-Adriana” and “Bel-Est-Mebel”, the PUE “Pinskdrev-Euro-Mebel”. The cabinet furniture plant includes plants of export furniture, Gorodische furniture plant, and the plant of decorative veneer and furniture. The woodworking plant includes plants of plywood and sawmills, a match factory, a joint OOO “Pinskdrev-DSP”. The timber industry complex includes forestry of the city of Pinsk, wood storage place, the UE “Avtopark” and “Remstroymontazh”. The company has 33 independent branches. It produces more than 1,500 product items, including soft furniture (more than 500 items), cabinet furniture made of alder, oak, pine, beech, ash, etc .; sets for living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, kitchens, children's rooms; furniture for public spaces; plywood, curved laminated wood parts, matches, wood laminate, including laminated, construction and furniture mold- ing, decorative veneer, sawn timber, fuel pellets.  OAO “Mazyrdrev”, the main activities of which are the production and sale of furniture; production and sale of wood chipboard; production and sale of decorative veneer; wood procurement; implementation of foreign economic activity; provision of services for the community.

1.3.5 Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the most important sector of the national economy, having a decisive effect on the level of development of the productive power of society. It consists of two industries such as mining

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and manufacturing. Industrial enterprises in the Pripyat basin are located in cities and urban-type settlements. Manufacturing potential of the Minsk region determines the development directions of the most important economic activities including metallurgical production and production of finished metal products (24%), food production (31.6%), production of rubber and plastic products (9.4%), production of vehicles and equipment (12.7%). In recent years, there has been a positive tendency in the development of industrial production in the region.The share of the district in the Minsk region was 20%. On the territory of the Dzyarzhynsk district there are 22 industrial enterprises that produce fabrics, furniture, power-saws, overhead tavelling cranes, paints and lacquers, medical products, agricultural machines, equipment for road construction, armoured concrete, etc. There are 20 industrial enterprises in Salihorsk district, where 24.4 thousand people work. This value equals 43.8% of those employed in the national economy. Industrial complex of the district includes chemical industry enterprises, machine building and metalworking.Light industry, food industry, fuel and building materials industries are developed. The trademark of the district, the region and the whole country is “Belaruskali”, one of the largest in the world and the largest producer and supplier of potash mineral fertilizers in the CIS. Its products are popular in the world market. It is delivered to Europe, East Asia, and the countries of the Mediterrane- an, South Africa, India, China, South and North America. In total there are more than 50 countries. Since the very first years of its existence, OAO “Belaruskali” has gained international fame.The mines and concentrating mills of the enterprise quickly developed the commissioned productive capacities, continuously and dynamically increased the volume of products, introduced new types of equipment and technological processes, and expanded the range of products. The main product of OAO “Belaruskali” is potash fertilizers including potassium chloride and potassium chloride granulated.In addition, the company produces technical salt and various types of cooking salt. In 2013, the production of NPK-complex fertilizers by the method of steam-powered granulation was worked up. The Pietrikaw deposit of potassium salt is the most significant raw material base for maintaining and increasing the production capacity of OAO “Belaruskali” and the Republic of Belarus. OAO “Foundry-Mechanical Plant “Universal” is an enterprise of private form of ownership.Considering the manufacture of industrial products, the enterprise belongs to a single and short-run type of production with an extensive and constantly changing in terms of names, material intensity and labour intensity of the product range. The company has worked up the production and repair of a large range of mining, chemical and material handling equipment used by OAO “Belaruskali”. The production of technological equipment and spare parts previously purchased by the association abroad is carried out. The most important direction in the development strategy of OAO “Universal” is the most complete meeting of the requirements of OAO “Belaruskali” of repair and renewal of technological equipment. ZAO “Soligorsk Plant of Technological Equipment” specializes in the design, production, repair and installation of equipment for the mining and chemical industry (lifting and transport equipment, processing equipment and other non-standard equipment).It is the main customer of OAO “Belaruskali”, which purchased expensive equipment abroad. ZAO “Salihorsk Plant of Technological Equipment” offers products that completely change those that have worked out their resources and do not meet the requirements of safe operation. The unitary production enterprise "NIVA" of S. G. Romanovich was established in 1994 to conduct production activities associated with the repair, manufacture and service of hydraulic mechanized linings operated at OAO “Belaruskali”. OAO “Starobinsky Peat Briquette Plant” is an enterprise in the fuel industry and the largest producer of briquettes not only in the Republic of Belarus, but also in Europe. Today, more than 60% of briquettes are exported to Sweden and Poland.

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There are 4 light industry enterprises in the area. The largest of them are OAO “Kupalinka”, ZAO “Ka- linka”. OAO "Kupalinka" is one of the largest enterprises of the “Bellegprom” concern for the production of underwear and knitwear outwear for adults and children, with a full production cycle from the delivery of yarn of various raw materials to the enterprise, knitting, dyeing and finishing knitted fabrics, cutting and sewing knitwear and shipping them to the consumer.High quality, exclusive design, the newest fabrics and technologies used in the manufacture of underwear, create a unique comfort. The colour grades of the collections, the images of tampographic and single-piece prints used in the models are the main advantages over competitors. Commercial collection of OAO “Kupalinka” has more than 1500 models.Products of the “Kupalinka” brands are selling throughout the Republic of Belarus from the largest department stores to small stores. They are always in great demand among customers and have a good reputation among the markets of the Russian Federation. The main activity of the Closed ZAO "Kalinka" is the production of women's, men's and children's clothing. In order to meet consumer needs for high-quality clothing, the company constantly works on refreshing and expanding the range of its products. Three enterprises are involved in the release of food products in the district including the branch “Sali- horsk bakery” of OAO “Borisovkhlebprom”, the Salihorsk branch of OAO “Slutsk cheese-making combine”, an auxiliary facility of OAO “Belaruskali”. The Salihorsk branch of the OAO “Slutsk Cheese-Making Combine” is a high-technology enterprise for the production of whole-milk products, soft and whizzed cheeses, butter, cottage cheese, a substitute of whole milk. Currently, the company processes more than 200 tons of milk per day. Today, this enterprise is well known not only in our republic, but also far beyond its borders. Up to date, the assortment list of the brand COMPLIMILK contains all the products that are essential for the complete nutrition of the person.More than 100 items of products subjected to mandatory certi- fication, which are able to meet the requirements of customers not only of the Republic of Belarus are milk and kefir, cream, buttermilk, whey, sour milk, fermented baked milk, baked milk, sour cream and bio sour cream, cottage cheese, curd paste, curd cheese, glazed curd cheese with fillers, soft cheeses, dessert cheeses, dried cheese with cumin, yogurts, butter. The branch “Salihorsk bakery” of OAO “Borisovhlebprom” produces bakery, confectionery, baked and semi-prepared products, frozen and bread crumbs. The average daily production of bakery products is about 23.0 tons per day. The average daily production of confectioneries is over 0.5 tons per day. The industry of building materials of the district is represented by the Plant of Reinforced Concrete Structures and the Department of Production and Technological Complex Management. They are branches of OAO “Stroytrest No.3” of the Order of the October Revolution. The plant of reinforced concrete structures of OAO “Stroytrest No.3” of the Order of the October Revo- lution produces precast reinforced concrete products and structures, concrete mortar, reinforcements and steel structures, road paving elements.Todaythe plant of reinforced concrete structures produces more than 35 thousand cubic meters of precast concrete, 90 thousand cubic meters of concrete, 22 thousand cubic meters of mortar, 9 thousand cubic meters of wall blocks for basements, 3.9 thousand tons of weld-fabricated steel structures per year. In the Mazyr district, industrial enterprises of the region represent almost all sectors of the national economy, such as chemical and petrochemical, engineering and metalworking, forestry and woodworking, fuel, electric power, food, light industries. GDP generating enterprises are:  OAO “Mazyr Oil Refinery” conducts the production of motor gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, bitumen;  OAO “Mazyrsol conducts mining and production of edible and industrial salt;

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 OAO “Belaruskabel” conducts production of installation and heatproof wires, power and control cables, control cables and data transmission of various modifications; cables of radio frequency and wires of various special purposes with a core of copper and aluminium wire;  OAO “Mazyr Machine-Building Plant” conducts production of timber cutting, agricultural equipment;  Republican Production Unitary Enterprise "Mazyr Woodworking Industrial Plant";  Communal production unitary enterprise "Mazyr dairy products" conducts production of whole-milk products. In the Rechytsa district, manufacturing is one of the main sectors of the economy. Its activities provide stability and, above all, the social development of the region as a whole.The main GDP generating enterprises are: OAO “Rechytsa Hardware Plant”, OAO “Rechytsa Bread Products Plant”, OAO “Rechytsadrev”, OAO “Rechytsa Textile”, the share of which in the industrial production of the region is more than 62%. In recent years, a number of major investment projects have been implemented. For example, 8 presses were put into operation at OAO “Mazyrsol”, which made it possible to increase the output of export-oriented products including pelleted salt. A new highly-efficient line for the production of marshmallow with an enrobing line and packing machine was launched at OAO “Krasny Mozyryanin”. OAO “Mazyr Oil Refinery” has built a diesel hydrotreating unit, an isomerization unit, and a black oil vacuum distillation unit. The modernization of woodworking enterprises was completed within OAO “Rechitsadrev” and the RUE “Mazyr DOK”), where the production of fibreboard and chipboard were developed. The construction and operation of solar park was conducted on the territory of the Brahin district for generating electricity based on natural solar radiation and a number of other projects. Enterprises located in Luninets district are involved in the mining and manufacturing industries. In other areas, the development of the industrial complex is determined by the availability of raw materials.

1.3.6 Hydraulic power industry

Because of the flat area and possible flooding, the construction of hydropower stations in the Pripyat River basin becomes challenging. In 2007, a technical-economic justification for the construction of five small hydropower plants on the Dnieper-Bug Canal was developed. They are “Kachanovichi”, “Stakhovo”, “Zaluzie”, “Novosady” and “Kobryn”. Each of them was put into operation, except for small hydropower plant “Kachanovichi” in the Pinsk district. Now within the Dnieper-Bug Canal, four small hydropower plants generate electricity. Electricity that they generate is used by the power system of the Republic of Belarus.When the small hydropower plant “Stakhovo” was introduced, the potential is significantly increased.The small hydropower plant “Stakhovo” is the fifth on the Dnieper-Bug waterway and the first in Pripyat.It is the most powerful small hydropower station on the Dnieper-Bug channel.At the “Stakhovo” hydroelectric complex (the right bank of the Pripyat River near the Stakhovo settlement) there is a basis which can automatically regulate the pressure and passage of the water flow, and control the degree of change in the riverbed.The operation of the small hydropower plant “Stakhovo” during the winter period (freeze-up period) is possible. The “Stakhovo” was commissioned in December 2015. The installed capacity of the small hydropower plant “Stakhovo” is 690 kW. The regional power station “Byaroza” is the largest power plant in the west of the Republic of Belarus. Its installed capacity allows it to provide electricity for the entire western region.Its installed capacity is 1255.12 MW.It is one of the largest condensing power plants of the power system of the Republic of Belarus. It is designed to cover the loads of the power system, located near Brest on the shores of

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Lake Beloe, which serves as a source of technical water supply for the power plant and the lake as a circulating water cooler. In 2018, in the framework of the subprogram II of the State Scientific and Technical Program (SSTP) "Nature Management and Environmental Risks" of the RUE "CRICUWR" works were done to assess the hydropower potential of the medium and small rivers of the Pripyat basin, which at an average annual water discharge of 41.1 MW, and 21.4 MW with a water discharge of a 95% water supply year. The total hydropower potential of the medium and small rivers of the Pripyat basin with average annual water discharges is 1.73 and 1.55 times less than that of the Zapadnaya Dvina and Dnieper basins, respectively. And it is 1.83 and 1.95 times with a 95% water availability for a dry year.

1.3.7 Accumulation of wastes

Each year more than 3 million tons of municipal waste is generated in Belarus.Despite the projected increase in the use of waste, the problem of their environmentally safe disposal in the environment will remain challenging for a long time.According to expert estimates, the volume of waste accumulated in existing solid waste landfills (SWL), exceeds 10 million m3. Currently in the Republic of Belarus there are 166 polygons and 1,700 mini polygons. Until recently, there was one (rarely two or three) solid waste landfill in each administrative district. Experience has demonstrated that for an area, regardless of the size of its territory and the number of the resident population, this number of landfills is not enough to ensure proper collection and disposal of waste. In 2017, the volume of waste production in the Republic of Belarus amounted to 55.5 million tons. Of the total volume of production waste, the most significant is the amount of large-capacity waste including halite waste and halite clay-salt sludge reaching about 37.3 million tons, and phosphogypsum waste constituting 713,850 tons. The generation of production waste in Belarus is unsteady.Excluding halite waste, clay-salt sludge and phosphogypsum, 22.48% of the waste is generated at the enterprises located in the Mogilyov region. 19.57% is generated in the city of Minsk. 17.94% is generated in the Minsk region.13.72% - in the Gomel region; 13.41% - in the Grodno region; 8.5% - in the Brest region; and 4.38% - in the Vitebsk region. Herewith, the level of utilization of production wastes (excluding halite wastes and clay-salt slimes) is about 90%. It should be noted that in 2018, the enterprises of the republic conducted more than 1,400 activities aimed at reducing the volume of production and (or) accumulation of industrial waste. The Ministry of Environment coordinates the implementation of the provisions of the Stockholm Con- vention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal in the Republic of Belarus. Landfills for the storage and disposal of solid municipal waste exist are located in the regional centres of the Pripyat basin (38 administrative districts) and are situated outside the water protection zones of water bodies (table A.6.2 of the Annex A and map B.34 of the Annex B).

1.3.8 Shipping industry

Within the territory of Belarus passes the section of the international waterway E-40, which connects the Black and Baltic Seas (the Visla River from Gdansk to Warsaw - Brest – Pinsk - the Dnieper River through Kiev to Kherson).

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Along the entire length from Pinsk to Mazyr, the Pripyat River is navigable and represents the main part of the Dnieper-Bug waterway. The Dnieper-Bug Channel (hereinafter DBC), built in 1848, with a set of hydraulic structures, connects the rivers Pripyat and the Western Bug and runs along the southern part of the territory of the Brest region. There is a branch of the Republican Unitary Enterprise “Belarusian River Shipping Company “Mazyr River Port” on the Pripyat River.At 405 km of the Pripyat River, there is the Sitnitsky (Mikashevichsky) channel of 7 kilometres, guiding to the branch of the Republican Branch of Belarusian River Shipping Company “Mikashevichi River Port”. Objects that are affected by the Dnieper-Bug Channel, and which in its turn affect them, include:  irrigation and drainage systems for agricultural land;  water courses, lakes, reservoirs of fishing farms and other purposes;  settlements and waterworks facilities. The Dnieper-Bug Channelis a multifunctional object of the transboundary territory of two states (Bela- rus - Ukraine) with many waterworks facilities in its catchment area. In the western direction 37 objects are directly associated with the DBC. And 123 objects are connected with the DBC in the eastern direction. Considering economic terms, the DBC is an integral part of the transport and road complex of shipping goods in the republic. As a water transport corridor, the DBC may have a prospect for further development and increasing its importance in the economy of the republic. Waterways in Belarus are open to navigation from March to November, due to climatic conditions. During the navigation period, navigation equipment is installed on waterways, fairway trawling is carried out, bottom-cleaning and dredging works are carried out, the transport fleet is informed of the state of dimensions of waterways. The list of surface water bodies related to inland waterways open to navigation is presented in tables A.17, A.17.1 of Annex A and on map B.16 of the Annex B.

1.3.9 Tourism and recreational use of water bodies

In the Pripyat River basin, water bodies create favorable conditions for recreation, sports and tourism. However, at present, the share of water tourism in the structure of the national tourism product of Bel- arus (as an independent element, as well as complementing other areas - ecological, rural, educational, adventure tourism) remains insignificant (see map-scheme B.20 of Annex B on water recreation objects in the Pripyat river basin). Separate surface water bodies of Belarus can be used to develop transboundary tourist excursion routes.In the future, the “big water circle” project can be implemented including the Visla - the Augus- tow Channel – the Neman – the Shchara - the Oginsky Canal – the Yaselda – the Pina - the Dnieper- Bug Channel – the Mukhavets - the Western Bug.A high-potential international project for Belarus, the Baltic countries, Ukraine, and Russia is the reconstruction of the medieval route “from the Varangians to the Greeks”, connecting the Baltic Sea with the Black Sea. At present, a well-defined and extensive network of institutions of long and short rest, located mainly in the suburbs of large cities and industrial centres, has formed along the valleys of large rivers.The most developed was the recreational network of medical, recreational, sports and educational types. To implementat the activities of the “National Program for the Development of Tourism in the Republic of Belarus”, the activities aimed at assessing the natural recreational potential (hereinafter - NRP) of river areas and determining the profile of their tourist and recreational use (hereinafter - TRU) were enhanced and acquired a systemic nature.In accordance with the proposed methodology, sections of

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rivers belong to one of the 4 types of tourist and recreational structures such as unsuitable for use, monofunctional, limited-polyfunctional and polyfunctional. An adoption of the “unsuitable for use” type for water area indicates the presence of limiting factors for all types of TRUs. And their overcoming is objectively impossible for technical, environmental or economic reasons.The monofunctional type determines the possibility of using the water area for one major type of tourism or recreation. The structure of a limited-polyfunctional type identifies the occurrence of conditions for the realization of combinations of 2-3 profiling uses. The polyfunctional type of use indicates the possibility of using the water area for organizing 4 or more main types of tourism and recreation [23]. The following types of primary types of tourism and relaxation are considered: swimming, scuba div- ing, yachting, rowing, amateur hunting and fishing.

1.3.10 Linear infrastructure

Transport and road network The transport complex of the territory includes the automobile, railway, air, river, pipeline and urban transport systems. Within the territory the republican highway M-10 passes, connecting Gomel, Kobryn and the network of republican highways in various directions. The density of highways is the smallest in the republic reaching 200-250 km per 1000 km2. The main load of transporting goods and passengers over short and medium distances is accounted for the republic’s roads. In general, road transport carries more than 80% of all cargo and passengers. Urban transport includes tram system (in the city of Mazyr), trolleybus system, bus system and route taxi. The railway network is not developed.The railway main line passes through Gomel, Kalinkovichi, Luninets, Pinsk, Kobryn, and Brest. The road is mainly one-track. Only near Brest and Luninets a railway track is double line. Suburban transportation prevails. Air transport is used mainly for the transport of passengers, urgent and perishable cargo, and mail.Numerous transit airlines pass through the territory of Belarus. About 95% of flights in the air- space of the republic are made in transit and about 5% are landed at the “Minsk-2” airport. Main oil pipelines and product pipelines In the unified transport system, pipeline transport in Belarus is represented by four main pipelines, one of which is partially located in the Pripyat basin:  The Druzhba “Unecha-Mazyr-Brody” oil pipeline is a main oil pipeline transporting Belarusian oil as well as transit of Russian and Kazakh oil to the countries of Central Europe and to Ukraine.The length of the pipeline within the territory of Belarus is 215 km. The diameter of the Unecha-Mazyr branch is 1200 mm. The diameter of the Mazyr-Brody branch is 800 mm. The throughput capacity of the Unecha-Mazyr branch is 90 million tons of oil per year. The throughput capacity of the Ma- zyr-Brody branch is 15 million tons of oil in year. The operating organization is OAO “Gomeltrans- neft “Druzhba”. The pipeline is located on the territory of Rechytsa, Kalinkavichy, Mazyr, Elsk districts of the Gomel region.

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1.4 Risk (including climate change)

The problem of climate change in the Republic of Belarus is one of the priority areas of research at the state level. The impact of climate change on water resources within the Republic of Belarus is resulting primarily in the risk analysis of immersion during floods, in hydropower, water transport, the development of wet industries of industrial production and agriculture. The completed estimation climate change and run-off changes in the Pripyat basin for the period up to 2035 allows for the conclusion about the expected decrease in runoff in the Pripyat basin in all periods of the year with a maximum value in the summer period (up to 40% for individual tributaries) - table A.1.8 of the Annex A, map B.29 of the Annex B.

1.4.1 Floods

Flooding is one of the most essential and challenging problems in the basin of the Pripyat river.The problem is associated with immersion and flooding of settlements, agricultural and forestry lands with thawed and flood waters; deterioration of river beds and flood plains, causing changes in their hydrological regime, changes in hydrogeological conditions in river basins, distribution of the Pripyat River flow at the Upper Pripyat hydroelectric complex of the Beloozersk water system of the Dnieper-Bug channel. The reasons that compound the effects of flooding include the following:  extensive overgrowing and silting of river channels and overgrowing of flood plains, which causes an increase in the duration of water standing. Over the past 50 years, the duration of the passing of floods and river floods on the Pripyat River increased from 80 to 300 days;  decrease in the carrying capacity of the channels and their transformation from meandering into multipath branches;  decrease in current velocities and an increase in flood levels;  the unsatisfactory work of particular ameliorative systems, which leads to a “expansion” of the time required for passing of floods and river floods. Detailed characteristics of floods are given in section 1.2.2.

1.4.2 Low-water seasons

Under the condition of a significant decrease in water levels in the rivers and reservoirs of the Pripyat basin, a situation that faces serious challenges, both in agriculture and in water transport is arising.Reducing the levels to 80 centimetres above the zero is considered dangerous for shipping. How- ever, in 1992, minus five centimetres above the zero level was noted within the Pripyat in the Mazyr region. Detailed characteristics of low-water periods are given in section 1.2.2.

1.4.3 Erosion processes

Erosion processes do not have a significant impact on their ecological condition for rivers of the Pri- pyat basin. Although Pripyat River Basin is relatively flat, erosion is limited to some areas.Natural processes of free and limited meandering prevail on the rivers. In some areas incomplete meandering and secondary type occur. Due to erosion processes and channel deformations in the areas of the Pripyat tributaries changes in the coastal strip are more typical for the right bank. When straightening the river bed, there is an increase in the slopes of the water surface, an increase in the flow rates and, as a consequence, an increase in the deformation of the channels is occur-

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ring.For example, on the Pina River, during low-flow periods, the river velocities increased by 1.35 times due to the riverbed regulation. The river velocities on the Yaselda River are increased in 1.15 times, the Bobrik in 1.4 times, the Tsna in 1.4 times, the Lan in 1.8 times, the Sluch in 1.2 times. The variable state of the river bed is characterized by erosion in some places and siltation, creep of slopes, silting of the bottom in others.A great number of small and medium-sized rivers flow through marshy lands, which are underlain mainly by sandy sediments with the overepresentation of fine- grained and medium-grained sands (fraction d <0.25 ... 0.5 mm). Therefore, the most characteristic type of deformation is an increase in the river bed width and a decrease in its depth until a dynamic balance between the tangential forces of the flow and the erosion resistance of the bottom layer of the soil. A typical example of this type of deformation of regulated rivers is the Lan and Oressa rivers.Over the 20 years of its operation, the river bed of the Oressa River below the Lyuban reservoir was silted by an average of 0.6-0.8 m. At the same time, on the rivers of partial channel overregulation below straightening, especially in the stretch areas, the accumulation and periodical rising of the bottom sediment occur, i.e. the area of high pollution of river water. The reservoirs and areas with increased pollution of river waters by bottom sediment are also various morphological formations of the river. The data obtained on the change of the state of regulated river allow making generalization and conclusions. Within many rivers, that were previously straightened, water control structures (sluices) are additional- ly arranged, which allows maintaining the necessary water levels in certain periods of the year. The examples are the Bobrik, Oressa rivers and others. As a rule, overgrowing of the river beds causing a significant reduction of throughout capacity occurs in the places of their sedimentation.Such overgrowing is most often observed on areas of rivers that were selectively adjusted or that flowing through lowland peat soils. The problem that needs to be solved is the assessment of the conditions under which the selective regulation of river beds contributes to the formation of bottom sediments and their recurrent pollution of river waters, weakening these processes. In recent years, activities to preserve and improve the states of rivers, especially small ones, have been expanded.In particular, their straightening is sharply limited. It is allowed in exceptional cases only in view of proper environmental justification. Measures are extensively taken within the catchment areas with the establishment of water protection zones and coastal strips to reduce the flow of pollutants into water courses and to preserve their coastal zones. In particular cases, the installation of water regulation facilities (gateways, spurs, bottom walls) has been made, and the regulation of economic activities on rivers has been tightened. Up to date, at the initiative of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Belarus, a number of programs have been developed for implementing a set of measures to improve the ecological status of the catchment areas of small rivers. In the result of the actions conducted on a number of rivers, the water pressure is improving, but in general the situation is unfavourable. To improve it, recommendations have been developed for rivers subjected to riverbed regulation. . 1.4.4 Health issues

To improve the drinking water supply and the quality of water in the reservoirs, the State program “Comfortable housing and favourable environment for 2016-2020” is being implemented. Its subprogram 5 “Clean water” provides for a set of measures of an organizational, technical, economic and legal nature.The implementation of the subprogramme actions will contribute to the further development of centralized drinking water supply systems, improvement of the quality of drinking water supplied to consumers, and the solution of the priority social task of providing the population with high-

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quality drinking water. Issues on legal compliance in the field of sanitary and epidemic welfare of the population in recreation areas are under the constant control of state sanitary inspection.Even during the preparation period, the owners and the assigned organizations are given recommendations and instructions on the preparation of recreation areas for the swimming season, and their implementation is monitored. When the bathing season begins, state sanitary inspection organized and conducted weekly monitoring of recreation zones, their sanitary condition and water compliance with established safety requirements.Thus, in the result of state sanitary inspection, in 2016, 68 prescriptions and 569 recommendations were given to eliminate violations detected of sanitary and epidemiological legislation in the Pri- pyat river basin. And 95 liable persons were brought to administrative action. In addition, information on water bodies’ areas where bathing is restricted, suspended or prohibited is posted weekly on the websites of the Republican Centre for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health State Agency and territorial bodies of state sanitary inspection.

1.4.5 Radionuclides pollution

The accident at the Chernobyl NPP occurred on April 26, 1986 at 1.23 am. As a result, 23% of the territory of the republic was subjected to radioactive contamination with cesium-137; strontium-90 (10%); transuranium elements (plutonium-238,239,240, americium-241) - 2%. The Gomel and Mogilev regions, 10 districts of the Minsk region, 6 districts of the Brest region, and 6 districts of the Grodno region and 1 district of the Vitebsk region were completely contaminated. As a result of the release of radioactive substances, the flora and fauna of Polesye, forests and swamps have been affected. The danger of the spread of radionuclides through the aquatic environment was of particular concern. Radioactive contamination of water bodies occurred both as a result of direct release of radioactive substances on the water surface, and as a result of subsequent washouts from the surface of catchments, cross flows from more polluted watercourses and water bodies, mass exchange between bottom sediments and water masses, unloading of polluted groundwater into surface water bodies. Immediately after the accident, the radioactive contamination of river ecosystems in the Pripyat basin was 10Kbq/l. About a month after the release of radioactive substances, their concentration in surface waters (rivers) significantly decreased due to the removal and deposition of bottom sediments. Over the next three years, the radionuclide content significantly decreased, even in the waters of the most polluted Pripyat River. At present, the probability of radioactive contamination of drinking water in the areas of resettlement creates no concern. While describing the behaviour of radionuclides in the environment, special focus is paid to iodine-131, cesium-137 and strontium-90, since these radionuclides formed and form the main radiation dose of the affected population: by cesium-137 on map B.17 ot the Annex B; by strontium-90 on map B.17.1 ot the Annex B). The accident at the Chernobyl NPP significantly changed the demographic structure of the region. Only for the period of 1986-2000 the population of the Gomel region decreased by 8%. In the Khoiniki district it is declined by almost 43%. The number of rural habitants in the Gomel region decreased by 27%, while the number of urban population decreased by 3%. The birth rate has gone down roughly. Life expectancy of the population of the Gomel region was decreased by 5 years. Up to present moment, about 137.7 thousand people have been resettled and about 200 thousand have left the contaminated areas on their own.

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1.5 Stakeholders and programs

1.5.1 Administrative organization

The Pripyat River and its main tributaries flow within the Republic of Belarus in the Brest, Gomel and Minsk regions. The operational control of Pripyat water resources is carried out by the Brest, Gomel and Minsk regional councils of deputies, administrations of these regions, regional committees of natural resources and environmental protection and other local government bodies. Regional committees of natural resources and environmental protection conduct the official policy of the Ministry in the region, including regular monitoring of quality indicators of water resources and control of water users through regional (district) inspections. Research departments of the Ministry of Natural Resources, which specialize in the field of water resources protection and management, are:  Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources (CRICUWR) is the leading institution in the field of scientific substantiation of the use and protection of water resources;  Branch «Institute of Geology» RUE «Research and Production Center for Geology», specializing in the field of an assessment of groundwater and other mineral resources.

1.5.2 Water User Guidance

Water use is the use of water bodies to meet the requirements of the population and objects of economic activity Water use is classified in accordance with the following criteria:  by the purposes of water use – drinking and household, municipal, industrial, agricultural, for energy, for fisheries, for water transport and rafting, for forging and resort medicine, etc.,  by water objects - surface, groundwater, internal and territorial sea waters;  by the method of use - with the extraction of water and its return, extraction of water without return, without extraction of water;  by technical conditions of water use - with the use of technical facilities, without the use of facilities.

1.5.3 Summary of water strategies, programs, plans and projects

The management and protection of water resources in the Republic of Belarus is regulated by international legal norms and agreements, constitutional norms, laws adopted by the Chamber of Deputies, decrees of the President of the Republic of Belarus, normative acts issued by executive bodies (Coun- cil of Ministers, ministries, committees, local authorities). The main international laws that regulate water use include:  Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Helsinki, 1992);  Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigable Uses of International Watercourses (New York, 1997);  Convention on the Transboundary Impact of Industrial Accidents (Helsinki, 1992);  Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea (Helsinki,1992);  Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo, 1991);  Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in the Adoption Process;  Solutions and access to justice in environmental issues (Aarhus, 1998);

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 Protocol on Water and Health Issues (hereinafter referred to as the WHI) to the Water Convention;  Agenda on Sustainable Development for the period 2016-2030, adopted by the UN General As- sembly on September 25, 2015 (hereinafter referred to as the 2030 Agenda), and approved by UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/70/1 on September 25, 2015. Legislation in the field of use and protection of water resources is developed on the basis of the Con- stitution of the Republic of Belarus, adopted on November 24, 1996. According to Paragraph 13 of the Constitution of water constitute the exclusive state property. April 30, 2014 №149-3 adopted the Wa- ter Code of the Republic of Belarus. The Code regulates relations arising from the possession, use and disposal of water and water bodies. It is aimed at protecting and rational (sustainable) use of water resources, as well as protecting the rights and legitimate interests of water users. 1.6 Diagnosis: synthetic description

According to the identification carried out (delination) [13], the hydrographic network in the Pripyat River basin includes 715 surface water bodies, such as: 636 SWB on waterways or their parts (rivers, streams, channels) with a catchment area of more than 30 km2 and an average length 15.9 km; 79 water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, ponds) with a water surface area of more than 0.5 km2 and an average water surface area of 3.60 km2. Decrease in the volume of the basin’s water resources for a very low-water year of 95% probability even more significant. For medium-sized rivers in the basin, it is 44–61% of the average water resources of the year, and for small rivers it is only 15–30%. Thus, the decrease in river flow resources for a very low-water year is from 1.6–2.2 times for medium rivers and up to 3.3–6.5 times for small rivers of the Pripyat basin. The left bank tributaries of the Pripyat, in contrast to the right bank tributaries (from Ukraine), have lower flow variability. Since 1989, there has been warming according to observations at meteorological stations located in the Pripyat river basin. Since the natural formation of runoff in the Pripyat River basin is disturbed by drainage amelioration, the explicit function with correlation dependence of the annual flow and annual precipitation is not traced. The Pripyat River basin occupies a fourth part of the entire territory of the country within the Republic of Belarus.The Pripyat catchment area is located in the southern part of the country on the territory of five (of six) regions (12 administrative districts of the Gomel region, 11 districts of the Minsk region, 11 districts of the Brest region, 3 districts of the Mogilyov region and one district of the Grodno region), as well as 5 cities of regional subordination. In total, it fully covers the land of 38 administrative districts. A population of 1.0647 million lives within the territory of the Pripyat river basin. This amount includes 598.3 thousand urban populations and 466.4 thousand rural populations In the Pripyat River Basin, as well as in Belarus as a whole, special importance is attached to reforestation and afforestation. Compared to 2010, the volume of these works increased by 22.5%. There has been a positive trend in the development of industrial production and agriculture:  the indices of industrial production compared to the previous 2016 amounted to 111.5% in general, the indices of agricultural production amounted to 105.3% for crop production, and 103.3% for livestock production in the Minsk region (oblast) in 2017;  the indices of industrial production amounted to 101.8% in general, the indices of agricultural production amounted to 106.4% for crop production, and 102.4% for livestock production in the Gomel region;  the indices of industrial production amounted to 105.8% in general, the indices of agricultural production amounted to 106.6% for crop production, and 102.1% for livestock production in the Brest region;  the indices of industrial production amounted to 105.7% in general, the indices of agricultural production amounted to 105.5% for crop production, and 101.3% for livestock production in the Gomel region.

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CHAPTER 2. PRESSURES AND IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON WATER RESOURCES

Anthropogenic impact on water bodies is developed both due to point and diffuse sources of pollution. The anthropogenic impact on the water resources of the Pripyat basin is formed on the territory of two states. It is associated with the specialness of the Pripyat River, which twice crosses the state border of two neighboring states - Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus - in the upper and lower reaches. The bodies located in the Pripyat river basin on the territory of Belarus are in favorable conditions for the provision of water resources, contributing to the further development of the economy. Enterprises use surface and groundwater as sources of water supply.

2.1 Estimation of point source pollution

The assessment of point sources of pollution is based on an analysis of the characteristics of water use for each water user in terms of water abstraction from groundwater bodies, water withdrawal from surface water bodies, wastewater discharges and their characteristics, as well as the impact of these discharges on receiving water bodies. In total, according to the statistical reporting of water use for 2018, 596 water users are located in the Pripyat basin in the framework of the State Water Cadastre in the territory of Belarus. 91 water users have wastewater discharges. The number of wastewater discharges into natural water bodies is 194. Among all water users having wastewater discharges into natural water bodies, 21enterprises contribute more than 95% of the total volume of wastewater discharged into the basin, including the following water users:

 "RUME 'Granit' in Mikashevichi of the Luninets District";  "PJSC 'Fish Farm 'Selets', section 'Tsentralniy' of the Byaroza District";  "PJSC "Krasnaya Sloboda Fish Farm "";  "PJSC 'FISH FACTORY 'LYUBAN'";  "PJSC 'FishFarm 'Loktyshi' of the Hantsavichy District";  "PJSC 'Mozyr Oil Refinery";  "PJSC 'FishFarmPolesie' of the Pinsk District";  "CPUIE 'Pinskvodokanal ' Pinsk";  "Subsidiary Production Unitary Enterprise "Slutskvodokanal"";  "PJSCFish Farm "Tremlya"";  "Communal Unitary Enterprise 'Soligorskvodokanal', Soligorsk";  "BranchFishFarm 'Lahva'  “PJSC” 'Pinskvodstroy' of the Luninets District";  "PJSC "Fish Farm "Beloe"";  "Main Directorate of Industrial Enterprise "ByarozaHousing and Communal Services" of the Bya- roza District";  "LuninetsCommunal Unitary Enterpris, Wastewater Disposal Organization 'Vodokanal' Luninets";  "CommunalUnitaryEnterprise 'IvanavaHousing and Communal Services' (Ivanava and Ivanava District)";  "UEPietrikaw Enterprise of Melioration System";  "Soligorsk City Unitary Production Enterprise 'Housing and Communal Services” Complex' ";  "HousingandCommunalServices 'Hantsavichy' (Hantsavichy and Hantsavichy District)";

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 "Communal Unitary Enterprise “Pietrikaw Disctrict Housing and Utilities Infrastructure”". During the assessment of the impact of point sources, the dilution capacity of surface water bodies was calculated based on the number of pollutants in the wastewater, wastewater discharge and water discharge in receiving water bodies. If the calculated concentration of the limit value, indicating good chemical status, is exceeded, then the bodies belong to surface water bodies under the possible significant impact of point sources of pollution. To do the final assessment of the degree risk for wastewater discharge that are related to local monitoring bodies, we used the local monitoring data for 2017-2018 provided by the National Center for Analytical Monitoring in the Area of Environmental Protection. A compilationof the results of the analysis of loads and impacts from point sources of pollution by their wastewater discharges is given in table A.6 of Annex A. 26 sections of watercourses and 1 reservoir are affected by the most significant impact of point sources. The areas of surface water bodies which are at risk of significant impact of point sources of pollution (in the area of wastewater discharges of water user enterprises) are the following:  the Krechet river (SUE “Berezovskoye housing and communal services”);  Yaselda River (State Unitary Enterprise “Berezovskoye Housing and Public Utilities”);  the Lan River (Fish Farm OJSC Loktyshy);  Tsna river (CUMME housing and communal services "Gantsevichi", a section of Gantsevichi and the Gantsevichi district);  Lake Chernoe (branch of RUE Brestenergo Berezovskaya TPP);  Struga reclamation canal (CUMME housing and communal services "Ivanovskoye housing and communal services", a section of Ivanovo and the Ivanovo district);  the Nesluha river (CUMME housing and communal services "Ivanovo housing and communal services", a section of the city of Ivanovo and Ivanovo district);  theVolokhva river (Luninetsk CUE WDO (wastewater disposal organization) “Vodokanal of Luninets”);  Sluch river (Luninetsk CUE WDO “Vodokanal of Luninets”);  Luninetsk channel (CUMEhousing and communal services “Luninetsk housing and communal services”);  Radolsky channel (State enterprise Narovlyansk enterprise of reclamation systems);  Serebryansky Canal (OJSC “Oktyabrsky Skimmed Milk Powder Plant”);  Mikhedovo-Grabovsky channel (CUE "Petrikovskoye enterprise of reclamation systems", Petrikov");  Pripyat river (CUE Petrikovsky Rayzhilkomkhoz, Petrikov);  the Vit river (Makanovichsky neuropsychiatric boarding house for the elderly and disabled people of speech, Rechitsa district, Makanovichi);  the Braginka river (CUE “Khoiniki communal”, Khoiniki);  theTsna river (Military unit No.03522, Ozerechye, Kletsky district);  the Tsepra river (CUE Kletsk housing and communal services in the area of Rassvet settlement);  theMazha river (CUE Kopyl housing and communal services in the area of Kovyl);  the Sluch river (CUME “Slutsk Housing and Public Utilities”, Slutsk);  Moroch River (OJSC Fish Farm Krasnaya Sloboda);  the Solyanka river (State Unitary Enterprise "Starodorozhskoye Housing and Public Utilities", Starye Dorogi);  theOressa river (CUE “Soligorskvodokanal”, Soligorsk);  the Naut River (State Unitary Enterprise "Zhitkovichsky Communal", Zhitkovichi);  Krivichsky channel (CUE “Soligorskvodokanal” (Soligorsk);  river Shat (regional unitary enterprise “Uzdenskoye housing and communal services”).

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A compilation of the results of the analysis of loads and impacts from point sources of pollution by their discharge, which have a significant impact on the hydrochemical indicators of the status of water bodies, taking into account the water content of the receiving water body (its dilution capacity) and local monitoring data above and below the discharge, is given in table A.7 of the Annex A. The location of the main point sources of pollution having wastewater discharges, taking into account the discharge of wastewater from treatment facilities in settlements and from treatment facilities of other enterprises, is shown on map B.37 of the Annex B. The main loads on groundwater bodies in the Pripyat river basin are given in Table A.4.10 of Annex A. A significant number of pollutants flow into the water bodies of the Pripyat River basin with surface wastewater from the territories of settlements within the basin. The challenge is the lack of biological treatment plants in many urban-type settlements. Problematic are the wastewater of the meat and dairy industry, discharged without treatment to the public canalization and to the filtration fields. The list of filtration fields that have the most significant impact on surface and groundwater, and measures for their elimination (reclamation) are presented, respectively, in tables A.4.11 and A.21 of Annex A. It should be noted that the filtration fields are point, and to a greater extent, diffuse sources of pollution due to their negative impact on groundwater. In total, there are 421 treatment facilities in the Pripyat basin with anestimated power of 267.3 million m3 per year, providing for the discharge of wastewater into the environment with a load of up to 38% (according to data for 2018). Among them 34 use biological treatment,29 -mechanical treatment, 27 - physico-chemical treatment, 270 use filtration fields, 61 have runoff water system (table A.6.1 of the Annex A). The main loads on groundwater bodies in the Pripyat river basin are given in Table A.4.10 of Annex A. Local groundwater monitoring is carried out by nature resource users in the places where negative impact facilities are located: landfills for municipal and industrial waste, silt areas of treatment plants, agricultural irrigation fields, filtration fields, industrial sites of enterprises, areas for storage of petroleum products, burial of unusable pesticides, etc. These facilities are both point and diffuse sources of groundwater pollution. Landfills for storage and disposal of municipal solid waste can be either point sources or diffuse sources of pollution of surface and groundwater (table A.6.2 of Annex A and on map B.34 of Annex B).

2.2 Estimation of diffuse source pollutions

Dispersed (diffuse) pollution is caused by the inflow of pollutants into water course from sources distributed in the catchment area and without organized wastewater discharges. The process of formation of such pollution is mainly unsteady, unstable and variable, associated with seasonal, climatic and anthropogenic factors (season of the year, frequency of atmospheric phenomena, technology and volumes of fertilizer use, population density and number of cattle, etc. ). In case of diffuse pollution, it is difficult to organize and carry out environmental control and monitoring, and, as a result, take measures to regulate sources of impact. A significant contribution to the pollution of surface water is also made by atmospheric fall-out caused by emissions from industrial enterprises and transboundary transfer, as well as by the removal of pollutants from the road network, from landfills, dumps, etc. In the Pripyat basin, more than 3/4 of the atmospheric emissions are from motor vehicles, especially those with faulty, worn-out engines, 1/8 are emissions enterprises of heat power industries. Almost all large cities have heating and power plants such as Pinskaya, Luninetskaya, etc.. In addition, the largest electricity company - a branch of RUE “Brestenergo” Berezovskaya regional hydroeclectric power plant is operating in the Brest region).

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The main negative environmental aspects of the operation of gasoline filling stations (hereinafter - gas stations) are: air pollution introduceddue to the evaporation of fuel; pollution of surface and ground waters introduced due to fuel spillage and its washing out by atmospheric precipitation, as well as - drains resulting from washing equipment and gas station territory. Precipitations are classified as a periodically acting source of nutrients into the catchment area. In view of certain ratio of the catchment area and the area of the water surface of the reservoir, the supply of nutrients with precipitation falling straight forward to the water area can play a major role in its pollution by nutrients. During spring floods, up to 80% of nitrogen and 60% of phosphorus inflows not from soilwashing, but as a result of their inflow with solid sediments accumulated with snow in the catchment area. During the most humid years, the contribution of nutrients with precipitation is an additional source of nutrients for crops and a priority pollutant for catchments with a high lake percentage. The impact of diffuse sources of pollution on surface waters also occurs as a result of wind and water soil erosion, depending on the nature of the vegetation, soil treatment methods, technology and time of application of fertilizers and pesticides, the occurence of livestock complexes, the adopted system of rotation of crops, etc. The impact of rural settlements on water pollution by nutrients is also characterised due to surface runoff from settlements and filtering pollution from cesspools. Most rural settlements are not canalized, but they are quipped with cesspools. From the cesspools, up to 5% of nitrogen and phosphorus from the total amount formed on the territory of rural settlements comes to the river network. The amount of pollutants per inhabitant is: ammonia nitrogen - 2.7 g/day, mineral phosphorus (including detergents) - 0.48 g/day. Wastes from livestock and wastewater of livestock complexes are one of the main sources of environmental pollution, including natural waters, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. The amount of pollution entered in water bodies is determined by the capacity of livestock facilities, the volume of solid and liquid wastes and their composition. The quantity and properties of manure also depend on age, feeding diets and animal welfare methods. In the Pripyat basin, there are currently 77 farms with more than 3,500 cattle and 53 farms with more than 1,000 pigs, which annually accumulate about 2 million tons of liquid manure and sewage with a moisture content of over 97% - 4-5 million.m3. Such amount of large livestock enterprises negatively affects the environmental situation in the areas of their location. The main danger is caused by industrial livestock farming with improper farm management. Compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus contained in fertilizers, as well as those occurring from improper feeding and keeping animals, when they enter surface water bodies, stimulate heavy growth of algae, which causes overgrowth and eutrophication of the surface water body. Waste from agricultural activity, if stored improperly, can contain up to 150 pathogenic substances harmful to human and animal health: from rubella pathogens to tuberculosis bacilli. In addition, such waste enhances greenhouse gas emissions, destroys the ozone layer. Dead animals cause great harm to nature. Materials that are used for the construction of farms, such as asbestos, are also unsafe. In terms of environmental impact, livestock factories are considered equivalent to the industrial enterprises. The agricultural production cooperative (hereinafter referred to as the APC), which contains 2.5 thousand heads of pigs, creates the same amount of waste that is generated as a result of the life of a village or town with a population of 7.5 thousand people. Moreover, settlements, in contrasty to collective farms, have wastewater treatment systems. For APC (collective farms, state farms and other agricultural enterprises), in particular, for large livestock complexes, the problem of recycling a large amount of waste generated during agricultural activities (manure, etc.) is urgent.

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Environmental problems are aggravated by a large extent by the lack of territories and the condition of agricultural irrigation fields. According to the “Belmeliovodkhoz“ concern, most irrigation systems were built in the 80–90s. and have poor status. 68% of the equipment requires repairing. In some cases, it has been noted a sharp deterioration in the operating conditions of irrigation systems using manure at some pig farms due to the deposition of salts in pressure pipelines. Facilities located in water protection zones and coastal strips representthe danger to pollution of water bodies. The main pollutants located within the water protection zones of the Pripyat river are dairy farms that do not have manure depots in the study area. Disposal of manure provides for export to the fields. But very often this is not done due to the lack of transport or fuel. So that manure accumulates in the territory. Dangerous sources of river pollution are household yards and agricultural machinery repair workshops. Their territories, for the most part, do not have hard-surface pavement, rainwater drainage and sewage treatment plants. Only a few household yards (less than 5%), where there are mechanical workshops, as well as machine and tractor workshops, have hard-surface pavement. And not a single facility has rainwater drainage. Assessment of dispersed (diffuse) pollution sources was carried out with the use of the draft of the technical code of common “Rules for the assessment of pollutants into surface water bodies from dispersed (diffuse) pollution sources." developed by the RUE “CRICUWR” with the support of the international project EUWI +. An overall assessment of the influx of pollutants into surface objects from dispersed (diffuse) sources of pollution in the Pripyat basin in the territory of Belarus according to the data for 2017 as a whole for the year was made on the basis of the equation of the balance of pollutants in the mouth outlet of the Pripyat river near the settlement Dovlyady –outfall from Ukraine (2.0 km from the village), taking into account the contribution (mass of pollutants) coming from point sources and pollution, as well as the influx of pollutants from the territory of Ukraine along the Pripyat River and its tributaries. In this case, data were used on the characteristics of the average monthly runoff over the transboundary sections of the indicated watercourses for the months corresponding to the time of sampling, as well as the data of the analysis of water samples provided by Belhydromet. According to the provided assessment, the total contribution of point sources of pollution in the Pripyat basin is up to 28% of the total volume of pollutants. The remaining 72% are dispersed (diffuse) sources of pollution and the background content of pollutants in surface water bodies, due to natural factors. A more detailed assessment of the contribution of dispersed (diffuse) pollution sources was made in terms of administrative districts and identified surface water bodies with the use of the above mentioned Technical Code of Common Practice and using the annual statistics of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus. The data on the yield of sown farmland (cereals and pulses, industrial and forage crops, annual and perennial grasses) were used in view of administrative districts taking into account the proportion of areas of districts located in the river basin. To assess the inflow of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus compounds) with mineral and organic fertilizers, we used the data on the application of mineral fertilizers for crops and the estimated volumes of organic fertilizers in the context of administrative regions based on the number of livestock (cattle, pigs, horses and poultry) presented in Table 2.1, considering that manure is used for fertilising.

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Table 2.1: The estimated level of application of mineral and organic fertilizers per 1 ha of the catchment area of the Pripyat river basin

Organic fertilizers Mineral fertilizers Phosphorus (P O ), Phosphorus (P O ), Nitrogen (N), kg/ha 2 5 Nitrogen (N), kg/ha 2 5 Year kg/ha kg/ha MIN MAX MEAN MIN MAX MEAN MIN MAX MEAN MIN MAX MEAN 2014 7.55 11.30 9.34 2.88 4.44 3.61 15.28 22.23 18.63 5.14 8.43 6.71 2015 6.91 10.77 8.72 2.69 4.31 3.43 15.33 22.51 18.79 4.36 7.31 5.79 2016 7.03 10.81 8.80 2.72 4.35 3.46 11.81 18.63 15.17 2.22 4.58 3.34 2017 7.35 11.28 9.20 2.80 4.46 3.56 14.20 22.41 18.22 2.41 4.79 3.53 2018 7.42 11.47 9.33 2.83 4.53 3.61 14.00 21.10 17.50 3.52 6.27 4.87

The calculation results starkly reflect the volume of formation of an overcharge of nutrients as a result of agricultural production, taking into account the main mechanisms of its formation is presented on the figure 2.1.

Figure 2.1 Dynamics of the total overcharge of nutrient elements of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus from agricultural production (P) for 2014 - 2018 in the Pripyat river basin

A more specified distribution of the excess of nitrogen and phosphorus over the territory of the Pripyat River basin, taking into account the results of the analysis of the risk of contamination of surface-water bodies from dispersed (diffuse) pollution sources, is presented on maps B.46 and B.47 of Annex B. In the context of a total volume of 440 tons of total phosphorus received in 2017 from diffuse sources, an overcharge for phosphorus is formed in the basin reaching 8900 tons. Assuming phosphorus retention in the basin of up to 96%, the contribution of agricultural production will be about 350 tons, and 90 tons is the contribution to pollution from diffuse sources of background pollution, precipitation from the atmosphere and runoff from forest land. In the context of a total volume of 6,700 tons of nitrogen received in 2017 from diffuse sources, an overcharge for nitrogenis formed in the basin reaching about 34,000 tons. Assuming nitrogen retention in the basin up to 85%, the contribution of agricultural production will be about 5100 tons, and 1600 tons is the contribution to pollution from diffuse sources of background pollution, precipitation from the atmosphere and runoff from forest land.

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Agricultural nutrient load is characterized by significant spatial variability due to climatic and landscape differences, a variety of approaches to land use and management, as well as political and economic factors. Recently, understanding of the importance of assessing sources and pathways of distribution, as well as the processes of formation of pollution by biogens, has increased. The pollution load of water bodies from agricultural land has a different degree of risk from nutrient loading. This risk is determined by a combination of local characteristics. Thus, a cost effective reduction of nutrient load requires measures taken in certain areas. For the Pripyat River basin, these are the following river sub-catchments for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P2O5), presented in table A.4.12 of the Annex A, taking into account their ranking according to the risk degree. There are 13 filtration fields in the Pripyat River Basin, which have the greatest negative impact on changes in the state of surface and, to a greater extent, groundwater resources in the Pripyat River Basin with agreed regional activities1. A list of these filtration fields with an indication of surface and groundwater bodies at risk of negative effects of these filtration fields is given in Table A.4.11 of An- nex A. These filtration fields are both dispersed (diffuse) and point significant sources of pollution.

2.3 Estimation of quantitative pressures on surface water and groundwater

The structure of water use in the Pripyat River Basin does not radically differ from the overall structure of water use in the country. A specific feature of the basin is the inflow of extra volumes of water due to the drainage of water from the Pripyat River to the territory of Ukraine into the Dnieper-Bug Channel through the Beloozersk water supply system for water delivery to the channel and maintenance of navigability. Water is discharged through the Vyzhevsk water outlet of the Upper Pripyat waterworks facility (Vygevsky floodgate), which is located in Ukraine near the settlement Pochapi (Figure 2.2).

Dniepro-Bug Canal (DBC)

Republic of Belarus

Beloozerskaya water feed system of DBC Ukraine

Figure 2.2 –General scheme of the Dnieper-Bug Channel

The distributionorder of runoff of the Upper Pripyat (Belarus-Ukraine) was approved in 2010 at the inter-state level. This order is based on the optimization of runoff distribution management while pre-

1 according to the results of the assignment of the Ministry of Natural Resources, carried out by RUE CRICUWR No.41/9/6.4/ 2019 (47/2019) as of 04/23/2019 "Conduct an inventory of existing filtration fields, evaluate the negative impact on the state of water resources for various categories of filtration fields with the elaboration of their list and proposals for their staged decommissioning ”

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serving the ecological runoff in the Pripyat River. This runoff is determined with the use of environmental, hydrological and hydraulic criteria. The general scheme of the runoff distribution depending on the flow of water in the Pripyat River (QPripyat) above the Upper Pripyathydroelectric complex is shown in Figure 2.3. In certain shallow periods, in order to maintain the ecological functioning of the Upper Pri- pyat, according to this procedure, runoff to the Dnieper-Bug Channel was not derived from the Pripyat River: July-September 2015, August-October 2016 (Figure 2.4).

6.0 3.00 5.5 River upper Pripyat downstream Verchnepripjatsky waterworks facility (after part of the flow was taken to the Beloozerskaya water supply system), Ukraine 5.0 Beloozerskaya water feeding system of the DBC, Belarus

4.5

4.0 1.70 3.5 3.00 3.0 1.70 2.5 1.35 1.70 2.0

1.5 1.00

/s 0.70 1.0 3 m 0.35 0.5 3 m /s 0.00 0.0 3.4  QPripyat 

0.0

1.0

1.7

2.4

3.4

6.0 QDBC Qpripyat

0.0  QPripyat  1.0  QPripyat  2.4  QPripyat  QPripyat > 12.0

QDBC=0 QDBC 0.5*(Qpripyat - 1.0) QDBCQpripyat-1.7 Qpripyat-6.0QDBC 34.0

Figure 2.3 - Graphic presentation of the upper Pripyat water allocation rule (Belarus-Ukraine)

27 38 26 Watter allocation - upper Pripyat (2016) 25 Watter allocation - upper Pripyat (2015) 36 24 River upper Pripyat downstream Verchnepripjatsky waterworks facility 34 23 (after part of the flow was taken to the Beloozerskaya water supply 32 River upper Pripyat downstream Verchnepripjatsky waterworks facility 22 system), Ukraine 21 30 (after part of the flow was taken to the Beloozerskaya water supply 20 19 Beloozerskaya water feeding system of the DBC, Belarus 28 system), Ukraine 18 26 Beloozerskaya water feeding system of the DBC, Belarus 17 /s 24 3 16 15 22 m

14 3 20 13 12 m 18 11 16 10 14 9 8 12 7 10 6 5 8 4 6 3 4 2 1 2

0 0

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17.12.2015 31.12.2015

Figure 2.4 - Examples of the Upper Pripyat water allocation rule practical implementation during dry and shallow periods of 2015,2016 years

Total characteristics of water use include annual volumes of abstraction and collection of water from surface and groundwater sources, its use for various needs, as well as the quality of wastewater discharged into surface water bodies of the Pripyat River basin (table A.5 of the Annex A). The dynamics of annual water withdrawal from groundwater and surface water bodies is shown in Figure 2.4 (map B.51 of the Annex B).

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360 Groundwater drawoff mln. cub.m

340 Surface water exception mln. cub.m

326.517

338.3995 314.5456

320 /year

3 303.108

300 294.9653 288.4458

280 million million m

260

244.4642

240.918723

239.027

236.292 235.4513

240 230.315 228.279

220 218.3223 200

180

160.3617 159.7927

160 153.041

144.4942

144.281

141.68418

138.699

138.16647

136.45234

135.66

135.8212

134.69406 130.7966 140 130.81122 120 100 80 60 40 20

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2006 2007 2008 2009 2016 2017 2018 2005 Figure 2.4 - The dynamics of annual water abstraction from groundwater and surface water bodies

The use of water for various needs from surface water bodies and underground and bodies by type of economic activity according to the data for 2018 is shown in Figures 2.5-2.7. Map B.49 of Annex B outlines the characteristics of water use in the river basin in view of districts, regions and regional centers. The specific water consumption in the river basin is given in table А.5.1 of Annex A and on the map B.50 of Annex B. It reaches averages 106 l/day/person in the range of administrative regions from 80 to 146 l/day/person.

Water use from ground waters (mln m3/year / %) Water use from surface waters (mln m3/year / %) 3.486; 2% 5.52; 2% 17.28; 8% 0.01; 0% 3.22; 1% industry 0.68; 0% industry 24.18; 18% energy energy 33.886; 25% 0.69; 0% agriculture agriculture 27.33; 20%

fish industry fish industry 200.13; 87% housing and 7.79; 6% housing and communal communal services services other industries 0.06; 0% other industries leakage losses 41.72; 31% leakage losses

Figure 2.5 – Use of water from surface water Figure 2.6 – Use of water from groundwater for bodies for various needs various needs

Surface waters are mostly withdrawn and used for fisheries (fish farms), industry and agriculture. Groundwater are most withdrawn and used for housing and communal services (drinking water supply), agriculture and industry (mainly to provide drinking water supply for these activities).

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The difference between abstraction and use is due to water transfer and water losses during transportation.

160

150 146.94 surface water volume, mln.m3 140 groundwater volume, mln.m3 130 120 110 100 90 80

70 55.60

60 54.85 50.93 50 40

30 27.51 21.49 20

3.35

2.93

1.55

0.79 0.04

0 0.01

other

energy

industry

domestic agriculture

fishindustry Figure 2.7 – Water abstraction for different types of economic activity

The Pripyat basin region within the territory of Belarus is industrially and agriculturally developed. Therefore, the influence of surface and groundwater resources on social development and the main sectors of the economy is significant. The largest consumers of fresh water (with a volume of more than 5000 thousand m3/year) in the basin are: "SUE 'Lyuban reclamation systems enterprise'"; "OJSC 'Fish farm' Selets', section 'Central' Berezovsky district"; "RUME 'Granite', Mikashevichi, Luninetsky district"; "OJSC 'Fish Farm Loktyshy of the Gantsevichi district"; "OJSC" Fish Farm Krasnaya Sloboda"; "OJSC Fish Farm" Tremlya"; OJSC Mozyr Oil Refinery; "OJSC 'Fish Farm Polesye' of the Pinsk district"; "OJSC 'BELARUSKALIY', Soli- gorsk"; "Branch Fish Farm 'Lahva'; OJSC 'Pinskvodstroy' Luninetsky district"; "OJSC" Fish Farm "Be- loe"; "SE "Mozyr rayzhilkomkhoz"; "CPUE 'Pinskvodokanal', Pinsk"; "SCUE "Soligorskvodokanal", Slutsk district". In the basin as a whole, both in enterprises and in settlements, the use of drinking water for production needs is constantly decreasing. It should be noted that the increased percentage of drinking water use is associated with its use in the housing and communal services system and in the food industry. Quantitative changes in water resources are largely determined by the difference between the withdrawal (production) and water discharge, i.e. irretrievable water consumption (in relation to water bodies). Currently, irretrievable water consumption in the Pripyat basin does not exceed 1% of runoff, 95% of the probability of exceeding (provision) and does not significantly affect the quantitative indicators of water resources in the Pripyat basin. The dynamics of annual volumes of discharges into surface water bodies by the volumes of discharged treated wastewater, including insufficiently treated, as well as by the amount of pollutants in the wastewater is shown in the figures 2.8-2.10.

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360 Wastes discharge, mln. cub. M 340 Wastes discharge of insufficiently treated waste water, mln. Cub.m

320

/year 3

300 295.464

280.432 277.190

280 271.531

261.437 miilon miilon m 260 254.328

240 219.645

220 218.570

208.729

207.638

205.211 202.202

200 199.204 185.645 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40

5.611

4.422

2.251

2.162

1.457

1.341

1.021

0.864

0.843

0.739

0.656

0.175 0.143

0 0.132

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016 2017 2018 Figure 2.8 – Dynamics of wastewater discharges into surface water bodies

2300 2200 Readily oxidable organic matter on BOD5, tons/year Ammonium-ion, tons/year 2100 2156.8

2000 1968 1900 1800 1700

1600 1606.34 1510.6

1500 1370.32

1400 1359.798

1297.66

1289.15 1284.42

1300 1270.4 1206.79

1200 1126.16

1100 997.66 1000 965.34 900

800

725.48

722.7

687.47

683.95

680.2

674.25 659.79

700 655.17

596.42 567.08

600 528.79 497

500 446.01 424.632 400 300 200 100

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016 2017 2018 Figure 2.9 - Priority pollutions intake into water bodies in the Pripyat river basin

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Petroleum derivatives, tons/year Nitrite-ion, tons/year Phosphate-ion, tons/year Metals (iron total, zink, nickel, chrome total), tons/year Sulfates, tons/year

280 259

260 251.82

240

220 218.7 209.8 200

180 178.4

160 157.2

150.55

149.7

149.86 146.6

140 139.7 121.16

120 120.4

108.52

101.1

100.39 100.28

100 91.34

84.5

78.99 78.06

80 73.55

70.8 65.6

42.965

42.2 41.1

40 38.0

28.6

27.31

22.09

19.28

19.21

19.14

18.75 18.74

18.725

18.02

16.93

16.29

16.545

15.84 15.84

15.71

15.49

15.32

15.18

14.64

14.02

14.1

13.75

12.81

12.42 12.5

20 12.11

9.8

7.579

7.539

7.160

6.319

6.156

6.013

5.647

5.237

4.991

4.765

4.632

4.576

4.378 4.001

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2005 Figure 2.10 - Priority pollutions intake into water bodies in the Pripyat river basin

An analysis of the dynamics of wastewater inflow into the water bodies of the Pripyat River basin since 2005 indicates a decrease in wastewater volumes and the proportion of insufficiently treated wastewater in them (from 2.8% to 0.3%). Despite the fact that insufficiently treated wastewater in the water disposal structure for the period from 2016 to 2018 amounted to less than 1%, the load on water bodies on the intake of pollutants is significant. The prioritized substances, the highest concentrations of which are most often observed in the water of the water bodies of the Pripyat basin, are nutrients, less commonly, organic substances. The relatively high content of metals (iron, copper, manganese, zinc) is associated with their high natural (or background) content. The situation with the inflow of wastewater and pollutants is sufficiently stabilized. The volumes of pollutants entering the water bodies of the Pripyat Basin mostly change slightly from year to year, excluding easily oxidized organic substances according to BOD5 and phosphates.

2.4 Analysis of other pressures and impacts of human activity on hydromorphological conditions

Analysis of the impact of anthropogenic activities on water resources includes definition of the impact of flow regulation on the hydrological regime of surface water bodies and their sections, determinina- tion of the impact on their morphological indicators and identification of irregularities of the continuity of water flow2.

2Appendix 2 an article 1.4 «The determination of loads» WFD EU

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Hydromorphological elements of the quality of water bodies - the degree of change in hydromorphological indicators - can determine and include the assessment of the ecological status of surface water bodies along with hydrobiological and hydrochemical indicators of the state of river and lake ecosystems. The disturbance of the continuity of the water flow is caused by the location of retaining hydraulic structures in the channels of watercourses (dams of channel reservoirs and ponds, navigable locks, regulating locks, regulator pipes, spillways). It has a direct influence on restricting the habitat of aquatic flora and fauna, as well as disruption of natural hydrological mode. In the Pripyat river basin, a significant 77 violations of the continuity of water flow were identified due to the location of retaining structures of channel reservoirs and ponds, as well as navigation locks, affecting 87 sections - 13% of the total number of "river" areas. Tables A.4.4-A.4.6 of Annex A give lists and basic characteristics of water bodies with altered hydromorphological characteristics associated with disruption of continuity, the location of reservoirs, and straightening. In the Pripyat river basin there are 735 reclamation systems with a total area of reclaimed land of more than 10,400 km23 (more than 20% of the total area of the basin) for the needs of regulating humidity on reclaimed agricultural land. A large number of reclamation systems have anthropogenic impact on the natural hydrological regime of surface water bodies in addition to 449 sites - 70% of the total number of river sites. The analysis of the loads in the Pripyat basin associated with land reclamation and their impact on the change in river flow are shown in Table A.4.8 of Annex A. Thus, the hydrological regime of only 100 sections of watercourses can be considered undisturbed by anthropogenic impact - 17% of the total number of “river” areas (a map with impacts on the hydrological regime taking into account the location of dams is shown in map B.40 in the Annex B). The morphometric indicators of the surface water bodies of the Pripyat River basin also underwent significant changes such as straightening and deepening of river channels for more than half the length of the watercourse section, reformation of the bed and banks of channel and bulk reservoirs and ponds. Among the 715 total number of sections of surface water bodies ("river" and "lake"), only 111 sites did not undergo significant morphometric changes - 16% and are in conditions: "close to natural" and "not significant changes". Maps B.40 and B.41 of Annex B describe data on water bodies of the Pripyat River Basin with changes in hydrological and morphological parameters due to anthropogenic impacts.

2.5 Other pressures

Besides the main loads and their impacts on surface water bodies associated with existing anthropogenic activities, based on the prospects and directions for the development of territories in the Pripyat River basin, other possible loads may occur (Table A.4.7 of Annex A). These loads and their impacts may be caused by a possible change in anthropogenic activity, as a result of social and economic development of the Pripyat river basin, dangerous hydrometeorological phenomena, as well as climate change (table A.4.7 of Annex A). Table A.1.8 of Annex A and map B.29 of Annex B show the results of the forecast change in the average annual river flow in the Pripyat River basin taking into account the multi-model ensemble CMIP5 in four scenarios presented in the fifth report of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Climate.

Invasive alien species

3According to the State Association for Land Reclamation, Water and Fisheries "Belvodkhoz"

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The immigration and invasion of alien (invasive) species can have a negative impact on the environment. The number of alien species entering the territory of Belarus is increasing rapidly. Among the invasive plant species that are most dangerous, we can distinguish the Sosnovski and Common rag- weed (appeared in southern Belarus, up to 80% of the population is allergic to its pollen in those Ukrainian regions where it has widely spread). According to the data of the Research and Production Center for biological resources, there are 63 species of fish in Belarus. And more than 40 of them belong to the aboriginal species (originally living within this area). Among them roach, perch, bream, pike, tench, crucian carp and others are occurring. However, in recent years, the number of foreign (invasive) fish in the rivers and reservoirs in Belarus has significantly increased. Only in two years in the country five new species of fish have been identified, including tube-nosed goby, Ukrainian small stickleback, white-finned gudgeon, and golden mud- fish. In addition, such foreign species as silver carp and Amur sleeper are widespread in Belarus. They adapt well to the conditions of the rivers and reservoirs of the republic, quickly multiply and constitute a serious competition to representatives of the indigenous fish fauna of the republic. To a large extent, the climate warming contributes to the spread of invasive fish species throughout Belarus. To make a conclusion about the impact of the foreign species of flora and fauna on the ecological state of the Pripyat river basin is problematic because of the lack of relevant information. Such economic branches as forestry, hydropower, tourism, transport, and the road network, main oil pipelines and product pipelines, as well as recreational use of water bodies (although there are significant excess recreational loads within a number of active recreation areas) do not have a significant impact on the ecological status of water bodies in the Pripyat river basin.

2.6 Synthesis

2.6.1 Quantity of pollution affected by domain of origin and balance during low flows

Within the Pripyat river basin, as within other basins in Belarus, the discharge of treated wastewater is strictly subjected to regulatory acts. The maximum permissible loads on water bodies during discharges of treated wastewater are regulated by TIC 17.06-08-2012 (02120) "Procedure for establishing standards for permissible discharges of chemical and other sub-stances in sewage composition". The extremely shallow years of 2015 and 2016 in the Pripyat river basin did not reveal any significant deterioration in the quality of water in receiving water bodies below the wastewater discharges of water users enterprises compared to the rest of the years. The deterioration of water quality observed during these years is due mainly to the nature of the low water content resulting in shallowing of many rivers, increasing of water temperature and decreasing of the dissolved oxygen content. The anthropogenic load of pollutants on water bodies will worsen the quality of surface water bodies and their ecological status in proportion to a decrease of flows (especially during low flows) and this nutrient load can increase the risk for water bodies not to reach a good status/potential. 2.6.2 Quantitative balance between abstractions and resources

The quantitative balance between water abstractions from surface and groundwater resources shows the high sufficiency of the basin with surface and groundwater resources. The impact of water use on these resources is not significant: the extraction from surface water bodies according to data for 2018 is not more than 1.5% from Pripyat river basin runoff for 2018 and not more than 3.5% for the shallow year of 95% probability.

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The abstractions at intakes from groundwater bodies in 2018 is not more than 5.3% from the natural groundwater resources and not more than 33% from their approved operational reserves in annual scale. Water balances characterize in more detail quantitative balance between abstraction and surface water and groundwater resources especially for the shallow year of probability 95% and more.

2.6.3 Global synthesis of problems based on pressures and hot spots analysis

The primary environmental problems in the Pripyat river basin are listed below, which are associated with natural and anthropogenic pressures in the Pripyat river basin, as well as with the prospects for using its water resources. Pollution of surface and groundwater bodies from point and dispersed (diffuse) sources. Water quality in the Pripyat river basin is developed under the influence of both natural and anthropogenic factors. In natural terms, the conditions for the formation of river waters are associated with wetlands and groundwater. It is the Polesye bogs that bring to the rivers of the Pripyat basin an increased amount of colored organic substances, a significant amount of humic acids and metals, such as iron. This leads to a general deterioration of the quality of river waters in the basin, which makes them less suitable for drinking water supply. Among the main pollutants, agricultural activity and, in particular, discharges from large livestock farms, as well as storage and use of agricultural chemicals, can be distinguished. In some cases, water quality has deteriorated due to the construction of drainage systems on wetlands. Cities make their “contribution” to river water pollution, primarily due to discharges of insufficiently treated municipal and industrial wastewater. Livestock farming on an industrial scale will imminently lead to a change in landscape, soil degradation, loss of recreational sites and high costs for purifying drinking water in settlements close to farms. Significant changes in the hydrological regime due to hazardous hydro-meteorological events leading to floods and droughts Floods in the Pripyat river basin, caused by spring floods and rain floods, lead to significant damages due to flooding of the territories and are one of the main threats to environmental safety in the basin. The Pripyat river and its tributaries are characterized by an unfavorable hydrological regime. Over the past 60 years in the Polessye region, 13 serious flooding have occurred, resulting in significant damage. It is necessary to realize that floods in the Pripyat river basin (floods and high water) are natural, recurring processes. Therefore, the main way to resolve this problem is to increase the efficiency of flood management in the Pripyat basin and the need to manage water resources at the basin level. Very dry periods as a result of droughts lead to significant negative changes in the hydrological regime of water bodies and the hydrogeological regime of adjacent territories, deterioration of water quality characteristics, difficulties and even the impossibility of navigation. The most significant negative impacts of dry periods on the hydrological regime of the Uborot river and Chervonoe lake, for which separate measures have been developed to improve it. Changes in ecosystems and needs to preserve landscape and biological diversity The preservation of biological diversity in the Pripyat river basin is of great international importance. As a result of irrigation and drainage works related to land drainage and peat extraction, about half of the wetlands were lost, which brought some species of flora and fauna to the brink of extinction, including rare species such as turret warbler, dupel, great spotted eagle, etc.

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The loss of floodplain is linked with the impacts of dams, which threaten the status of ecosystems. This leads to a disruption of the hydrological, hydrochemical and hydro-biological regime of floodplains, which negatively affects biodiversity. There is a problem of using reclaimed (especially over-drained) lands, where in many cases the upper fertile soil layer is lost. In the result, processes of “sanding” the territories that are being withdrawn from agricultural circulation are observed. The total area of drained lands in the basin is 22% of its entire territory. And the total area of drained bogs is even higher - 64% of the total area of bogs before the beginning of drainage reclamation in the early 50s of the last century. On the one hand, this led to an increase in agricultural lands suitable for agricultural use, and on the other hand, to the destruction of wetlands. An important point which is affecting the change in ecosystems in the basin is peat extraction. The environmental impact of peat extraction is so great that in many countries of the world its large-scale removal is interrupted. An important environmental problem in the basin is a large number of peat fires. The main reason for their occurrence is the artificial drainage of peat deposits, which often leads to its spontaneous com- bustion. Such fires cause significant damage to vegetation, farm and collective farm lands, pollute the air and river systems. Insufficient provision of population with centralized water supply and sanitation systems, especially in rural areas The level of centralized water supply, especially for the rural population, in the Pripyat river basin is insufficient. The proportion of non-centralized drinking-water supply sources (usually mine wells) according to the data of the State Sanitary Inspection, which does not meet sanitary standards, in 2017 amounted to 1.6% in the Brest region, 34.4% in the Gomel region, 17.1% in the Minsk region, 16.5% in the Mogilev region. The main problem of providing water of the required quality in rural areas is water treatment. Radioactive contamination caused by the Chernobyl accident remains an important issue (see part 1.4.5 above).

2.6.4 Advantages and possible problems concerned with the possible prospective use of water resources of the Pripyat river basin

The prospective use of water resources in the Pripyat river basin is based on the achievement of the goals specified in the National Strategy for Sustainable Social and Economic Development of the Re- public of Belarus for the period up to 2030 (NSSD-2030) [32], the Water Strategy of the Republic of Belarus for the period up to 2030 in climate change [33], as well as the concept of the development of the potential of the Pripyat River [34]. According to NSSD-2030, the index of discharge of insufficiently treated wastewater into water bodies in relation to 2015 by 2025 should be no more than 50%, by 2025 - no more than 30%, by 2030 there should be no discharge of insufficiently treated wastewater. The use of water and energy potential in the Pripyat river basin is not very promising due to the flat territory and possible floods. However, the use of hydropower resources of Pripyat and its tributaries as renewable energy sources is possible on the basis of small hydropower plants. In December 2015, the first power plant in Pripyat was commissioned at the Stakhovo hydroelectric complex. Its installed capacity is 690 kW. It is possible to place other small hydropower plants in the Pripyat River basin. At the middle Pripyat in the areas adjacent to the protected areas (the reserve “Srednyaya Pripyat” and

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the National Park “Pripyatsky”), the placement of small hydropower plants is impractical due to environmental reasons. Prospects for water transport use of the Dnieper-Bug Canal and the Pripyat River Among the inland waterways of Belarus, the Pripyat River is considered a priority for ensuring favorable conditions for navigation, since it is of international importance, acting as an integral part of the waterway E-40 [35]. The restoration of this route will allow transporting up to six million tons of cargo per year along this river. It is 3 times higher than the total current volume of water transport in the country as a whole. The Pripyat River is part of the inland waterways of Belarus. Together with the Dnieper-Bug Canal, it acts as the main foreign trade waterway of Belarus. According to the European classification, these watercourses are included as components of the waterway of international significance E40. It passes through the territory of three countries - Poland, Belarus and Ukraine along the route Gdansk (port of the Baltic Sea) - Warsaw - Brest - Pinsk - Kiev - Dnepropetrovsk - Kherson (port of the Black Sea). According to the classification of European inland waterways, including 7 of their classes, which determine the differences in navigability and capacity of these routes, the considered waterway belongs to class IV. It is designed for the passage of ships with a carrying capacity of 1000 - 1500 tons, a maximum length of 80 - 85 m, a width of 9.50 m and a draught of 2.50 m. The waterway E-40 has certain competitive advantages for carriers of Central and Eastern Europe among other European meridional waterways, since it is shorter, thereby achieving significant savings in time and fuel. At present, the Rhine – Main – Danube waterway with a length of more than three thousand km is used in this direction. The waterway E-40 is shorter than it by almost a thousand km. This means reducing the transportation route by two to four days at an average speed of cargo river vessels of 10−20 km/h. At the same time, modern hydraulic conditions on various parts of the waterway E-40 do not allow stable navigation on it. This also concerns with the Pripyat River. In some sections of the indicated river, characterized by a large width of the channel, rifts are formed due to sediment deposition, which leads to a decrease in depths and makes the passway of ships impossible. Within the Pripyat river, straightening works have been completed at 15 rifts. However, the measures taken are not sufficient and, even if their volume is increased, will not ultimately make it possible to achieve technical parameters that meet the requirements of the European Agreement on Important Inland Waterways of International Importance. To ensure the conditions of navigation on the Pripyat river it is necessary to provide for the construction of hydroelectric facilities to maintain the conditions required for navigation in the river during the low-water period. These can be classical type hydroelectric facilities with bulk dams, however, for environmental reasons, overflow (flooded) collapsible dams that work only during periods of low water are more preferable. Along with hydraulic works, successful operation of water transport also requires measures to organize multi-modal transport, investments in upgrading the port facilities, river and auxiliary fleet, infrastructure, and the introduction of modern security management systems. The hydraulic works conduction on the Pripyat river in order to bring it in compliance with the IV class of inland waterways should be carried out in coordination with similar work on the Polish and Ukraini- an parts of the waterway E-40. For this, appropriate interstate approvals are needed. At the same time, ensuring stable navigation on the river in question is determined not only by the interests of its involvement in international transport, but also by existing domestic needs. Besides domestic needs, the given depths will also allow for stable water transport links with Ukraine. Along with the positive factors of using the waterway E-40 during the implementation of hydraulic works on the Pripyat River to bring it in compliance with the IV class of inland waterways, there are threats caused by the following problems: The problem of stimulation of channel processes under the influence of hydraulic engineering construction in Pripyat due to the absolute predominance of loose fine-grained sand in the composition of channel deposits, which will lead to a change in the speed regime of the river, as well as the regime of movement of the material for processing the channel and coastal slopes. These processes will lead to

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the transformation of historically developed riverbed and coastal processes, as well as to a possible change in the fishery characteristics of the river. The problem of harmonious coexistence of inland waterways and specially protected natural areas is real. Pripyat Polesye, on the territory of which the waterway E-40 passes, has significant natural resources of the animal and plant world. About 60 species of animals, 260 species of birds, 20 species of amphibians and reptiles, 54 species of fish inhabit within its territory. About 70 species living in the territory of Pripyat Polesye are included in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus and/or are protected in accordance with international obligations. Special protected areas of Pripyat Polesye play an important role in preserving the biological diversity of Europe and the world. The Srednyaya Pripyat Nature Reserve, directly adjacent to the E-40, is a Ramsar territory - a wetland of international importance. Together with the Pripyatsky National Park, the reserve “Srednyaya Pripyat” has the status of a territory important for the protection of birds. The Polesye State Radiation and Ecological Reserve has the same status, which, in accordance with applicable law, does not apply to specially protected natural areas. In addition, Pripyatsky National Park has the status of a key botanical territory - a territory characterized by exceptional botanical wealth. Due to the significant environmental impact of hydraulic works on the Pripyat River, bringing it in compliance with class IV of inland waterways after developing a project for these works, it is necessary to go through all the mechanisms and procedures of the state environmental inspection, including environmental impact assessment (EIA).

2.6.5 Water balances

Water balances are calculation materials allowing comparing the need for water with water resources available in a given territory and are designed to assess the availability and degree of use of water resources, plan and make decisions on the use and protection of water (Article 16 of the Water Code The Republic of Belarus). The procedure for the development and execution of water management balances is established by the technical code of established practice - TCP 17.06-03-2008 (02120). The water balance is calculated for the transboundary part of Pripyat (from the city of Mozyr to the city of Narovlya). The results of this balance allow us to generally estimate the state of Pripyat water resources. In the calculations of water balances, information was used by the State Institution “Republi- can Center for Hydrometeorology, Radioactive Contamination Control and Environmental Monitoring” and data from the state water cadastre. The water balance is calculated for the most unfavorable (conservative) case of minimum water availability, which characterized the year of 2015. In this extremely dry year, the minimum values of river water levels in July turned out to be lower than the historical minimums for the observation period. At the same time, the security of the Pripyat River flow in 2015 was above 95%. The specification of water needs consisted in summarizing the data of statistical reporting on water use in the form No.1-water (the Ministry of Natural Resources), as well as identifying the current value of water consumption and water disposal by all water users, determining sanitary and environmental releases (transit flow), additional losses to evaporation from the surface of ponds and reservoirs, filtering and transferring water to other areas or pools. All water needs are met by withdrawing water from the source and were taken into account. Additional evaporation from the surface of reservoirs and the distribution of the estimated evaporation by months of the non-leaking period of the year was determined by the methodology of RUE CRICUWR [35]. The values of the minimum necessary releases (ecological runoff) in river beds are determined differ- entially for a particular section depending on the minimum average monthly runoff per year of 95%

provision. Based on this, the basic value of the required release is set at 75% of Qmin 95%. In order to obtain a hydrograph of the necessary releases for each month, the minimum necessary runoff value is

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determined depending on the ratio between the natural runoff of a particular month and the minimum monthly average runoff, as well as the base value of the required runoff. Calculations and analysis of water management balances for the closing section of the Pripyat River indicate that the withdrawal of runoff from the river channel currently does not exceed 6% of the annual runoff of 95% supply in the entry section to the site. Therefore, withdrawal of runoff can't have any noticeable effect on a change in the river’s stock regime. The prospective growth of irrevocable seizures planned for the future will not exceed 10% of the runoff of 95% security, which is also within the error of determining hydrological values. An analysis of the water management balance carried out for 2015, with a water availability of more than 95% by runoff, by month, indicates that the water balance of the river for the year as a whole and for all considered time intervals in the closing section of the Pripyat river is positive. Currently, all the needs for the selection of river water are met, while maintaining a sufficient amount of water in the river for environmental purposes.

2.6.6 Brief SWOT analysis

SWOT analysis is the analysis of strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and threats from the external environment, taking into account the acronym: Strengths - strong points, Weakness - weak points, Opportunities - possibilities, Threats - risks. In the frame of management plans, SWOT analysis can be basically an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of this document as a program of action in the river basin in the context of the possibilities of implementing this program, taking into account existing and prospective opportunities, as well as external threats. External threats are determined by the importance of natural waters for the economy and social sphere (Table 2.2). Table 2.2: General assessment of the importance of water resources for the economy and social sphere Factors General problem description Impact on produc- The intake and extraction of water in the region for the industry needs consti- tion (including min- tutes a significant proportion of total water consumption. ing, manufacturing) The impact of water resources on the location of industrial facilities and settle- Impact on location ments is assessed as significant, but not critical. The availability of water resources has less impact for location of settlements. The impact on hydropower is not significant, since the share of hydroelectric Impact on power power stations in the Pripyat river basin in the total energy production is very generation small (only small HPPs). Currently, shipping is carried out on the areas of the Dnieper-Bug Canal including river Pripyat. The impact of water resources on shipping is significant in Impact on shipping terms of the negative impact of low-water periods and the lowering of water levels. The impact of huge project like E40 could be significant on hydromorphology and water quality. Impact on the cost of The impact on the cost of drinking water supply is associated with the quality drinking water sup- and availability of groundwater (transportation and cleaning costs) and is esti- ply mated as significant. The intake and extraction of water by forest enterprises is relatively small in Forestry relation to total consumption, the impact of water resources on forest productivity is moderate due to the sufficiency of moisture input due to precipitation. The importance of the impact of water resources on soil quality and agriculture Impact on soil quali- is moderate. Impact is caused by the use of water in agricultural water supply, ty and agriculture irrigation, in fish pond farms. Recreation and tour- The significance for recreation of water bodies is average. The condition and

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Factors General problem description ism quality of water in water bodies used for recreational purposes, the condition of adjacent coastal zones is significant. Impact on infrastruc- The level of influence on the infrastructure (networks, pipelines, roads, commu- ture nications and other communications) is relatively low.

As the opportunities for implementing the activities of the Pripyat RBMP in Belarus are mainly determined by the availability of financial resources, the most significant for general-ized SWOT analysis is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the RBMPas a whole, as well as the main directions of its activities (Table 2.3). Table 2.3: Strengths and weaknesses of the Pripyat RBMP as a whole and its main directions Strengths Weakness  Significant water resources (water uses are widely  Significant artificalisation of hydrographic covered as well as ecosystems needs); system and loss of ecosystems functions  Mineral resources; after melioration and other ingeneering ac-  Significant forest areas; tivities;  Significant wetlands areas;  Lack of funding;  Nearly full coverage of water supply services is in  Lack of centalized water supply in rural the cities and high level of service availability, in- area; cluding for the poor people;  Lack of data (water-related diseases etc).  Significant sanitation service availability in cities with good standards of purification. Opportunities Threats  Water code, Belarusian regulation to strengthen  Intensification of agriculture and industry; legal scope of RBMP;  Development of economic zones with spe-  Country development. cific rules;  Chenorbyl impact;  Climate change.

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CHAPTER 3. IDENTIFICATION AND MAPPING OF PROTECTED AREAS

3.1 Drinking water abstractions

Protective sanitary zones of drinking water supply sources Protective sanitary zones (PSZ) of water supply sources and domestic water supply pipelines in Bela- rus are established in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Drinking Water Supply” and sanitary rules and norms of SanPiN of December 30, 2016 No.142 “Sanitary standards and rules “Requirements for an organization of protective sanitary zones sources and centralized drinking water supply systems”. The PSZs are organized as part of the three areas. The first area (of s strict regime) includes the territory of water intakes’ location, sites for the location of all waterworks and water supply channel. The second and third areas (restriction areas) include the territory used for the prevention of water pollution from water supply sources. Sanitary protection of waterway is provided with a sanitary protection strip. In each of the three areas, as well as within the sanitary protection strip, according to their purpose, a special regime is established and a set of measures is determined to prevent the deterioration of water quality. The boundary of the first area is established at a distance of at least 30 m from the water intake when using protected groundwater and at a distance of at least 50 m when using insufficiently protected groundwater. The boundary of the second zone of the PSZ is defined by hydrodynamic calculations, based on the conditions that microbial contamination entering the aquifer outside the second belt does not reach the water intake. The boundary of the third zone of the PSZ, used to protect the aquifer from chemical pollution, is also determined by hydrodynamic calculations. Particular placement of drinking water sources and their sanitary protection zones is information of limited access. Basic information on the operation of groundwater at group water intakes of the Pripyat basin is given in table A.14.2 of the Annex A.

3.2 Economically significant species

Economically important fish species in the Pripyat river basin are produced at specialized fisher-ies enterprises (experimental fish farms). The most important of which are “Selets” (Berezovsky district), “Loktyshi” (Gantsevichi district), “Lakhva” (Luninetsky district), “Polesye” (Pinsk district), “Beloe” (Zhitkovichi district), “Tremlya” (Petrikovsky district), "Krasnaya Sloboda" (Salihorsky district). The list of surface water bodies leased for fish-breeding (according to data for 2017) is given in table А.16 of the Annex A. There are no special protected areas within the water bodies sites associated with permanent restrictions on amateur fishing because of the presence in these water bodies of eco-nomically significant fish species and (or) unique mollusks.

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3.3 Bathing waters

According to Article 38 of the Water Code [1], water bodies can be used for recreation, sports and tourism, as well as for medical (health resort needs). In the Pripyat river basin, there are 96 recreational areas used for bathing in accordance with the decisions of local executive and administrative bodies based on the results of a positive state sanitary and hygienic examination (table A.19 of the An- nex A). 96 recreational areas are located on 76 surface water bodies, which include 43 sections (water bodies) of the Pripyat River basin. Water safety should be carried out by state sanitary supervision and production control. Due to the inconsistency of laboratory water tests in the period 2018-2019, the following restrictions were in effect on recreational areas: Prohibition against bathing: 1) the Kopanets (-) – Stolin, 2) the Goryn (18/00) – Rechitsa, 3) the Pripyat (00/13) – Mozyr; bathing is suspended for children: 1) lake Krugloe (-) – Vikorovichi, 2) the L’va River (2603/00) – Koshara, 3) the Yaselda (07/07) – Porechie, 4) Pogost reservoir (0021/00) – Vyaz (Rehabilitational-recreation center for children «Svitanok»), 5) Pogost reservoir (0021/00) – Vyaz (Fish Farm «Polesye»), 6) Lake Kalinkovichskoe (-) - Kalinkovichy, 7) the Pripyat River (00/13) – Narovlya, 8) the Pripyat River (00/13) – Mozyr, 9) the Sluch River (24/02) – Slutsk, 10) Rudnya reservoir (0032/00) – Rudnya. bathing is suspended for children and adults: 1) the L’va River (2603/00) – Koshara, 2) lake Krugloe (-) – Viktorovichi, 3) the Pripyat River (00/11) – Pietrikaw №1, 4) the Pripyat River (00/11) – Pietrikaw №2, 5) the Pripyat River (00/13) – Narovlya, 6) lake Kalinkovichskoe (-) - Kalinkovichi, 7) Bohonovo (-) - Luninets, 8) the Sluch River (24/02) – Slutsk, 9) Rudnya reservoir(0032/00) – Rudnya, 10) the Oressa River (3831/03) – Luyban, 11) lake Skachal’skoe (-) - н.п. Zelenaya Dubrova, 12) Budenichi (-) - Budenichi, 13) a pondinStaryeDorogi (-) –Starye Dorogi, 14) Soligorskoe reservoir (0033/00) – Soligorsk, 15) Sakovichi (-) - Sakovichi; So that, in the period 2018-2019, in the Pripyat river basin, a prohibition against bathing due to non- compliance with hygiene standards was adopted in 3 recreational territories. Bathing for children and adults was limited in 15 recreational territories. And bathing was suspended for children in 10 recreational territories. 75 out of 96 (78%) of the recreational areas were not subject to restrictions for contact uses (bathing, snorkeling, spearfishing), as the water complied with the hygienic standard for safety indicators established for the category of surface water bodies “I favorable” and “II relatively favorable. "Information on surface water bodies used for recreation, sports and tourism in the Pripyat river basin, in places identified by local executive and administrative bodies for 2019 are shown in table A.15, A.19 of the Annex A and on map B.39 of the Annex B.

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3.4 Vulnerable zones

The natural protection of groundwater is defined as a set of hydrogeological conditions (depth of groundwater, lithology of the aeration zone, the presence of watertight ceilings, etc.), which ensures the prevention of the entry of pollutants into aquifers (Map B.54 of Annex B). The geological conditions within the territory of the Republic of Belarus is characterizing by the rocks that overlap the aquifers from the surface and are highly permeable. On the one hand, this favors the formation of significant fresh groundwater resources, but on the other hand, it determines their very poor natural protection against pollution. The data on the nature of the occurrence of an aquifer in groundwater have a particular significance in assessing the geoecological situation in the Pripyat River basin. Groundwater is generated due to the infiltration of precipitation, surface water, partial inflow from the underlying aquifer, intra-ground con- densation of water vapor. They are ubiquitous and confined to swamp, lake-alluvial, fluvioglacial and intra-moraine deposits. The criteria for determining the degree of natural protection of groundwater are the power and filtration properties of the aeration zone. The greater the aeration zone power and the lower the filtration properties of the rocks composing it, the higher the degree of protection and, con- versely, shallow ground water contained in well-permeable sediments, can be easily polluted. Natural protection of groundwater is characterize as a set of hydrogeological conditions (groundwater depth, lithology of the aeration zone, the occurence of watertight ceilings, etc.), ensuring the prevention of the penetration of pollutants into aquifers. To estimate the natural protection of groundwater, the methodology of All Russian Research Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology was used, adapted to the conditions of Belarus and taking into account the protective properties of the soil cover. The main criteria for the assessment of natural protection were the depth of the groundwater level, the lithological composition of the rocks of the aeration zone and the sorption properties of the soil cover. Figure 3.1 reflects the information about natural protection of groundwater in the Pripyat River basin.

Figure 3.1 - Natural protection of groundwater in the Pripyat river basin

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Taking into consideration stock data on the natural protection of groundwater and data on levels of groundwater pollution by nitrates, a 2005 assessment by the Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Belgeologiya RUE formed an assessment of nitrate- sensitive zones for the Pripyat River basin by identifying zones sensitive to nitrate contamination (Fig- ure 3.2).

Figure 3.2 - Identification of areas vulnerable to nitrate groundwater pollution

Up to 35% of the basin’s territory is at risk of groundwater nitrate pollution and are nitrate-sensitive zones. And only less than 2% of the basin’s territory can not be assigned to them. These are sections of the catchment area of the Pripyat, Pina, Yaselda, Tsna, Lan, Nacha and Sluch, Oressa and Ipa. The most part of the wells that the vast majority of the rural population continues to use in the Pripyat basin have water that does not meet sanitary standards for nitrates. Concentrations of this component often reach 7–11 MPC. The all-time record for Belarus was recorded in one of the wells in the Soli- gorsk region - 2429 mg/l, or 54 times higher than the allowable level (information of the Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and RUE "Belgeologiya"). So far, no specific regulation is based on this zoning in Belarus.

3.5 Sensitive areas

Possible sensitive zones associated with the eutrophication of water bodies may correspond to the territories with the highest population density and the relevant load on treatment plants and increased volumes of pollutants discharged from them as part of normatively treated wastewater to acceptable concentrations of pollutants in wastewater. The distribution of population density by regions and trends of population are shown on maps B.14, B32, B33 of the Annex B. However, there remains an increased anthropogenic load on surface water bodies of nutrient pollutants.

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The main sources of increased nutrient content in surface water bodies are industrial and municipal wastewater, surface runoff from livestock farms, non-canalized territories and agricultural land (overcharge o organic and mineral fertilizers). Therefore, surface water bodies revealed in the result of surface water monitoring and local monitoring and presented below in chapter 4 that do not meet good environmental status can be considered as vulnerable to eutrophication.

3.6 Special areas of conservation (habitats), special protection areas (birds)

In order to achieve the goals of the Berne Convention, a program is being implemented on the territory of the European Union to create an ecological network of natural territories that are important for the conservation of species of wild fauna and flora and natural habitats that fall under the scope of the Convention - "Natura - 2000". To implement environmental standards used in the Natura 2000 network, outside the European Union in 1998, the Council of Europe launched "the Emerald Network" program. "The Emerald Network" is a list of natural territories that are valuable for the conservation of the species specified in the Berne Convention and which are a continuation of the Natura 2000 network in countries outside the European Union. Since 2013, the second phase of the Joint Program of the Council of Europe and the European Com- mission “Emerald Network. Phase II " is implemented. At this stage of the program, a further definition and description of the potential territories of the Emerald Network in Belarus is carried out, the quality of the collected scientific information on the types and habitats of the Berne Convention located in these territories is checked, and their effectiveness for preserving biodiversity at the national level is assessed level and full launch of "the Emerald Network" in 20204. The implementation of "the Emerald Network" program in Belarus contributes to the preservation and sustainable use of the unique natural resources of our country, as well as improving the existing state policy in the field of environmental protection. Thanks to obtaining the status of a member of the Em- erald Network, our specially protected natural territories have additional opportunities to attract technical and financial support from the countries of the European Union for their own development and increase the effectiveness of the management system of protected areas in the Republic of Belarus as a whole. In the period until 2020, it is planned to complete the work on preparation, assessment and clarifica- tion of information on all potential objects of "the Emerald Network" located in the Republic of Belarus, including the territory of the Pripyat River Basin. Adopted Emeraqld network sites in the Pripyat river basin includes the next 32 natural protected areas, presented on the map B.30 of the Annex B: Belovezhskaya Pushcha (east-southern part), Syalets, Khavanschyna, Sporovsly, Zvanets, Radostovskiy, Vygonoshanskoye, Yelovskiy, Vieluta, Luninskiy, Prostyr, Tyrvonichy, Morochna Swamp, Chyrvonaye, Bielaya Fish Farm, Srednaya Pripyat, Lva Floodplain, Olmanskiye Bolota, Topila Bog, Turovskiy Lug, Stary Zhadzien, Pripyatsky, Strelsky, Staraya Vits, Lower Pripyat, Ptich-river Valley, Omelnyansky, Manchitsy, Bytenskiy, Omgovichskiy, Falishsky Moch. Lower Pripyat Valley territory is candidate site to the Emerald network. Map B.6 of Annex B shows "the Emerald Network" in the Pripyat River Basin, and map B.7 shows the ecological network of the Pripyat River Basin.

4 http://www.minpriroda.gov.by/printv/ru/news-ru/view/o-realizatsii-proekta-izumrudnaja-set-faza-ii-1785/

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CHAPTER 4. MONITORING

4.1 Monitoring networks

4.1.1 Surface waters

Surface water monitoring is a system of regular monitoring of the state of surface waters according to hydrological, hydrochemical, hydrobiological and other indicators in order to timely identify negative processes, predict their development, prevent harmful consequences and determine the degree of effectiveness of measures aimed at the rational use and protection of surface waters [ 6]. Monitoring of the state of surface waters by hydrological indicators The State Hydrometeorological Service of the Republic of Belarus, conducting the hydrometeorological safety of the country, provides the up-to-date obtaining of reliable and comprehensive information, forecast and warning about dangerous hydrometeorological phenomena. The source of obtaining of hydrometeorological information is the state network of hydrometeorological observations. Hydrologi- cal observations in the Pripyat river basin are carried out for elements of the hydrological regime at 28 watercourse posts (rivers and channels) and at 4 posts on the lakes and reservoirs (table 4.1). The list of existing hydrological posts on rivers and channels is presented in Table A.4.1 of Appendix A, for lakes and reservoirs, in Table A.4.2 of Appendix A. Data on the hydrological regime of water bodies is reflected in the section “Surface waters” of the SWC “Annual data on the regime and surface water resources ”(hydrological yearbooks), reference books “Long-term data on the regime and resources of surface waters ”. The information database “Hydrology - Rivers and Channels”, “Lakes and Reser- voirs” Belhydromet also contains data on the monitoring of water conditions by hydrological indicators. Monitoring of the state of water by hydrochemical and hydrobiological indicators Monitoring of the state of surface waters in the Pripyat River basin according to hydrochemical and hydrobiological indicators is carried out at 45 observation points of the NEMS, including 8 transboundary observation points and 2 reference observation points (table 4.1) [28,29]. The list of monitoring sites for hydrochemical and hydrobiological indicators is presented in tables A.10, A.11 of the Annex A, respectively. 20 watercourses in 27 sites («water bodies») are covered by regular observations: the Pripyat River (5 sites - 00/02, 00/03, 00/12, 00/13, 00/15), the Pina River (1 site - 06/04), the Dnieper-Bug channel (1 site: 06/03), the Yaselda River (3 sites- 07/03, 07/04, 07/07), the Styr River (1 site - 08/00); the Bobrik I river (1 site - 10/03), the Tsna River (1 site - 14/04), the Goryn River (1 site - 18/00), the Sluch River (1 site - 24/06), the Moroch River (1 site - 2418/04); the Stviga River (1 site - 26/01); the L’va River (1 site - 2603/00); the Svinovod River (1 site - 28/01), the Ubort‘ River (2 sites - 34/01, 34/02), the Ptich River (1 site - 38/05); the Dokol’ka River (1 site - 3827/02); the Oressa River (1 site - 3831/04); the Ippa River (1 site - 41/03); the Slovechna River (1 site - 51/00); the Cherten‘ River (1 site - 5104/01), as well as 11 reservoirs in 10 sites ("water bodies"): Selets reservoir (plot - 009/00); Bereza-1 reservoir (site - 0012/00), Lake Beloe (site - 0004/00); Lake Vygonoshchanskoye (site - 0008/00), Pogost reservoir (site - 0021/00); Lake Beloe (-); Loktyshi reservoir (site - 0028/00); Krasnoslobodskoye reservoir (site - 0031/00), Salihorskoye reservoir (site - 0033/00); Lake Chervonoe (site - 00012/00); Luban reservoir (site - 0042/00).

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Table 4.1:Amount of NEMS monitoring observation points

The number of NEMS Hydrochemical Hydrobiological indicators indicators indicators of physical properties and gas composition Location of the NEMS Total 5 6 phytoperiphyton, of water , BOD5, CODCr, nitrogen-containing and macrozoobenthos - for number phosphorus-containing substances7, mineral watercourses; composition8, metal content9, oil and oil products in phytoplankton, dissolved and emulsified state, synthetic surfactants, zooplankton, chlorophyll - for reservoirs. anionic10, mercury, arsenic

Streams 30 30 28

Lakes 7 7 7

Reservoirs 8 8 7

Total in the Pripyat River Basin 45 45 42

In the Pripyat river basin, there are 8 transboundary observation points of the NEMS: the Pripyat – Bol’shie Dikovichi "entrance" (site - 00/02), the Pripyat - Dovlyady "exit" (site - 00/15), the Styr - La- dorozh "entrance" (site - 08/00), the Goryn - Rechitsa “entrance” (site - 18/00), L‘va - Olmanskaya Koshara "entrance" (site - 2603/00), the Stviga - Dzerzhinsk "entrance" (site - 26/01), the Ubort - Mi- lashevichi “entrance” (site - 34/01), the Slovechna - Skorodnoe "entrance" (site - 51/00). Background observation points are the Cherten - Makhnovichi (site - 5104/01), the Svinovod - Simonovichi (site - 28/01). The frequency of observations on hydrochemical indicators at large watercourses and at sites of watercourses in the area of the location of pollution sources is 1 time per month annually.In the caseof the absence of pollution sources the frequency of observations is 7 times a year during periods of the main hydrological phases annually. In the background sections of watercourses the observations are carried out monthly with a cycle of 1 time in 2 years. The observations on water bodies are held quarterly with a cycle of 1 time in 2 years. The frequency of observations on hydrobiological indicators on all surface water bodies is carried out in the vegetative season with a frequency of once every 2 years. In the vegetative season the observations on transboundary river sections are conducted every year. Observations of the state of surface waters by hydromorphological indicators The phased deployment of a network for observing the state of water according to hydromorphological indicators began in 2017 as part of the NEMS. The standards STB 17.1304-01-2012/EN 14614: 2004

5 temperature, transparency (only in lakes and reservoirs), suspended solids, pH value, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity; 6 ammonium ion, nitrate ion, nitrite ion, total Kjeldahl nitrogen; 7 phosphate ion (including hydro and dihydroforms), total phosphorus; 8 magnesium, calcium, bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate, water mineralization; 9 iron (total), manganese, copper, zinc, nickel, chromium (total), lead, cadmium; 10 including alkyloxyethylated sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, olefin sulfanates, alkyl benzosulfanates, alkyl sulfates, sodium and potassium salts of fatty acids

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[30] and STB 17.1304-02-2013/EN 15843: 2010 [31] are the methodological basis for assessing hydromorphological indicators of rivers and the degree of change in hydromorphological indicators of river status. They regulate the assessment of differences from the natural state as a result of anthropogenic impact on hydromorphological characteristics (morphometric: channel, coast and coastal zone, floodplain; hydrological: continuity, hydrological changes) and establishing criteria for determining the degree of change of hydromorphological indicators of the state of the river. Currently, the observations are located at 9 observation points of the NEMS, mainly transboundary (Table A.4.5 of Annex A): the Pripyat – Bol’shie Dikovichi (site - 00/02), the Pripyat –the city of Pinsk (site - 00/02), the Pripyat - Mozyr (site - 00/13), the Goryn - Rechitsa (site - 18/00), the Stviga - Dzerzhinsk (site - 26/01),the L‘va - Olmanskaya Koshara (site - 2603/00), the Slovechna - Skorodnoye (site - 51/00), the Styr - Ladorozh (site - 08/00), the Ubort - Miloshevici (site - 34/01). The frequency of observations on hydromorphological indicators is 1 time in 10 years during the period of hydrobiological observations (table A.12 of the Annex A). The locations of existing monitoring sites for quantitative and qualitative indicators in the Pripyat basin shown on map B.13 of the Annex B. Proposals for optimizing the surface water observation network The current surface water monitoring system in the Pripyat River basin only partially meets the criteria for the WFD. According to the WFD, the following three types of monitoring should be: - Surveillance monitoring; - Operational monitoring; - Investigative monitoring. Surveillance monitoring is carried out within the entire catchment area or its part in areas that are significant for this basin (large rivers, large lakes, etc.) to obtain a general assessment of the ecological state of surface waters. Its main purpose is to prove the correctness of the developed environmental impact assessment procedure. When necessary, it is needed to supplement and improve it, evaluate long-term trends, determine the requirements for making adjustments to the existing RBMP, and also obtain the necessary information for the preparation of the next River Basin Management Plan. Sur- veillance monitoring is carried out for once per year within the validity period of each RBMP for all the required parameters until a good environmental condition is achieved. In the future, surveillance monitoring is carried out with regularity once during the implementation of the three subsequent RBMPs. The parameters are presented in the following national regulations:  TCP 17.13-10-2013 (02120) Environmental protection and nature use. An analytical control and monitoring. Rules of definition the ecological (hydro biological) status of river ecosystems;  TCP 17.13-11-2013 (02120) Environmental protection and nature use. An analytical control and monitoring. Rules of definition the ecological (hydrobiological) status of lakes ecosystems;  TCP 17.13-08-2013 (02120) Environmental protection and nature use. An analytical control and monitoring. Rules of definition the chemical (hydrochemical) status of river ecosystems;  TCP 17.13-09-2013 (02120) Environmental protection and nature use. An analytical control and monitoring. Rules of definition the chemical (hydrochemical) status of lakes ecosystems. Operational monitoring is carried out in order to control those water bodies for which there is a risk that environmental goals according to the RBMP may not be achieved, as well as to assess the impact of measures taken in the framework of the Program of Activities on the ecological status of waters. Op- erational monitoring is carried out in regards to those facilities for which, on the basis of an impact assessment or surveillance monitoring, it has been established that there is a risk of not achieving established environmental goals, as well as for water bodies which are polluted by harmful substances included in the list of priority substances. Operational monitoring is carried out in regards to only those quality elements and those parameters that are sensitive to specific impacts. Investigative monitoring is carried out when: - the fact of any excess for unknown reasons has been established;

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- the results of the review and control monitoring show that the purpose indicators cannot be achieved, and operational monitoring has not yet been put into effect; - it is necessary to determine the extent and degree of the impact of accidental pollution. Investigative monitoring serves to provide the governing bodies with necessary information for the development of a program of measures to achieve environmental goals and eliminate the consequences of accidents. Surveillance monitoring of surface waters The selection of sampling sites and the development of the SM program is based on interconnected subsystems that perform the basic tasks of the SM described above. Subsystems of the SKM program for watercourses include the following conditions (sections): – SM1: to be a representative of the general condition of surface waters); – SМ2: determination of long-term trends (assessment of long-term changes in natural conditions and assessment of long-term changes under the influence of anthropogenic activities); – SМ3: addition and verification of risk assessment; – SМ4: large rivers and significant transboundary sections of rivers and lakes.

According to the delineation, 9 river surface water body types were identified in the Pripyat River Ba- sin: 1. S-LOW -S: small rivers at low altitudes in silicon rocks - 339 sites (53.3%) - 1 observation point of the NEMS; 2. S-LOW-O: small rivers at low altitudes in organic rocks - 139 sites (21.8%) - 1 observation point of the NEMS; 3. S-MID-S: small rivers at medium altitudes in silicon rocks - 2 sites (0.3%) - 0 observation points of NEMS; 4. M-LOW-S: medium rivers at low altitudes in silicon rocks - 70 sites (11.0%) - 2 observation points of the NEMS; 5. M-LOW-O: medium-sized rivers at low altitudes in organic rocks - 34 sites (5.3%) - 0 points of observation of the NEMS; 6. L-LOW-S: large rivers at low altitudes in silicon rocks - 18 sites (2.8%) - 9 observation points of the NEMS; 7. L-LOW-O: large rivers at low altitudes in organic rocks - 16 sites (2.5%) - 7 observation points of the NEMS; 8. XL-LOW-S: very large rivers at low altitudes in silicon rocks - 13 sites (2.0%) - 7 observation points of NEMS; 9. XL-LOW-O: very large rivers at low altitudes in organic rocks - 5 sites (1.0%) - 3 observation points of the NEMS. Nevertheless, only for 7 of them it was possible to find sampling points corresponding to the criteria of the surveillance monitoring programs for the basin. Suggestions for optimizing the existing network of surface water observations include additional sampling sites for the surveillance monitoring program in the Pripyat River Basin, which are presented in Table 4.2.

Table 4.2: Proposed additional observation points for monitoring and control monitoring of watercourses Expected Name of water- Type of water ecological Risk cate- № Sampling point SМ criteria course body status/ gory potential 1 Narovlyanka S-LOW-S high Narovlya NR SМ1 2 Plessa S-LOW-O high Bezdezh NR SМ1 3 Ptich S-MID-S Good Ozertso NR SМ1 4 Shat‘ M-LOW-S Good Shatsk NR SМ1

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5 Ptich M-LOW-O Good Pravdinskiy NR SМ1 6 Pripyat XL-LOW-S Good above Pietrikaw NR SМ2 7 Pripyat XL-LOW-S moderate above Pietrikaw R SМ2 8 Yaselda L-LOW-O high Senin RC SМ3 9 Pripyat XL-LOW-O high Khoino RC SM4 10 Prostyr XL-LOW-O moderate Pare R SM4

Note; SWB – surface water body; RC – reference conditions; NR – no risk; R – risk.

According to deliniation, 13 lake surface water body types were identified In the Pripyat River Basin:

1. S-V-LOW-S: a small shallow lake at low altitudes in silicone rocks - 17 sites (21.5%) - 0 observation points of the NEMS; 2. S-V-LOW-O: a small shallow lake at low altitudes in organic rocks - 11 sites (13.9%) - 0 observation points of the NEMS; 3. S-S-LOW-S: a small shallow lake at low altitudes in silicone rocks - 7 sites (9.0%) - 0 observation points of the NEMS; 4. S-S-LOW-O: a small shallow lake at low altitudes in organic rocks - 7 sites (9.0%) - 0 observation points of the NEMS; 5. S-S-MID-S: a small shallow lake at medium altitudes in silicone rocks - 1 site (1.2%) - 0 observation points of the NEMS; 6. M-V-LOW-S: a medium shallow lake at low altitudes in silicone rocks - 7 sites (9.0%) - 0 observation pointsof the NEMS; 7. M-V-LOW-O: a medium shallow lake at low altitudes in organic rocks - 4 sites (5.0%) - 0 observation points of the NEMS; 8. M-S-LOW-S: a medium shallow lake at low altitudes in silicone rocks - 6 sites (7.6%) - 0 observation points of the NEMS; 9. M-S-LOW-O: a medium shallow lake at low altitudes in organic rocks - 9 sites (11.4%) - 2 observation points of the NEMS; 10. L-V-LOW-S: a large shallow lake at low altitudes in silicone rocks - 1 site (1.2%) - 1 observation point of the NEMS; 11. L-V-LOW-O: a large shallow lake at low altitudes in organic rocks - 6 sites (7.6%) - 8 observation points of the NEMS; 12. L-S-LOW-S: a large shallow lake at low altitudes in silicone rocks - 1 site (12%) - 1 observation point of the NEMS; 13. L-S-LOW-O: a large shallow lake at low altitudes in organic rocks - 2 sites (2.4%) - 2 observation points of the NEMS. However, only for 8 of them it was possible to find sampling points that corresponded to the criteria of the surveillance monitoring programs for the basin. Suggestions for optimizing the existing network of surface water observations include additional reservoir sampling sites for the surveillance monitoring program in the Pripyat River Basin, which are presented in Table 4.3. Table 4.3: Proposed additional observation points for monitoring and control monitoring of reservoirs Expected Type of water Risk cate- SКМ sub- № Name o water body status/ Sampling point body gory system potential Lake Gorodischens- 1 S-V-LOW-O good Gorodische NR SКМ1 koe 2 Lake Sergeevichskoe M-V-LOW-S good Sergeevichi NR SКМ1 3 Lake Sporovskoe L-V-LOW-O satisfactory Zditovo R SКМ2 4 Lake Beloe M-S-LOW-S good Svaryn R SКМ4 Note; SWB – surface water body; RC – reference conditions; NR – no risk; R – risk.

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Operational monitoring of surface waters

The Operational Monitoring (OM) Programme is focused on monitoring the effect of supporting measures aimed at achieving the objectives of the WFD in the water bodies (possibly) at risk.

Criteria of the operational monitoring program for watercourses include:

– OM1: estimate the effectiveness of measures which aimed at reducing the effects of point sources of pollution (both individually and in combination, and in total, including organic pollution, the effects of eutrophication and priority pollutants; – OM2: estimate the effectiveness of measures which aimed at reducing the impact of diffuse (dispersed) pollution sources; – OM3: estimate the effectiveness of measures which aimed at reducing the impact of hydromorphological changes; – OM4: classify water bodies with high and good status, which are currently not classified “at risk”, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures of the OM program which aimed at maintaining a high and good status of water bodies - cross-border monitoring, which is held in the Pripyat river basin on transboundary sections; – OM5: classify water bodies at risk located in protected areas. Suggestions for optimizing the existing observing river network include additional sampling sites for the OM program (table 4.4). Additional sampling sites were not identified in the part of the OM program for lakes by now. In future, lakes and reservoirs at risk will be included in the OM program as well. Table 4.4: Proposed additional sampling sites under the operational monitoring program of water bodies general character- Expected Name of watercour- istics Risk cate- OM crite- № status/ Sampling point se of water gory ria potential body 1 Ptich river L-LOW-S moderate below Glusk R ОМ1 2 Sluch river L-LOW-O moderate below Slutsk R ОМ1 3 Tsna river M-LOW-S moderate below Hantsavichy R ОМ1 4 Naut‘ S-LOW-S moderate below Zhitkavichy R ОМ1 Lukhinetskiy chan- 5 M-LOW-S moderate Below Luninets R ОМ1 nel Lyakhovichskiy 6 M-LOW-S moderate Lyakhovichi R ОМ1 channel 7 Tsepra river M-LOW-S moderate below Kletsk R ОМ1 8 Mazha river S-LOW-S moderate below Kopyl R ОМ1 below Starye Doro- 9 Solyanka river S-LOW-S moderate R ОМ1 gi Serebronskaya 10 S-LOW-S moderate below Oktyabrski R ОМ1 channel 11 Struga channel S-LOW-S moderate Sykhoe R ОМ1

Investigative monitoring Investigative monitoring intends its implementation on surface water bodies, which are classified as “at risk” or “possibly at risk” of not achieving a good ecological status and operational monitoring has not already been established, to ascertain the magnitude and impacts of accidental pollution or where the reason for any exceedance is unknown.

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The list of studied indicators in the case of IM is dynamic. When it is necessary to obtain information on the status of water bodies in the context of the occurrence of potential risks associated with pollutants, sources of exposure and any other relevant changes, this list can be changed in a timely manner. See maps on Appendix B to the Pripyat RBMP. A map of a prospective surface water monitoring network is shown in Figure B.42 Annex B. The following aspects and UBA suggestions should be taken into account while the enchancement of surface monitorin system in Belarus: - Implementation of the requirements of the ISO EN 17025; - New equipment and training for continuous maintenance of equipment; - Internal and external training of staff, following an agreed training plan; - Collection of chemical and biological data in a central database; - Survey of further biological quality elements (BQE) in the routine monitoring in addition to macro- invertebrates, with the goal to create a basis for the development of WFD compliant ESCS for all BQE; - Expansion of the hydro-morphological survey on other sub-basins of Belarus; - Performing an intercalibration exercise for biological, chemical and hydro-morphological parameters and an evaluation of existing ESCS by performing a joint survey at transboundary rivers; - Implementation and evaluation of the measures for improvement as specified in the survey reports of EUWI+.

4.1.2 Groundwater

The actual groundwater monitoring system (objectives, monitoring tasks, frequency and parameters of sampling, number of observation points) is related to 11 identified groundwater bodies in the Pripyat river basin presented on the tables A.14, A.14.1 of Annex A and on maps B.18-B.28 of Annex B. Sug- gestions and recommendations on the optimal regime network of wells and monitoring of groundwater in the Pripyat River basin in accordance with the requirements of the EU WFD have been given. New groundwater monitoring points, parameters and frequency of sampling for observational and operational monitoring have been proposed. Current (real) groundwater monitoring network Groundwater monitoring is a system of regular monitoring of groundwater condition by hydrogeological, hydrochemical and other parameters. It also includes assessing and forecasting the condition change in order to timely identify negative processes, prevent their harmful effects and determine the effectiveness of activities aimed at rational use and protection of groundwater. To achieve this, the structure of the observation network (interposition and development of observation points) takes into consideration the natural specificity of the identified geosystems, the direction and configuration of groundwater flows, as well as the conditions for potential effluence of contaminants into the underground hydrosphere, their accumulation and migration. During the performance of groundwater monitoring bodies of observation are groundwater and artesian water. Observation points are wells that are supplied with various aquifers and complexes. Groundwater monitoring in the Pripyat River Basin is conducted on the basis of the Instruction on the technology of works on organizing and conducting of observations on the State Groundwater Obser- vation Network, as well as the Instruction on the procedure for conducting monitoring of groundwater in the Republic of Belarus (thereinafter - Instruction). At present, groundwater monitoring within the territory of the Pripyat River basin is conducted in natural regime at 26 hydrogeological posts (76 observation wells); in disturbed regime (water intakes) at 44 water intakes (111 wells). Local monitoring is also conducted at 35 local groundwater monitoring sta-

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tions (314 observation wells) (map B.50 of Annex B showing the existing groundwater monitoring network). Reference information on the natural regime (data on levels, chemical composition, passports of observation wells), acquired in the result of groundwater monitoring, is sent to the information and analytical centre. It is located in the branch of the Institute of Geology of the State Enterprise "RPCG", from the branch "Belarusian Complex Integrated Expedition" of the State Enterprise "RPCG." According to the system regulations, as well as upon the request of users, this information is processed and published in the form of background information on the status of groundwater and the trend development in given time frames. The published information is presented in the form of text, tables, graphs, schemes. The information is analyzed and recorded in an electronic database. Further, the information and analytical centre for monitoring groundwater forwards summarized information on the status of groundwater, as well as data on the number and location of observation points for monitoring groundwater to the Main Infor- mation and Analytical Center. This information is published annually. It is available on the official website of the National Environmental Monitoring System in the Republic of Belarus (www.nsmos.by). In addition, data of groundwater monitoring are submitted to the State Geological Fund in electronic form and in the form of research reports. Quantitative groundwater monitoring. According to the above mentioned regulatory documents, the frequency of measurements of the level regime is 3 times a month. Automatic level gauges are installed at 4 hydrogeological sites (natural regime), which compose 13 wells. That means, that out of 76 operating wells of natural regime, only 13 wells are equipped with level gauges. It should be noted that quantitative monitoring is regularly conducted at almost all observation points Qualitative groundwater monitoring. The frequency of water sampling is 1 time per year. The list of monitored hydrogeochemical components includes pH index, total hardness, total mineralization (dry residue), permanganate oxidation, Cl, SO4, carbonates, hydrocarbonate-ion, nitrates (NO3), Na, K, Ca, Mg, ammonia (nitrogen), carbon dioxide free (CO2), total Fe, intensified silica (Si), nitrite ion, fluorides (F). Due to lack of budget funding qualitative monitoring (chemical) is not conducted at all observation wells. For example, in 2016, chemical monitoring was conducted on 57 wells and in 2018 on 10 wells (out of 76 wells). In the result of the work carried out in 2018 under the project “Update of the Delinetation of groundwater bodies and the design of groundwater monitoring network in the Pripyat River basin in Belarus”, 11 groundwater bodies were identified which are included in the Pripyat River basin management plan (table 4.5). Table 4.5: Ground water bodies in the Pripyat river basin to be included in the RBMP Number Number of sub- GWB Total area [km²] of GWB bodies in GWB Total number 11 25 165993.72 Shallow GWB (quaternary) 5 15 65436.53 Deep GWB 5 9 99149.82 Local GWB 1 1 1407.37

The water bodies associated with ecosystems 2 7 36096.33 Transboundary GWB 5 11 132702.12

Water bodies with quantitative monitoring 10 19 147472.33 Water bodies with quality monitoring 10 19 147472.33

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Proposed groundwater monitoring system Based on the analysis and assessment of the groundwater monitoring structure in the Pripyat River Basin, the conducted inventory of wells, available hydrodynamic and hydrogeochemical data on groundwater monitoring in the study area and in accordance with the requirements of the EU WFD, the suggestions and recommendations for an improvement and a revision of the monitoring design are presented below. They include the integration of the regime network wells; interval/frequency of quantitative and qualitative monitoring; list of hydrogeochemical indicators of groundwater and data management. The largest number of wells, upon which groundwater is monitored or can be monitored, is typical for water bodies of Quaternary sediments. This is caused by the fact that the geology of the Quaternary sediments is heterogeneous and requires a more intense monitoring network. In total, 265 wells are located in Quaternary (near surface) water bodies (existing and preserved, water-intake and hydrogeological stations). And only 125 of them are monitored. However, the Holocene- bearing swamp aquifer (BYPRGW0001) is not covered by monitoring observations (there are no observation wells), but it would be necessary to estimate the impact of groundwater exploitation on surface water ecosystems. Some of the bogs and peat lands have become or will become protected areas for birds, as well as their habitat. That is why it is necessary to drill at least nine monitoring wells in this groundwater body. There are 17 wells in groundwater body BYPRGW0002, but only 8 of them are active and belong to the observation points of the natural groundwater regime. There are 14 and 47 observation wells in groundwater bodies BYPRGW0003 and BYPRGW0004, but only 6 and 30 wells are active, respectively. There are 187 observation wells in the sub-Quaternary deposits (existing and preserved, water-intake and hydrogeological stations), but only 24 wells are under observations. There are 112 wells in groundwater body BYPRGW0009 but only 3 are under observations. A regime network of wells has been established for groundwater bodies BYPRGW0010, BY- PRGW0011 and monitoring is conducted. But in order to obtain information about the status of groundwater, it is necessary to contact either organizations that monitor groundwater on a contractual basis or directly the water user. It is proposed to maintain all available monitoring wells and rotate them every year to ensure the best territorial coverage of the analyzed Quaternary water bodies/objects. Table 4.6 presents preliminary recommendations for amendments to the monitoring network of the 11 groundwater bodies in the Pripyat river basin.

Table 4.6: Recommendations for improvement of GW monitoring network of wells of the Pripyat river basin Name and Number of observation wells code of GWB BYPRGW0001 No monitoring wells. Drilling of 9 new observation wells

8 operating wells in natural mode. There is no information about single, water BYPRGW0002 intake and wells located on local sources of groundwater pollution. 6 operating wells in natural mode. There is no information about single, water BYPRGW0003 intake and wells located on local sources of groundwater pollution. In case of their complete absence it is necessary to drill 1 well. 3 operating wells in natural mode. There is no information about single, water BYPRGW0004 intake and wells located on local sources of groundwater pollution. In case of their complete absence it is necessary to drill 2 wells.

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Name and Number of observation wells code of GWB

7 operating wells in natural mode. There is no information about single, water BYPRGW0005 intake and wells located on local sources of groundwater pollution.

43 wells in the natural mode and 62 in the disturbed regime. Rotation of at least 25 BYPRGW0006 wells. BYPRGW0007 11 operating wells. Inventory of observation wells at water intakes BYPRGW0008 10 operating wells. Inventory of observation wells at water intakes 3 operating wells in natural mode. There is no information about single, water BYPRGW0009 intake and wells located on local sources of groundwater pollution. In case of their complete absence it is necessary to drill 2 wells The local network of groundwater monitoring is exist Because of the peculiarities of BYPRGW0010 the object, the coordinate information and the passports of the wells is missing The local network of groundwater monitoring is exist It is necessary to collect all BYPRGW0011 available documents for observation wells.

When interpreting the existing National Groundwater Monitoring of the Republic of Belarus according to the requirements of the WFD, the following conclusions can be drawn: Quantitative groundwater monitoring includes all existing hydrogeological stations, water intakes, as well as local sources of groundwater pollution, according to the active legal documents of the country. In addition, as recommended by respeczive EU GIS guidance documents, the groundwater monitoring network should also include wells, springs, points for measuring surface water levels during the dry period (for example, on the Goryn, Sluch, Ptich, Stviga Rivers, etc.), as well as waterlogged territories and lakes that are essentially dependent on groundwater. According to the WFD, the wells in the Pri- pyat River basin should be distributed over all water bodies of groundwater in order to obtain a good spatial distribution of sources of information on the zones of feeding and discharge of groundwater. Electronic sensors should be gradually installed at all observation points, but first of all, at transboundary hydrogeological posts. The frequency of quantitative groundwater monitoring remains at 3 times a month for natural and disturbed conditions. In case of detection of changes in the state of groundwater and for new water intakes (with the installation of automatic sensors), the frequency will be every 12 hours during 3 months. Qualitative monitoring of groundwater includes observational and operational monitoring. Observational (surveillance) groundwater monitoring will include local groundwater monitoring, as well as groundwater monitoring conducted in natural and disturbed conditions. In accordance with the WFD, the frequency of observational monitoring should be at least one time per the planning period of the development of the River Basin Management Plan (the Republic of Belarus - every 5 years; the European Union - every 6 years). The frequency of observations, as well as a list of monitored indicators, is presented in table 4.7. The frequency of hydrogeochemical observations will be every 5 years. The frequency of the hydrodynamic observations is 3 times a month. Operational monitoring: The operational groundwater monitoring includes hydrogeological posts (natural regime), water intakes of large urban agglomerations. The frequency of operational monitoring will be at least 1 time a year, including the main macro- and microcomponents, as well as the parameters that lead to the risk of failing good groundwater chemical status.

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The frequency of hydrodynamic observations will be 3 times in a month for natural and disturbed conditions. In case of detection of changes in the state of groundwater and for new water intakes (with the installation of the sensors), the frequency will be every 12 hours during 3 months. The list of parameters and the frequency of observations are presented in table 4.8.

Table 4.7: List of analysed substances and indicators for GW observational monitoring Frequency of Name of the indicator Name of the Monitoring- hydro- № Unit № Unit to be determined indicator frequency dinamic observations 1 Dryresidue мg/dm3 13,14 SO4, Cl мg/dm3 Permanganateoxi- мgО /d 2 2 15 Fetotal мg/dm3 dation m3 3 Mineralization мg/dm3 16 SiO2 мg/dm3 4 Na мg/dm3 17 Pb мg/dm3 5 K мg/dm3 18 Cd мg/dm3 6 Ca мg/dm3 19 As мg/dm3 3 times 1 time per 5 7 Mg мg/dm3 20 Hg,Cu, Cr мg/dm3 per month. years 8 NH4 мg/dm3 21 Pesticides мg/dm3 9 NO2 мg/dm3 22 Organics мg/dm3 10 NO3 мg/dm3 23 Mn мg/dm3 3 Cs-137 (for According 11 PO4 мg/dm 24 subsoil water) to SanPiN Sr-90 (for 10-124 RB 12 F, В, Ва мg/dm3 25 subsoil water) 99 Table 4.8: List of controlled parameters for GW operational monitoring

№ GW Physical and chemical parameters Frequency of observations Dry residue, permanganate oxidation, mineralization, рН, Eh, Na, K, Ca, Mg, NH4, 1 NO2, NO3, PO4, SO4, Cl, SiO2, organoleptic, hardness total F, B, Ba, Fe, As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn 2 …. Every year 3 Pesticides, under risk polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, 4 trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, under risk 3 times a month. In case of detection of Groundwater level in monitoring and produc- changes in the state of groundwater and for new 5 tion wells, flow rate and level in surface wa- water intakes (with the installation of automatic ters and streams sensors), the frequency will be every 12 hours during 3 months

On the basis of the review, analysis and assessment of the existing groundwater monitoring system and the requirements of the WFD, the improvement of groundwater monitoring in the Republic of Bela- rus as a whole and in the Pripyat river basin should include: 1. Improving the obtaining of primary information from water users; 2. Improving the transfer and storage of received information on the quantitative and qualitative status of groundwater in one organization and one database (State Enterprise "RPCG", on the basis of which

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the Information and Analytical Center for Monitoring Groundwater of the Republic of Belarus is operating); 3. Conducting an inventory of single wells with the evaluation of their coordinates and the entry in the register of groundwater observation points; 4. Equipping observation wells with automatic data recording devices; 5. Updating the computer programs (GIS-technologies) with transfer and processing of the received information in raster and vector image. When comparing the current situation of monitoring groundwater in the Pripyat River basin with the envisaged situation, according to some points of the EU WFD, the frequency of observations varies, some hydrogeochemical indicators are supplemented, the number/quantity of observation points increases, all wells are equipped with automatic level gauges (Table 4.9).

Table 4.9: Estimated/proposed groundwater monitoring system Type of Number of groundwater wells is equal monitoring Type of monitoring, according to Hydrochemical Frequency to the number according to requirements Republic of Belarus indicators of level the WFD gauges requirements Quantity groundwatermonitoring All existing hydrogeological posts (national, background and transboundary ranks), water intakes, as well as 3 times per month. In case of local sources of groundwater pollution, according to the detection of changes in the current legal documents of the country. In addition, as state of groundwater and for recommended by the EU WFD, the observation points new water intakes (with the of quantitative groundwater monitoring will include installation of automatic Total 153 wells, springs, points for measuring the levels of surface sensors), the frequency will be wells (after watercourses(for example, on the rivers Goryn, Sluch, every 12 hours during 3 inspection of Ptich, Stviga, etc.), as well as wetlands and lakes, months single wells, which are significantly dependent on groundwater the number of Quality groundwater monitoring observation wells can and local groundwater monitoring, as well According to 1 time per should Observational as groundwater monitoring in natural SanPiN 10-124 5 years increase) and disturbed conditions RB 99 national, transboundary hydrogeological posts (natural Every year According to regime), water intakes of large urban or as Operational SanPiN 10-124 agglomerations (disturbed regime), needed RB 99 local sources of groundwater pollution (at risk)

A map of a prospective groundwater monitoring network is shown in map B.52 of the Annex B.

4.2 Results of the monitoring programmes

4.2.1 Status of surface water (ecological, chemical)

The ecological status of surface water bodies and their parts is specified on the basis of hydrobiological indicators using hydrochemical and hydromorphological indicators [24]. The designation of a surface water body to the class of ecological status is carried out on the basis of data obtained at observation points of the state observation network of the NEMS.

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To specify the ecological status of watercourse sections, the average values of hydrobiological indicators obtained by analyzing the structural characteristics of macrozoobenthos and phytoperiphyton communities are used; reservoirs - phytoplankton and zooplankton. General physico-chemical indicators used as supporting element to classify the ecological status of watercourses and reservoirs include the following groups of indicators: gas composition11, organic matters12, and nutrients13. To specify the ecological status of watercourse sections, the average values of hydrobiological indicators obtained by analyzing the structural characteristics of macrozoobenthos and phytoperiphyton communities are used; reservoirs - phytoplankton and zooplankton. General Physico-chemical indicators used as supporting element to classify the ecological status of watercourses and reservoirs include the following groups of indicators: gas composition14, organic matters15, and nutrients16. Hydromorphological indicators used as supporting elements to classify the ecological status of watercourses (especially the high ecological status) include an assessment of the following groups of indicators:

 morphometric (channel, coast and coastal zone, floodplain);  hydrological (continuity, hydrological changes);  to specify the ecological status of water bodies - morphometric (water area, coast and coastal zone, catchment), hydrological (continuity, hydrological changes).

The following color codes are used to display the results of specifying the class of ecological status:

 high ecological status/potential - blue;  good ecological status/potential - green;  moderate ecological status/potential - yellow;  poor ecological status/potential - orange;  bad ecological status/potential - red.

The results of surface water monitoring by hydrobiological and hydrochemical indicators with an assigned quality class by hydrobiological and hydrochemical indicators of water bodies of the Pripyat basin at the observation points of the NEMS for 2015-2018 were transferred to RUE CRICUWR according to the Instruction on the procedure for interaction in the system of the Ministry of Natural Re- sources and Environmental Protection on maintaining the state water cadastre [25]. The quality class for hydromorphological indicators of water bodies at the observation points of the NEMS was assigned to RUE CRICUWR according to the results of desktop studies without field work, with the exception of the network of observations of surface water conditions developed in 2017 based on hydromorphological indicators, where full hydromorphological studies were carried out: the Pripyat – Bol’shie Dikovichi, the Pripyat - Pinsk, the Pripyat - Mazyr, the Goryn - Rechitsa, the Stviga - Dzerzhinsk, the L’va - Olmanskaya Koshara, the Slovechna - Skorodnoye, the Styr - Ladorozh, the Ubort - Miloshevici (table A.12 of the Annex A). In 2015, in the Pripyat river basin, the quality class of hydrobiological indicators was assigned to surface water bodies in 26 of 42 NEMS observation points, in 2016 - in 8 of 42 NEMS observation points, in 2017 in 35 of 42 NEMS observation points, in 2018 at 8 out of 42 observation points of the NEMS.

11 Dissloved oxygen 12 Biochemical Oxygen Demand BOD5 13 Ammonium ion, nitrite ion, nitrate ion, Kjeldahl total nitrogen, phosphate ion (including hydro and dihydroforms), total phosphorus 14Dissolved oxygen 15 Biochemical Oxygen Demand BOD5 16Ammonium ion, nitrite ion, nitrate ion, Kjeldahl total nitrogen, phosphate ion (including hydro and dihydroforms), total phosphorus

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In 2015, in the Pripyat river basin, the quality class of hydrochemical indicators was assigned to surface water bodies in 45 of 45 NEMS observation points, in 2016 - in 30 of 45 NEMS observation points, in 2017 - in 42 of 45 NEMS observation points, in 2018 - at 33 out of 45 observation points of the NEMS. Thus, in 2015, the results of surface water monitoring in the Pripyat basin made it possible to assign a class of ecological status to water bodies in 26 of 42 observation points of the NEMS: good ecological status in 20 points, moderate status in 6 points (Yaselda river –below Bereza, Chervonoe lake - Pu- khovichi, the Moroch river - Yaskovichi, the Pripyat river – Bol’shie Dikovichi, the Styr – the L’va River - Olmanskaya Koshara). In 2016, the results of surface water monitoring in the Pripyat basin made it possible to assign a class of ecological status to water bodies in 8 of 42 observation points of the NEMS:, good ecological status in 7 points, moderate status (Goryn River) – Rechitsa)in 1 point. In 2017, the results of surface water monitoring in the Pripyat basin made it possible to assign a class of ecological status to water bodies in 33 of 42 observation points of the NEMS: high ecological status in 2 points, good environmental status in 23 points, moderate status in 8 points (the Pripyat river - above Pinsk, the Yaselda river - below Bereza, the Goryn river – above Rechitsa, the Goryn river – below Rechitsa, the Ubort river - Krasnoberezhye, the Dokolka river - Boyanovo, the Moroch river - Yaskovichi, the Pripyat river – Bol’shie Dikovichi). In 2018, the results of surface water monitoring in the Pripyat basin made it possible to assign a class of ecological status to water bodies in 8 of 42 observation points of the NEMS: good ecological status in 5 points, moderate status in 3 points (the Pripyat river - Dovlyady, the Ubort river - Milashevichi, the Stviga river - Dzerzhinsk). (see figure 4.1)

54 52 50 no sampling bad ecological status/potential poor ecological status/potential 48 moderate ecological status/potential good ecological status/potential high ecological status/potential 46 44 42 40 38 9 36 34 16 32 30 28 8 26 24 34 34 22 6 20

amount of of bodiesamountwater 18 16 14 23 12 10 20 8 1 6 3 4 7 2 5 0 2 2015 2016 2017 2018

Figure 4.1 - Ecological status of surface water bodies in the Pripyat river basin

The final assessment of the ecological status of the surface water bodies of the Pripyat basin and the expected ecological status of the water bodies after the implementation of the RBMP is presented in table A.13, A13.1 of the Annex A, on map B.43 of the Annex B and in special MsExcell file in more detail including risk assessment.

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Features of the quality characteristics of surface water bodies in the Pripyat river basin in 2018 according to the results of the NEMS According to the NEMS data [26] in 2018, the status of river ecosystems in the Pripyat river basin on hydrobiological indicators declined compared to the previous year. The analysis of the observation results showed that the average annual concentration of some pollutants (organic matter (according to BOD5), ammonium ion, surfactant) in water increased compared to the previous year. In 2018, the trend continues to decrease in the number of water samples taken in the river basin. Pri- pyat River has a high content of ammonium ion, nitrite ion, organic matter (according to BOD5), oil products. The total phosphorus content has remained unchanged. The amount of samples with an excess of phosphate ion increased compared to last year. Throughout the year, as in the long-term observation period, the content of nitrate ion in the water of all surface water bodies of the basin did not exceed the regulatory permissible level. The Pripyat River The basic salt composition in Pripyat River is considered as natural water with average salinity. Based on the pH measurements (ranging from 7.1 to 8.5), the Pripyat water is in the range from neutral to slightly alkaline (according to the classification of A.M. Nikanorov). The gas regime (oxygen budget) of the watercourse was satisfactory. The average annual concentration of ammonium ion in the river water in 2018, compared with the previous observation period, decreased. The maximum content of this indicator (0.31 NH4-N mg/l) was recorded in the water of the river below the city of Pinsk in December. The minimum (0.06 mgN/l) was recorded in the water of the river near the settlement Bol’shie Dikovichi in November. The results of observations indicate a decrease in the content of phosphate ion in the water of the Pripyat River. The average annual value of the indicator exceeded the maximum permitted concentration (MPC) in the water of the Pripyat river 45.0 km below the city of Mozyr (0.068 mgR /dm3). The highest amounts of nitrite ion (0.021 NO2-N mg/l) and phosphate ion (0.086 PO4-P mg/l) in August and total phosphorus (0.116 mg/l) in May were recorded in water of the Pripyat River 45 km below the city of Mozyr. Within all sampling sites, enhanced concentrations of metals (total iron, manganese, copper and zinc) in the water were recorded, caused by high natural background concentration. The average annual concentration of iron and manganese compounds in the river water exceeded the MPC value, where- as the average annual concentration of copper and zinc corresponded to the quality standard17. Cases of exceeding the permissible content (0.05 mg/l) of oil products in the water Pripyat were not recorded. The maximum concentration of the indicator was observed in the river water below Pinsk (0.048 mg/l). The content of synthetic surfactants for the study period in the water of the Pripyat River did not exceed the normative allowable level. The hydrochemical status of the river along its entire length was assessed as excellent and good. Phytoperiphyton. The taxonomic diversity of benthic algae in the Pripyat River is represented by 56 taxa in total. The values of the saprobic index were between 2.12 and 1.82. Macrozoobenthos. The taxonomic diversity of macrozoobenthos organisms at observation points of the Pripyat River ranged from 14 (Dovlyady) to 33 species and forms (Bol’shie Dikovichi). The value of the biotic index was 5 (Dovlyady) and 8 (Bol’shie Dikovichi). Tributaries of the Pripyat River The water of the Pripyat tributaries in 2018 was characterized as neutral and slightly alkaline (pH = 6.6-8.5) (according to the classification of A.M. Nikanorov).

17 Resolution of the Ministry of Natural Resources and environmental protection of the Republic of Belarus “On the establishment of water quality standards for surface water bodies» (No. 13 March 30, 2015)

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During the reporting year, tributary water was supplied, as a rule, with the amount of dissolved oxygen sufficient for the stable functioning of river ecosystems. There were no oxygen deficiency in the water of the Goryn River used for breeding, feeding, wintering, and migration of sturgeon-like fish species. In the rivers Ippa, Moroch, Oressa and Yaselda above and below the city of Bereza, a decrease in the content of dissolved oxygen was observed with a minimum in the Dokolka River reaching 0.7 mgO2/L in August.

The occurrence of organic substances (according to BOD5) during the year was characterized by significant fluctuations in concentrations - from 1.4 mgO2/L in the water of the Ippa, L’va, Slovechno,

Stviga and Ubort rivers to 8.0 mgO2/L (1.3 MPC) in water of the Moroch River. The average annual content of organic substances (according to COD Cr) varied from 26.0 to 71.2 mgO2/L. Over the years, the water of the tributaries of the Pripyat river basin is characterizing by a developing of a rather unfavorable hydrochemical situation in relation to the increased content of nutrients. In 2018, the indicators slightly improved. 16.2% of water samples were characterized by an excessive presence of ammonium ion. An excess of the standard value of the phosphate ion content was recorded in 33.5% of water samples.

The maximum concentration of ammonium ion (2.02 mg NH4-N /L, 5.2 MAC) was analysed in the waters of the Dokolka river in July; phosphate ion (0.39 mg/l, 5.9 MPC) in May, total phosphorus (0.58 mg PO4-P /L, 2.9 MPC) and nitrite ion (0.13 mg NO2-N/L, 5.4 MPC) in June and July, respectively, in the water of the Yaselda river below the city of Bereza. In 2018, an excess of the quality standard for phosphate ion to 0.08 mg/l was recorded.in the water of the Dnieper-Bug channel. The content of total iron, manganese, copper, and zinc exceeded the maximum permissible level in the water of most tributaries. The highest value of total iron (2.9 mg/l) was recorded in the water of the Bobrik river in May, manganese (0.277 mg/l) - in the water of the L’va river in May, copper (0.022 mg/l) in the Sluch river in August and zinc (0.03 mg/l) in the Yaselda below Bereza in April. The excesses of the permissible level of oil products during the year were recorded in the water of the Stviga and Ubort rivers with a maximum in the Dokolka river (0.087 mg/l) in April. The content of synthetic surfactants in the water of the tributaries did not exceed the normally allowable level. Phytoperiphyton. The total taxonomic diversity of benthic algae in the tributaries of the Pripyat river amounted to 134 taxa. The values of the saprobic index varied from 1.44 (the Slovechno) to 2.0 (the Ubort). Macrozoobenthos. In the tributaries of the river basin Pripyat species diversity of macrozoobenthos ranged from 16 species and forms in the Stviga River (Dzerzhinsk) up to 34 species and forms in the Styr River (Ladorozh). The biotic index ranged from 5 (the Goryn) to 7 (the Styr, the L’va, the Slovech- no, the Stviga). Lakes and reservoirs of the river basin Pripyat An analysis of the seasonal dynamics of dissolved oxygen in 2018 showed that the variability of its compounds in the water of the Krasnaya Sloboda, Lyubanskoe, Selets, and Lake Beloe (Bostyn) corresponded to the natural seasonal dynamics.

The content of easily oxidized organic substances (according to BOD5) in the Pripyat river varied during the year from 1.03 mgO2/dm3 in February in the water of the Selets reservoir to 8.0 mgO2/dm3 in October in the water of the Krasnaya Sloboda reservoir. The values of bichromate oxidizability (according to COD Cr) varied from 12.0 mgO2/dm3 in the water of Lake Beloe in February to 87.0 mgO2/dm3 (2.9 MAC) in the water of the Krasnaya Sloboda reservoir in July. An analysis of long-term data on the chemical composition of water indicates a decrease in the content of ammonium ion in the water of the water bodies of the Pripyat river basin. In the reporting period, the content of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in the water reservoir did not exceed the MPC value.

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Water bodies of the Pripyat river basin are characterized by a high natural content of metals in water. In the reporting period, values were recorded that exceed the maximum permissible concentrations for total iron (up to 1.30 mg/l) - in water of the Lubansk reservoir, manganese (up to 0.093 mg/l) - in water of the Krasnaya Sloboda reservoir, copper (up to 0.004 mg/l) and zinc (up to 0.019 mg/l) - in water of the Selets reservoir. The content of oil products and synthetic surfactants in the water of water bodies did not exceed the maximum allowable level.

4.2.2 Status of groundwater

In 2018, 10 samples were taken in the Pripyat river basin for the physicochemical composition of groundwater from the wells of Borovitsky, Zarechinsky, Gorokhovsky, Letenetsky, Mlynoksky, Ploskinsky, Snyadinsky, Khlupinsky and Simonich-Rudny hydrogeological stations. Wells are equipped for ground (2 wells) and artesian (8 wells) waters. The observation results of on the hydrochemical indicators of groundwater in 2018 [26] showed, that - in general - the physicochemical composition of the investigated groundwater and artesian waters in terms of the content of the main physicochemical parameters corresponds with the established water quality requirements [27]. Exceptions were found in local areas, where excesses of maximum permissible concentrations for nitrogen compounds, silicon oxide, permanganate oxidation, organoleptic properties are revealed. In addition, almost everywhere there is an increased content of iron. The exceedances of established standards are caused by both anthropogenic (agricultural, domestic pollution) and natural reasons (high permeability of cover deposits, the occurrence of fulvic and humic substances in the soil, lithological composition of water-bearing rocks, heavy precipitation, hydrogeological factors). According to the observation results of the hydrogeological indicators of groundwater in 2018, fluctuations in pressure water levels practically repeat fluctuations in groundwater levels, which confirms a good hydraulic relationship between aquifers and the waters of surface waters (rivers and reservoirs). As a result of observations on hydrogeological indicators in 2018, it was found that fluctuations in pressure water levels practically repeat fluctuations in groundwater levels, which confirms a good hydraulic relationship between aquifers and the waters of surface watercourses and reservoirs. An analysis of seasonal changes in groundwater levels in 2018 in the Pripyat basin showed a general decline in both groundwater and artesian water levels, while the average decrease in groundwater levels was 0.6 m and 0.69 m for artesian waters. Summary of the 2018 monitoring results for groundwater in the Pripyat river basin:

 The pH value in 2018 was between 5.7 and 7.8, which implies that the waters of the basin are mostly neutral, less often slightly alkaline.

 The total hardness index varied from 0.48 to 6.44 mmol/ dm3. It indicates the distribution of soft and medium hardness of groundwater in the Pripyat river basin.  Groundwater of the Pripyat river basin is mainly bicarbonate magnesium-calcium and bicarbonate calcium.

 The solids content in the pool ranged from 182.0 to 435.0 mg/l, chlorides from 23.6 to 56.6 mg/l, sulfates from 22.6 to 69.1 mg/l, nitrates - from 15.2 to 54.4 mg/l, nitrites - from 0.01 to 0.2 mg/l.  The cationic composition of water varied in the following ranges: sodium - from 8.2 to 27.5 mg/l, potassium - from 1.9 to 2.2 mg/l, calcium - from 22.7 to 78.0 mg/l, magnesium - from 5.2 to 19.7 mg/l, ammonia (for nitrogen) - <0.1 mg/l.

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 MPC shows excesses detected for silicon oxide 1.03-1.3 times (in wells of 1 Borovitsky and 1235 Zarechensky g/g posts) and for nitrates by 1.21 times in well 1 of Borovitsky g/g post. According to chemical composition, artesian waters of the Pipyat river basin,are mainly magnesium bicarbonate and calcium bicarbonate.  The solids content in the basin varied from 55.0 to 361.0 mg/l, chlorides from 1.0 to 10.0 mg dm3, sulfates from <2.0 to 7.4 mg/l, nitrates from <0.1 to 8.0 mg/l, sodium from 2.2 to 7.6 mg/l, magnesium from 1.3 to 19.9 mg/l, calcium from 7.4 to 96, 2 mg/l, potassium from 1.0 to 5.0 mg/l, ammonia (for nitrogen) from <0.1 to 1.5 mg/l.  Most excesses were revealed in the permanganate oxidation: 1.08-4.83 times (in wells 720 Gorokhovskogo, 1300 Simonichsko-Rudnenskogo, 729 Letenetskogo g/g posts); silicon oxide 1.03-3.4 times (in wells 720 Gorokhovsky, 681 Khlupinsky, 729 Letenets g/g posts).  In well 729 of the Letenets g/g post, an excess of MPC by nitrite ion was recorded by 1.18 times. In a number of wells, the indicators of turbidity and color did not meet established requirements. Such indicators for these components are due to the influence of both natural and anthropogenic factors (agricultural pollution).  The temperature regime of groundwater during sampling varied from 8.0 °C to 9.1 °C. The hydrodynamic regime of groundwater in the Pripyat river basin was studied at 25 hydrogeological posts. Groundwater levels were measured in 75 wells, 13 of which are equipped for groundwater, and 62 for artesian water. The seasonal regime of groundwater is characterized by the occurrence of spring rise and summer-fall recession, which in some places lasted until the end of the year. So, from January to April there is arise in the groundwater level. From April to September-November there is a decrease. However, in some wells there was a slight increase in levels from October. In 2018, the groundwater level slightly decreased compared to 2017. In 2018, the minimum level was mainly in September-November. The maximum level was in March-April. Annual amplitudes of fluctuations in groundwater levels in wells of g/g posts in the Pripyat river basin varied from 0.55 to 1.07 m. The maximum amplitudes of level fluctuations were recorded in wells of 214 Sitnensky, 31 Pinsky, 225 Ploskinsky g/g posts and amounted to 1.07; 0.97; 0.96 m respectively. The temperature regime of groundwater was characterized by a change in temperature from 4.0 °C to 14.0 °C. The seasonal regime of artesian waters in the basin, as well as in other basins, was characterized by the occurrence of spring rise and summer-autumn decline. The course of artesian water levels is similar to the change in the position of the groundwater table and is characterized by a rise in levels from the end of 2017 to March-April 2018. Then, a decrease in the level is observedfrom May-June to Oc- tober-November. Comparing the depths of the artesian water level for 2017 and 2018, we can make a conclusion that they either remained practically unchanged or slightly decreased. The minimum values of the position of the level were mainly in October-November, the maximum in April. Annual amplitudes of fluctuations in artesian water levels in 2018 in wells of the year-on-year posts in the Pripyat river basin varied from 0.65 to 2.04 m. The maximum amplitudes of level fluctuations were observed at the Turovsky g/g post in well 1292, in the wells of 685 Snyadinsky, 680 Khlupinsky g/g stations and amounted to 2.04 m; 0.41 m and 0.42 m respectively. The temperature regime of artesian waters was characterized by a temperature change from 2.1 °C to 14.0 °C.

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CHAPTER 5. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS (PART 1 RELATED TO BASIN CHARACTERISATION)

5.1 Economic weights by relevant water uses (results from chapter 2), socio-economic issues, main trends

In general, the concept of water use includes the totality of all forms and types of use of water resources. In the Republic of Belarus, relations arising from the possession, use and disposal of water resources are regulated by the Water Code of the Republic of Belarus.Water use in Belarus is paid, apart from general water use, the use of water bodies for emergency response and (or) their consequences, the use of surface water bodies for navigation needs. General water use conditions at water bodies (restrictions) are brought to the attention of interested parties by local executive and administrative bodies by publishing this information in the media and posting on their official websites. In the Republic of Belarus in the Pripyat river basin, the following types of water use can be distinguished:

1. Drinking water supply; 2. industrial; 3. agricultural; 4. energy; 5. health (medical, resort, health service); 6. fire-fighting; 7. navigational (inland water transport) ; 8. recreational; 9. other. To define the economic weight of each type of water use in the Pripyat River basin, data from the state water cadastre were used. A list of water users by types of economic activities that have the greatest impact on water resources in the Pripyat river basin is presented (Table A.20.1 of the Annex A). This list, consisting of 71 water users, includes enterprises and organizations belonging to various sectors of the economy (Figure 5.1). Distributions of water use in the context of administrative districts by industry and specific water use are presented on the maps B.48 and B.49 of Annex B, respectively.

Figure 5.1 – The number of the most important water users in the Pripyat river basin by industry Drinking water supply

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In order to associate this type of water use with a group of surface waters in the Pripyat River basin, the statistical data of water users who carry out water withdrawal from water bodies for drinking water supply and also discharge domestic wastewater into water bodies have been analyzed (table A.20.2 of the Annex A). This list is compiled by enterprises of housing and communal services that collect,process and distribute water, as well as sanatorium-resort organizations that provide health services. In the Pripyat river basin, domestic wastewater is discharged into a water body from priority water users at 30 outlets. Water is withdrawn for household and drinking needs from 1 water body. With the use of the means of geographical information systems (GIS), 92 water objects (water bodies) associated with the use of water for drinking and drinking needs were identified.

Industrial water supply Industrial enterprises account for 30% of the total number of priority water users in the Pripyat river basin. In order to associate this type of water use with the group o surface waters in the Pripyat River basin, we analyzed the statistical data of water users extracting water from water bodies for industrial use, as well as discharging industrial wastewater into water bodies (table A.20.3 of the Annex A). This list is composed of mining and manufacturing enterprises that use water for industrial purposes. With the use of the means of geographical information systems (GIS), 68 water bodies (water bodies) associated with the industrial use of water were identified. Agricultural water supply Agricultural enterprises, farms and fish farms account for 34% of the total number of priority water users in the Pripyat river basin. In order to associate this type of water use with a group of surface waters in the Pripyat River basin, water users have been identified who take water from water bodies for agricultural use (including for fish farming), as well as dispose of wastewater into water bodies after agricultural use (including discharge from fish ponds) (table A.20.4 of the Annex A). This list consists of enterprises engaged in fisheries (freshwater fish farming), livestock and crop production. Using the means of geographical information systems (GIS), 95 water objects (water bodies) associated with the agricultural use of water were identified. Energy water supply In the Republic of Belarus, the energy sector is one of the largest consumers of water. Water from surface water bodies is used in technological processes, as well as for cooling equipment. Moreover, according to Article 43 of the WC RB, the use of water bodies for energy needs is allowed with respect for the temperature regime of surface water bodies, as well aswith respect for the requirements of the legislation on environmental protection In the Pripyat river basin, enterprises engaged in the production of electric energy, as well as peat products, use water from surface water bodies for energy needs: Berezovskaya TPP (Beloozersk, Brest region), Pinsk TPP (Pinsk, Brest region), Peat-Briquette Plant Sergeevichskoye (Rusakovichi, Minsk Region) (table A.20.5 of the Annex A). Using the means of geographical information systems (GIS), 9 water bodies (water bodies) were identified associated with the energy use of water. Health water supply (medical, resort, health services) After analyzing the data of the state water cadastre (statistical reporting of water users) in the Pripyat River basin, 2 health care institutions were identified that discharge wastewater into surface water bodies (table A.20.6 of the Annex A). With the use of the means of geographic information systems (GIS), 12 water bodies (water bodies) were established associated with this type of water use. Fire-fighting water supply

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According to article 41 of the WC RB, the extraction (withdrawal) of water for fire-fighting needs is allowed from any water bodies without permission, free of charge and in the amount necessary to eliminate the fire. Thus, all water bodies (water bodies) allocated in the Pripyat river basin can be associated with fire-fighting water use. Navigational water supply (inland water transport) In Belarus, the use of surface water bodies assigned to inland waterways for the needs of inland water transport is conducted in accordance with the legislation in the field of inland water transport. The legal, economic and organizational basis of inland waterways shipping in the Republic of Belarus is established by the Inland Water Transport Code No.118-3 of 06.24.2002. In the Pripyat river basin, 5 watercourses (sites of watercourses) use the needs of inland water transport:  the Pripyat River (Pinsk – Usovskiy, the length of the site – 449 km)  thePripyatRiver (Turovskiy backwater, the length of the site – 1,5 km)  thePinaRiver (Pererub – Pinsk, the length of the site – 41 km)  theGorynRiver (mouth – David – Gorodok, the length of the site – 12 km)  theDnieper-Bugchannel(Selische – Pererub, the length of the site – 40 km),  theMikashevichskiy channel (mouth – Sitnitsa,river port Mikashevichi, the length of the site – 7 km).

Transportation of goods and passengers by water in the Republic of Belarus is carried out by the Re- publican Transport Unitary Enterprise “Belarusian River Shipping Company”.

Having determined the definite location of the boundaries of the sections of watercourses used for the needs of inland water transport, as well as using the means of geographic information systems (GIS), 21 water bodies (water bodies) associated with transport water use were identified (Figure 5.7).

Recreational water supply Annually in the Republic of Belarus, lists of water bodies (sites of water bodies) used as places of rest are established by district executive committees.In 2019, 96 places of rest near the water were approved in the Pripyat river basin (table A.20.7 of the Annex A). Having determined the deinite location of the recreation area, as well as using the means of geographic information systems (GIS), 52 water objects (water bodies) were identified that can be correlated with recreational water use in the Pripyat River basin. Others According to the data of state water cadastre, among water users having the greatest impact on surface water bodies in the Pripyat river basin, only 2 enterprises belonging to the industry section use water for other needs not related to the previous types of water use (table A 20.8 of the Annex A). Thus, using the data of the state water cadastre taken together with geographic information systems (GIS), all selected water objects (water bodies) in the Pripyat river basin are assigned to the corresponding type of water use, which is represented in the final map B.36 in the Annex B. This map reflects watercourses and reservoirs in the Pripyat river basin which are highlighted in different colors, depending on the number of water uses that exert pressure on the water body. To further define the priority type of water use in the Pripyat River basin, an economic analysis of the costs (payments) associated with each type of water use was conducted.

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5.2 Water prices, tariffs for discharges by sector and by territory

According to Article 35 of WC RB, payments related to water use are charged in the form of tax or rent. Regional and Minsk city executive committees set tariffs for water supply and sanitation services for water users on the basis of Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No.72 dated Febru- ary 25, 2011 “On Certain Issues of Regulation of Prices (Tariffs) in the Republic of Belarus” and paragraph 4 of the Regulation on the Procedure for Tariff Indexation ( prices) for utility services provided to legal entities by organizations of the system of the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services, approved by resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No.175 of 02.27.2014. The establishment, introduction, amendment and termination of taxes in the sphere of protection and use of water, as well as the procedure and conditions for collection are determined by tax legislation.The amount of the rent for the use of surface water bodies for fish farming, the procedure, conditions and terms for making it are determined in the lease agreement and approved by the local Councils of Deputies, executive and administrative bodies. The Tax Code of the Republic of Belarus (Particular Conditions) with the latest amendments dated December 30, 2018 No.159-З (hereinafter - the Tax Code) establishes a system of taxes for the use of natural resources, including for the use of water bodies. 1. Environmental tax 2. Tax for the abstractions of natural resources Environmental tax Water users discharging wastewater into surface water bodies are environmental tax payers. The amount of the environmental tax is determined for each water user-payer based on the amount of wastewater discharged into the water body multiplied by the rate of the environmental tax. The environmental tax rates for wastewater discharge are determined by the Tax Code and depend on the wastewater receiver (table A.5.20.9 of the Annex A). According to Article 247 of the Tax Code of the Republic of Belarus, wastewater discharged into the environment through the rainwater drainage system from the territory in which it was formed as a result of precipitation and snow melting is not subject to environmental tax. The following decreasing coefficient factors apply to environmental tax rates: 1) For discharge of wastewater into the environment for owners of municipal and departmental se- wers (discharge from the population) - 0.006; 2) For discharge of wastewater into the environment for aquaculture organizations and pond farms (discharge from ponds) - 0.006; 3) For the discharge of wastewater into surface water bodies by thermal power plants using non- renewable energy sources in their work - 0.5; 4) For the discharge of wastewater into surface water bodies by thermal power plants that use renewable energy sources in their work - 0.2. In 2018, in the Pripyat river basin on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, the environmental tax for the discharge of wastewater into surface water bodies is paid for 76 releases for a total of 5,4 mln Belarusian rubles (2,4 mln euros) (table A.20.10 of the Annex A). The contribution (%) of each type of water use to the amount of environmental tax in the Pripyat river basin is presented in table A.20.11 of the Annex A. Thus, the largest contribution to the total amount of the environmental tax for wastewater discharges into water bodies in the Pripyat River basin (97%) is made by water users who use water for industrial needs. The list of water user data is presented in table A.20.12 of the Annex A.

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Among them: 66% accounts for the enterprise for the extraction and production of crushed granite RUME "Granit", and 31% accounts for the oil refining enterprise of OJSC "Mozyr Oil Refinery". Tax for the abstraction of natural resources In the Republic of Belarus, according to the Tax Code, water users (non-budget organizations and individual entrepreneurs) that conduct the extraction of natural resources (water resources) are tax payers for the extraction (withdrawal) of natural resources. At the same time, the extraction (withdrawal) of water to eliminate emergency situations and (or) their consequences, as well as the extraction of groundwater used to produce geothermal energy, are not taxed. The amount of tax for the withdrawal of natural resources (water resources) is specified for each water user-payer based on the actual amount of water withdrawn multiplied by the tax rate. Tax rates for the extraction (withdrawal) of natural resources (water resources) are determined by the Tax Code and depend on the goals of water use (table A.20.13 of the Annex A). In 2018, in the Pripyat river basin on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, tax for the withdrawal of natural resources (water resources) is paid for 42 water withdrawals totaling 1,1mln Belarusian rubles (500,9 thousand euros) (table A.20.14 of the Annex A) Table A.20.15 of the Annex A shows the contribution (%) of each type of water use to the total tax in the Pripyat river basin. Thus, the largest contribution to the total tax for the withdrawal of natural resources (water resources) in the Pripyat river basin (68.9%) is made by water users who extract water for industrial needs. The list of water user data is presented in table A.20.16 of the Annex A. Among them: 46% accounts for the oil refinery enterprise OJSC Mozyr Oil Refinery, and 36% accounts for the largest producer and exporter of potash mineral fertilizers in Belarus OJSC. Belaruskali. Fee policy in the field of water supply in the Republic of Belarus The fundamental documents regulating pricing issues at the enterprises of the water supply and sewage system (WSS) providing water and sewage services in the Republic of Belarus are: – Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of February 25, 2011 N 72 “On Certain Issues of Regulation of Prices (Tariffs) in the Republic of Belarus”; – Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 05.12.2013 N 550 “On Certain Issues of Regulation of Tariffs (Prices) for Housing and Communal Services and Amendments and Additions to Some Decrees of the President of the Republic of Belarus”; – Instruction on the procedure for planning and calculating costs for the provision of certain housing and communal services (Approved by the Decree of the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Belarus of 04.15.2016 N 13) (hereinafter the Instruction); – Decree of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus of June 28, 2007 N 121 “On approval of the instruction on the procedure for regulating prices (tariffs) for goods (work, services) of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs included in the state register of economic entities dominant in the commodity markets , and the state register of natural monopolies.” Key work on the implementation of price regulation is carried out by the Ministry of Economy. In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of February 25, 2011 No. 72 “On some issues of regulation of prices (tariffs) in the Republic of Belarus”: – tariffs for water supply, sanitation (sewage) for the needs of the population are set by the regional executive committees and the Minsk city executive committee (in agreement with the Ministry of Eco- nomy);

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– tariffs for water supply, sanitation (sanitation) provided by legal entities of the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services, as well as to individuals (including individual entrepreneurs) operating non- residential premises, are set by the regional executive committees and the Minsk city executive committee. Presidential Decree No. 550 of December 5, 2012 defines the basic rules for setting tariffs for housing and communal services. Tariffs for the population are approved until the next fiscal year. The level of tariffs is determined taking into account the growth of incomes of the population and the level of return on services provided by all sources. The instruction defines the procedure for planning and calculating costs in organizations operating the housing stock and (or) providing housing and communal services, with the exception of organizations of the system of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Belarus, for the provision of housing and communal services, including cold and hot water supply, and also for sewerage services. Water users (budget organizations, commercial and industrial enterprises) pay for water supply and sanitation services at higher tariffs, in contrast to the population. At the country level, these tariffs are on average 8 times higher than tariffs for the population. Accord- ing to a survey of utilities by the World Bank, the maximum tariff for legal entities was more than 20 times higher than the basic tariff for the population. As a result, large industrial enterprises have strong incentives for the development of their own water supply systems. Tariffs for water supply and sanitation for legal entities are indexed quarterly by a coefficient that takes into account the share of payment of fuel and energy resources in the total volume of operating costs, as well as changes in USD / BYR exchange rates. In some cases, water supply companies are allowed to levy tariffs on industrial enterprises of some sectors, which are almost 2 times higher than the tariff for other legal entities. Tariffs for water supply, water discharge (sanitation) provided to legal entities by organizations of the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services, as well as to individuals (including individual entrepreneurs) operating non-residential premises vary by administrative region and district of the Republic of Belarus and depend on the category of water (drinking, technical), as well as the purpose of water use. For drinking water used for the production of alcoholic, non-alcoholic drinks and beer, a higher tariff rate is set. Table A.20.17 of the Annex A provides information on the maximum limit rates for water supply and sanitation services for water users in the Pripyat River Basin. In 2018, in the Pripyat river basin on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, the annual amount of payment for water supply services amounted to 2,5 mln rubles (1,1 mln euros) (table A.20.18 of the Annex A). The largest contribution to this amount (56%) is made by the OJSC Mozyr Oil Refinery, which receives drinking and technical quality water through water supply (sewage) networks. In 2018, in the Pripyat river basin in the Republic of Belarus, the annual amount of payment for water disposal services amounted to 526,4 thousand rubles (235,1 thousand euros) (table A.20.19 of the Annex A). The largest contribution to this amount (70%) is made by industrial enterprises: RUME Granit, CJSC Holding Company Pinskdrev, OJSC Berezastroimaterialy, OJSC Belaruskali, which discharge water into city sewage networks Agriculture In Belarus, the use of surface water bodies for agricultural purposes makes a significant contribution to the formation of the total amount of environmental tax and tax on the withdrawal of natural resources (water resources).

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Tables A.20.20 and A.20.21 of the Annex A present the lists of water users in the Pripyat river basin that extract water from surface water bodies and discharge wastewater into surface water bodies used for agricultural purposes, ranked by the amount of tax payable. These lists are fish farms engaged in freshwater fish farming and providing paid amateur and commercial fishing services. They are one of the largest water users in the basin, however, according to the Tax Code, they have decreasing coefficients when calculating the environmental tax and the tax on the withdrawal of natural resources (water resources).

5.3 Description of recipient of the funds and management principles

In the Republic of Belarus, enterprises (organizations) of water supply and sanitation facilities that provide services in the field of water supply and sanitation are recipients of payments for the services provided. The costs of providing water supply services consist of the following costs: – water lifting; – water withdrawal from surface sources of drinking water supply, including technological water losses within the established standards, but not higher than the predicted indicators; – water purification (including the costs of operating iron removal posts); – transportation and water supply; – emergency repair works; – taxes, fees and other mandatory contributions; – other direct costs; – overhead expenses. After specifying the costs for each item, the total costs for 1 m3 of water sold are determined. Opera- ting costs for water treatment vary significantly depending on the enterprise housing and communal services (utilities). A significant share of them, as a rule, is the cost of energy and wages. The cost of providing sewage services consists of the following costs: – pumping wastewater; – wastewater treatment; – transportation and wastewater treatment; – emergency repair works; – taxes, fees and other mandatory contributions; – other direct costs; – overhead expenses. After specifying the costs for each item, the costs for 1 m3 of wastewater discharged are determined. Table A.20.22 of the Annex A provides a list of water utilities that are recipients of payments for services in the field of water supply and sanitation. The total amount of payments received in the Pripyat river basin in 2018 amounted to 2,9 mln belarus- sian rubles. At the same time, 46% of the total amount of received payments falls on enterprises of the Mozyr district of the Gomel region. This is due to the fact that the largest oil refinery OJSC Mozyr Oil Refinery is located in this region, which in turn is the main payer of the environmental tax, tax on the withdrawal of water resources, as well as payments for water supply and sanitation in the Pripyat river basin.

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5.4 Funding (investment, maintenance) by sectors of economy

Implementation of investment projects on the territory of the Pripyat river basin in the Republic of Bela- rus can be carried out by concluding an investment agreement between an investor or investors and the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter referred to as the “Investment Agreement”) in the manner and subject to the conditions determined by the Investment Code of the Republic of Belarus, Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 06.08.2009 N 10 (as amended on 06.06.2011) “On the creation of additional conditions for investment activity in the Republic of Belarus” and other legislative acts. According to the available data of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus, the volume of foreign investment received in the real sector of the economy of the Republic of Belarus in 2018 amounted to 10.8 billion dollars USA, which is 40% more than this figure 10 years ago. At the same time, investments in fixed assets amounted to 25 billion Belarusian rubles. The share of investments for each type of economic activity is presented in Figure 5.2.

Figure 5.2 – The share of investments in fixed capital by type of economic activity

The largest percentage of investments (25%) accounts for industry, which also confirms the priority of this type of economic activity. According to the Concept of improvement and development of the housing and communal services of the Republic of Belarus until 2025 (approved by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated December 29, 2017 No. 1037), conditions have been created for attracting potential investors to modernize the infrastructure of housing and communal services through interaction with business on the basis of state-private partnership, as well as by attracting loans, grants and efficient

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use of attracted resources through the introduction of innovative technologies allowing to reduce operating costs. Agriculture in the Republic of Belarus is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. It accounts for 11.2% of all investments in fixed capital. The Republic of Belarus is interested in further modernization of the industry, including through foreign investment. The Ministry of Agriculture, within its compe- tence, pursues state policy aimed at attracting foreign investment in the agricultural sector, develops and implements strategies, programs for the development of exports of goods and services, investment projects with the participation of foreign capital in agricultural production and agricultural processing industries. According to the available data of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus on the territory of the Pripyat River basin for January-July 2019, 5.6 mln rubles of investment in fixed capital- were used. This is an average of 105.75% over the same period in 2018. Currently, investment projects are implementing in the Pripyat river basin in the industrial sector, agriculture, housing and communal services, as well as in sport and tourism sector for a total of 28.4 mln euros with a payback period of 2-9 years: 1. “The construction of a factory for the manufacture of bridge cranes with a lifting capacity of up to 240 tons with the reconstruction of existing production facilities at OJSC “Slutsk Plant of Lifting and Transporting Equipment”. The total amount of the project is US$12.8 mln. 2. “The organization of a new production of semi-finished products (OJSC" Bobruisk meat processing plant "). The total amount of the project is 2 mln Euros. 3. “The creation of a workshop for the production of polyethylene film in the territory of Communal Housing Unitary Enterprise “Braginskoe”. The total project amount is US$0.3 million. 4. “The generation of electric energy from extracted biogas from the household waste landfill in Svetlogorsk (Communal Housing Unitary Enterprise “Svetoch”)”. The total project amount is US$2 million. 5. “The creation of a tourist cultural and ethnographic complex “Our native Kut Sabali”. The total amount of the project is US$6.6 mln. 6. "The construction of a hotel with 40 seats and a cafe in Ivatsevichi". The total amount of the project is US$300,000. 7. The facility of roadside service, including service stations, retail space, parking for cars, catering point (Minsk district)”. The total amount of the project is US$3,2 mln. 8. “The object of the tourist complex, including a restaurant, a mini-hotel, a landing for the rental of water modes of transport (Minsk district)”. The total amount of the project is US$468.8 mln. 9. “The construction of a tourist complex in the Osipovichsky district of the Mogilev region”. The total amount of the project is US$3.6 mln. The largest contribution to the total amount of implementable investment projects in the Pripyat River basin is made by sports and tourism projects (45%), as well as industrial investment projects (40%).

5.5 Preliminary cost-recovery assessment

According to the available data of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus in Jan- uary-July 2019 on the territory of the Pripyat River Basin, the financial results of organizations can be described by the following indicators:  proceeds from sales of products, goods, works, services amounted to 26.5 billion rubles (110% compared to the same period in 2018);  the cost of sales of products, goods, works, services – 21.4 billion rubles (110% compared to the same period in 2018);  benefit from the sale of products, goods, works, services– 1.9 billion rubles (104% compared to the same period in 2018);  profit before tax – 1.4 billion rubles (154% to the similar period of 2018);

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 the number of lossmaking organizations - 266.5 units (102% compared to the same period in 2018). The volume of industrial production in the territory of the Pripyat River basin in 2018 amounted to 42.03 billion rubles. The net profit of medium organizations by type of economic activity in 2018 in the territory of the Pri- pyat river basin amounted to:  industry – 76.4 million rubles;  Agriculture (including fish farming) – 77.4 million rubles. In 2018, the volume of total environmental protection costs in the territory of the Pripyat River basin in amounted to total 287.60 million rubles, including:

1. the volume of investments in fixed capital for the environmental protection – 39.4 million rubles: - collection and treatment of wastewater – 9.9 million rubles; - protection and rehabilitation of land, surface and groundwater – 5.8 million rubles; - environmental protection (non-water resources related) – 23.7 million rubles 2. the volume of the current environmental protection running costs – 248.2 million rubles): - collection and treatment of wastewater – 116.4 million rubles; - protection and rehabilitation of land, surface and groundwater – 4.4 million rubles; - environmental protection (non-water resources related) – 127.4 million rubles. Thus, in 2018, the current environmental costs (excluding investments) amounted to 248.2 million rubles. The largest contribution to this amount is made by the costs of the industrial sector of the economy (50% of the total current costs), as well as the housing and utilities sector (45% of the total current costs), which is also explained by the priority of the corresponding types of water use in the Pripyat river basin (figure 5.3) Starting from 2018, when calculating the volume of total environmental protection running cost, data on current environmental protection running cost are used without value added tax, as well as depre- ciation charges on fixed assets intended for environmental protection.

Figure 5.3 – Current costs on environmental protection by type of economic activity for 2018 (thousand rubles)

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In order to conclude with the cost recovery rate, Belarus does not have enough data on the number and types of operation costs of enterprises, as well as on the income of enterprises. Unfortunately in our country, this information is not open and can only be obtained if an agreement is reached at the level of the relevant ministries and departments. Generalization of economic analysis is shown in the figures 5.4, 5.5. 45000

40000 volume of industrial 35000 42030 production (VIP) in the territory of the Pripyat river 30000 basin in 2018, million rubles

25000 total environmental protection running costs in 20000 the Pripyat river basin in 2018, , million rubles 15000

10000 287.6

5000 (0.7%) from VIP in the Pripyat river basin 0

Figure 5.4 – The ratio between the total environmental protection running costs in the Pripyat river basin and volume of industrial production (VIP) in the Pripyat river basin based on data from 2018

290 280 270

260 250 240 230 127.4 220 environmental protection (non-water resources related) 210 200 protection and rehabilitation of land, surface 190 and groundwater 180 volume of the current 170 collection and treatment of wastewater environmental protection 160 running costs – 4.4 150 248.2 million rubles 140 environmental protection (non-water million million rubles resources related) 130 120 protection and rehabilitation of land, surface 110 and groundwater 100 116.4 90 collection and treatment of wastewater 80 70 60 50 40 30 volume of investments in fixed capital for the 23.7 20 environmental protection - 10 39.4 million rubles 5.8 9.9 0 Figure 5.5 – The distribution of the current environmental protection running costs (248.2 million rubles) in the Pripyat river basin based on data from 2018

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CHAPTER 6. OBJECTIVES

6.1 Risk assessment

A risk assessment is performed in order to identify water bodies for which good ecological status cannot be achieved until 2025 (and possibly until 2030). Such water bodies belong to water bodies at the risk of not achieving at least good environmental status. Based on the complete risk assessment, we can make a conclusion that “the risk of not achieving a good ecological status ” based on monitoring data from surface waters 2015-2018 includes the following 4 sites of water bodies of the Pripyat River basin:  the Yaselda River – below the city of Bereza (07/04);  the Goryn River – Rechitsa (18/00);  the Moroch River – Yaskovichy (2418/04);  the Pripyat River – Bol’shie Dikovichy (00/02). The category “possibly at risk of not achieving a good ecological status” on the basis of surface water monitoring data for 2015-2018 includes the following 9 sites of water bodies of the Pripyat river basin:  the Pripyat River–above the city of Pinsk (00/02);  the Ubort River – Krasnoberezhie(34/02);  Lake Chervonoe – Pykhovichy (00012/00);  the Dokolka River – Boyanovo (3827/02);  the Pripyat River – Dovlyady (00/15);  the Styr River – Ladorozh (08/00);  the Ubort River – Milashevichy (34/01);  the Stviga River – Dzerzhinsk (26/01);  the L’va River – Olmanskaya Koshara (2603/00). Summary of risk assessment take into account of surface water bodies ecological status, pressure and impact analyses for watercources and reservoirs are presented in table A.13.1 of the Annex A. According to the results of the risk assessment, taking into account data from monitoring of water bodies, local monitoring of point sources of pollution and their assessment of the impact on water bodies, assessing the impact of diffuse sources pollution, as well as expeditionary studies conducted as part of the EUWI + project, the following conclusions can be done. The assessment of water bodies at risk and under possible at risk was carried out separately in the following areas:

- for water bodies affected by point sources of pollution: by comparison of the measured or calculated (in the absence of measurements) concentration in a water body in the zone of guaranteed mixing of river and wastewater with surface water quality classes according to hydrochemical indicators; - for water bodies affected by diffuse pollution sources: according to the assessment of possible nutrient loads from the territory of catchment area depending on land use, topography and water content of the water body; - by comparing the quality classes by hydrobiological indicators, hydrochemical indicators, the degree of change of hydromorphological indicators and the final environmental status with the established ranges of these indicators and status.

The final assessment of water bodies at risk and under possible at risk is carried out depending on the combination of estimates obtained in the above areas.

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Among 636 identified watercourses in the Pripyat river basin in Belarus:

 24 water bodies are at possible risk;  17 water bodies are at risk;  for 10 water bodies there is no risk ;  for 585 water bodies there is no information for assessment. Among 79 identified water bodies in the Pripyat River basin in Belarus:  2 water bodies are at possible risk (Lake Chervonoe and Bereza reservoir);  for 8 water bodies there is no risk;  for 69 water bodies there is no information for assessment. The final list and location of water bodies at possible risk, as well as at risk are given in tables 6.1, 6.2, on map B.44 of the Annex B and and in a special MS-Excel file including ecological status and risk assessment. . Table 6.1: Sections of watercourses (watercourses) at risk of not achieving at least a good ecological status

№ Name of watercourse Site code Start coordinates End coordinates Risk category 51.981506 52.116085 1 BY5_00/02 “Possibly at risk” the Pripyat river 26.098663 26.123254 52.116085 52.117222 2 BY5_00/03 “Possibly at risk” the Pripyat river 26.123254 26.445364 52.102284 52.145646 3 BY5_00/11 “At risk” the Pripyat river 28.469844 28.865438 51.676363 51.482470 4 BY5_00/15 “Possibly at risk” the Pripyat river 29.690824 29.990829 52.079550 52.087544 5 BY5_060203/02 “Possibly at risk” Lyakhovichsky channel 25.777919 25.129730 52.151683 52.037072 6 BY5_060203/03 “At risk” Lyakhovichsky channel 25.151446 25.170341 52.133003 52.068629 7 BY5_060403/00 “At risk” Struga channel 25.598245 25.597583 52.604469 52.534147 8 BY5_07/03 “Possibly at risk” the Yaselda river 24.878740 25.007074 52.623700 52.430918 9 BY5_07/04 “At risk” the Yaselda river 24.776779 25.066393 52.534052 52.533990 10 BY5_0709/00 “Possibly at risk” Krechet stream 24.800008 25.007191 52.521589 52.488969 11 BY5_071001/00 “Possibly at risk” МК 24.931252 24.966021 52.500518 52.448053 12 BY5_071606/00 “Possibly at risk” Obvodnoy channel 25.221454 25.247437 51.868656 52.107719 13 BY5_08/00 “Possibly at risk” the Styr river 26.175181 26.582772 52.161066 52.144212 14 BY5_12/02 “At risk” Lyuninteskiy channel 26.283545 26.828109 52.213572 52.690476 15 BY5_14/02 “At risk” the Tsna river 26.803784 26.506338 51.800489 52.142877 16 BY5_18/00 “At risk” the Goryn river 26.754702 27.281641 52.888699 52.157038 17 BY5_19/03 “Possibly at risk” the Lan‘ 26.691175 27.298209 52.823883 52.996311 18 BY5_1904/02 “At risk” the Tsepra river 26.708233 26.692761

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№ Name of watercourse Site code Start coordinates End coordinates Risk category 53.024455 52.837334 19 BY5_24/03 “At risk” the Sluch river 26.699155 27.650274 52.780738 52.610334 20 BY5_2418/03 “Possibly at risk” the Moroch river 27.138059 27.420218 52.853984 52.577005 21 BY5_2418/04 “At risk” the Moroch river 26.972974 27.586754 52.577005 53.086910 22 BY5_241804/02 “At risk” the Mazha river 27.586754 26.975649 53.086906 52.700770 23 BY5_241809/02 “At risk” Krivichskiy channel 26.975650 27.319450 52.772944 52.184264 24 BY5_2424/03 “Possibly at risk” Volhva river 27.412674 27.524301 52.259257 52.193889 25 BY5_242404/00 “Possibly at risk” Pangalasovskiy channel 27.471611 27.506412 51.608540 52.006904 26 BY5_26/01 “Possibly at risk” the Stviga river 27.487324 27.541285 51.768546 52.007110 27 BY5_2603/00 “Possibly at risk” the Mostva river (L‘va) 26.996498 27.541215 52.202338 52.090394 28 BY5_2702/02 “At risk” the Naut‘ river 27.926018 27.940594 51.616309 51.736909 29 BY5_34/01 “Possibly at risk” the Ubort river 27.917782 28.298767 51.736993 52.101397 30 BY5_34/02 “Possibly at risk” the Ubort river 28.298863 28.468517 52.394243 52.209889 31 BY5_3502/00 “Possibly at risk” Mikhedovo-Grabovsky Canal 28.269842 28.449826 53.854739 53.822990 32 BY5_38/01 “Possibly at risk” the Ptich river 27.099007 27.367546 52.890115 52.550329 33 BY5_38/04 “At risk” the Ptich river 28.715114 28.751095 52.889096 52.766125 34 BY5_3827/02 “Possibly at risk” the Dokolka river 28.476755 28.778336 52.626973 52.606071 35 BY5_3830/01 “At risk” Serebronskaya Ditch 28.907597 28.824831 52.819838 52.646813 36 BY5_3831/03 “Possibly at risk” the Oressa river 28.021798 28.159584 53.041489 53.031771 37 BY5_3831021/02 “At risk” the Solyanka river 28.229700 28.146433 52.785251 52.780287 38 BY5_383111/02 “Possibly at risk” Kolodniansky channel 27.976207 28.006165 51.755936 51.735917 39 BY5_4902/00 “Possibly at risk” Rodalsky channel 29.212514 29.371210 52.091315 51.960204 40 BY5_5002/02 “At risk” Izbynka ditch 29.935675 29.833479 52.004407 51.890150 41 BY5_5104/01 “Possibly at risk” the Cherten river 28.894323 28.934952

Table 6.2: Parts of water bodies (water bodies) at risk of not achieving at least a good ecological status

№ Name of watercourse Water body code Center coordinates Risk category 1 Lake Chervonoe BY5_00013/00 52.406293° 27.971141° “Possibly at risk” 2 Bereza q reservoir BY5_0012/00 52.480313° 25.241959° “Possibly at risk” Note that groundwater bodies are considered not at risk for this fisrt cycle planning.

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6.2 Environmental objectives

Environmental goals, as well as measures to achieve them, in accordance with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive of the European Union are set to improve the ecological status of surface water bodies (their parts). Environmental goals also comply with Article 15 of the Water Code of the Republic of Belarus and TCP 17.06-14-2017 (33140) “Environmental protection and nature management. Hydrosphere. Re- quirements for the development, compilation and execution of draft of river basin management plans.” The identification of environmental goals is based on Article 4 (paragraphs 4.3–4.7) of EU Guiding Document No.1, “Economics and the Environment. Issues of implementing the Water Framework Di- rective” to the Water Framework Directive. Taking into account the requirements of the Water Framework Directive, as well as the approved national indicators, the main environmental goals for water bodies in the Pripyat basin are based on the achievement of:

 good ecological and chemical status of surface water bodies;  good ecological potential of heavily modified water bodies (HMWB) and artificial water bodies (AWB);  good quantitative and chemical status of groundwater bodies.

Map B.45 of Annex B presents the environmental objectives for surface water bodies as a result of the achievement deadline (2025, 2030).

Ecological goals for water use until 2030: - The intensity of use of fresh water reserves (water stress) should not exceed 10% (weak water stress); - Prevention of the discharge of insufficiently treated wastewater into surface water bodies.

Environemental objectives for protected areas: until 2024:  sanitary protection zones are used for all water intakes with a volume of more than 5 m3/day, including water intakes that are not part of the centralized water supply network (CWSN);  the quality of 75% of the drinking water withdrawn with a sampling of more than 5 m3/day is monitored at least once a year, including water intakes not included in the central water supply network (CWSN); until 2030:  the quality of 100% of the drinking water withdrawn with a sampling of more than 5 m3/day is monitored at least once a year, including water intakes not included in the CWSN;  good quantitative and chemical status of all drinking water of more than 5 m3/day, including water intakes that are not included in the CWSN, and a fence to protect the abstraction site. Ecological goals for water bodies vulnerable to nitrate pollution: possible goals until 2025  identification of vulnerable areas with respect to nitrate contamination;  a monitoring program for nitrates (surface and groundwater) is being implemented. possible goals until 2030:

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 90% of water bodies used as sources of centralized drinking water supply meet the requirements of the national legislation on the content of nitrates in drinking water [27]. Ecological goals until 2030 for water bodies used for recreation (bathing) are based on the good quality of all facilities. Map B.45 of Annex B shows the environmental objectives for water bodies. The main way to solve environmental problems can be through the implementation of the measures presented in Section 7 of this Pripyat RBMP and in Table A.21 of Annex A to achieve environmental goals.

6.3 Water-related objectives related to the Suistanable Development Goals (SDGs), Protocol for water and health, other International and National strategies and/or policies

The Republic of Belarus undertook a number of obligations in order to implement international agreements in the field of rational use and protection of water resources: - The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, concluded in Helsinki on March 17, 1992 (hereinafter referred to as the Water Convention), to which the Republic of Belarus affiliated by Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated April 21, 2003 No.161 “On Affiliation of the Republic of Belarus to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes”);

- The Protocol on Water and Health (hereinafter referred to as the PWH) to the Water Convention, to which the Republic of Belarus affiliated by Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated March 31, 2009 No.159; - The Agenda for Sustainable Development for the period 2016-2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 25, 2015 (hereinafter - the 2030 Agenda), and approved by UN General As- sembly resolution A/RES/70/1 on September 25, 2015. As a Party to the Water Convention, the Republic of Belarus regularly implements the principles of integrated water resources management and the basin management system (creating basin councils and developing RBMPs), and also regularly reports on the implementation of the provisions of the Water Convention in the country. The Pripyat River basin, which is transboundary with Ukraine, is 100% covered by the existing mechanism of transboundary cooperation (Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Belarus and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the joint use and protection of transboundary waters (October 16, 2001). In the framework of PWH activities, the Republic of Belarus in 2013 by the Decree of the Ministry of Health dated December 4, 2013 No.116 established a list of measures and targets for their achievement in 9 of the 20 target areas of the PWH and regularly provides reports on their achievement. In 2019, work was carried out to update the target indicators for the PWH: a list of measures and target indicators for their achievement was developed in 17 of the 20 target areas, which are currently being approved by the government. The focus area for the Pripyat River Basin, as well as for the whole of Belarus, is the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. At the same time, the development of national indicators for monitoring progress towards SDG 6 is the main challenge related to water resources. In the framework of SDG 6, 8 targets and relevant indicators for assessing progress towards achieving the goals were identified. And most of the goals and indicators for SDG 6 are also objectives and indicators of the draft Strategy for water resources management in the context of climate change for the period until 2030.

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When developing activities and targets of the Pripyat RBMP, the main attention will be paid to indicators for the implementation of goals 6.3-6.5 of SDG 6: - goal 6.3. By 2030, to improve water quality by reducing pollution, elimination of waste and minimiza- tion of the discharge of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and significantly increasing recycling and safe reuse of wastewater worldwide; - goal 6.4. By 2030, to essentially increase the efficiency of water use in all sectors and ensure sustainable intake and supply of fresh water to solve the problem of water shortage and significantly reduce the number of people suffering from water shortages; - goal 6.5. By 2030, to ensure integrated water resources management at all levels, including, if necessary, through transboundary cooperation. In order to assess the increase in the efficiency of wastewater treatment and the implementation of goal 6.3 of SDG 6, it is advisable to use indicator 6.3.1. “The proportion of safely treated wastewater (PSTW)”. This indicator in the Republic of Belarus for the period 2013-2018 is in the range of 99.3- 99.7% (i.e., the volume of insufficiently treated wastewater is about 4-6 million m3 per year). At the same time, the main volume of insufficiently treated wastewater is associated mainly with the operation of treatment facilities of water and sewage utilities (WSU) or enterprises commissioned at the stage of commissioning at their treatment facilities. Moreover, the discharge of wastewater, especially insufficiently treated, has the greatest impact on the ecological status of water bodies. Dynamics of the indicator 6.3.1 for the period 2013-2018 for the republic and the Pripyat basin is given in table 6.3. Table 6.3: Dynamics of indicator 6.3.1 “The share of safe wastewater” in the Republic of Belarus and the Pripyat river basin“ The Republic of Belarus # Characteristic Unit 2013 2014 2015 2016* 2017 2018 Water discharge million 1 into surface m3/per 973.9 954.2 869.6 1 048.4 1 052.7 1034.0 water bodies year million without preliminary 3 1.1 m /per 317.02 315.74 245.73 339.13 354.02 340.90 cleaning year million 1.2 regulatory cleaned m3/per 653.92 635.02 618.17 702.96 694.40 689.07 year million not sufficiently 3 1.3 m /per 2.92 3.43 5.71 6.34 4.27 4.0 cleaned year 2 PSTW % 99.70 99.64 99.34 99.39 99.59 99.61 The Pripyat River Basin Water discharge million 1 into surface 3 277.2 254.3 185.6 251.1 181.2 205.2 m /per year water bodies without preliminary million 1.1 3 215.74 194.99 126.96 169.47 118.60 145.75 cleaning m /per year million 1.2 regulatory cleaned 3 61.27 58.60 56.52 80.79 61.26 58.81 m /per year not sufficiently million 1.3 3 0.17 0.74 2.16 0.84 1.36 0.66 cleaned m /per year 2 PSTW % 99.94 99.71 98.84 99.66 99.25 99.68 Note: since 2016, data are given taking into account the discharge of surface wastewater In order to assess the effectiveness of water use and the implementation of goal 6.4 of SDG 6, it is advisable to use indicator 6.4.2. “The intensity of use of fresh water reserves (water stress)”. This indicator in the Republic of Belarus for the period 2010-2018 is in the range of 2.84-2.41%, which, in ac-

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cordance with the methodology for calculating the indicator, is classified as weak water stress. Dynam- ics of the indicator 6.4.2 for the period 2010-2018 for the republic and the Pripyat basin is given in table 6.4.

Table 6.4: Dynamics of indicator 6.4.2 “Intensity of use of fresh water reserves (water stress)” in the Republic of Belarus and in the Pripyat river basin for 2010-2018. Year Summarization Unit 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Republic of Belarus % 2.76 2.83 2.84 2.72 2.72 2.51 2.51 2.42 2.41 Pripyat % 3.31 3.51 3.57 3.38 3.22 2.62 2.79 2.87 2.74 To fulfill international obligations, a number of strategic documents have been developed in the country, including target forecast indicators of water use. Its achievement will contribute to improving the state of water resources. The Belarus Water Strategy for the Period until 2020, the Environmental Strategy for the Period until 2025, and the National Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Re- public of Belarus until 2030 are in force in Belarus. Projected water use target indicators are also included in the Program of social and economic development of the Republic of Belarus for 2016-2020, the state program "Ensuring comfortable living conditions and a favorable living environment" Subpro- gram 5 "Clean water", the State program "Environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources ”for 2016 - 2020. The main indicators of water use, which the Republic of Belarus plans to achieve, in accordance with the listed documents, are given in table 6.5.

Table 6.5: Indicators for the use and protection of water resources established in national strategic documents Name of the document in Indicator values by which the obligations are Indicator name years validated 2020 2025 2030 Water strategy of the Decrease in the discharge volume of insufficiently 20 - - Republic of Belarus for treated wastewater into surface water bodies,% the period until 2020 by 2010 Water saving due to the introduction of circulating 93 - - and recycling (sequential) water supply systems Environment Strategy Increase in water consumption in the circulating 95 until 2025 and recycling systems in industry,% Specific water consumption for drinking and other 140 needs of the population, l/person Reducing the flow of pollutants into water bodies,% by 2010: heavy metals – 95 persistent organic pollutants – 95 nitrogen compounds– 50 phosphorus compounds– 50 Phased decommissioning followed by reclamation - 50 of the filtration fields,% State program "Environm Discharge index of insufficiently treated 60 30 0 ental Protection and Sus- wastewater into water bodies, in% by 2015 tainable Use of Natural Water use in circulating and recycling water sup- 92 92 93 Resources" for 2016 - ply systems,% 2020,NSSD-2030

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CHAPTER 7. PROGRAMME OF MEASURES

In accordance with the ecological goals presented in the previous chapter 6, the activities of the Pri- pyat River Basin Management Plan to achieve these goals are aimed primarily at improving the environmental status of surface water bodies (their parts), as well as at reducing the negative anthropogenic impact on groundwater bodies. Measures aimed at improving the ecological status of surface water bodies (their parts), as well as the quantitative and chemical status of groundwater bodies, serve also, to achieve the SDGs, the targets of the Protocol on Water and Health, as well as NSSD-2030. Measures are divided into two types. The first type includes general-purpose measures (basic measures). The second type includes measures for specific water bodies (supplementary measures). Measures for specific water bodies are aimed at improving their status and maintaining water bodies with excellent or good status (Table A.21 of Annex A).

7.1 Principles of measures

This chapter determines the main strategic framework and directions in the field of protection and use of water resources in relation to the Pripyat basin, and are the basis for activities for specific water bodies. The following strategic directions of measures are proposed for the main problems in the Pri- pyat basin Insufficient provision of the population with centralized water supply and sanitation systems, especially in rural areas: - construction of new and reconstruction of existing water supply systems using the best available technical methods (BAT), including high-efficiency and low-cost water treatment technologies; - the development of regulatory instruments for the rational and careful use of water resources, the improvement of the financial and economic mechanism for stimulating the use of BAT; - the improvement of the pricing policy for water, in order to eliminate the unreasonable use of drinking-quality water for the technological needs of industrial enterprises; - plugging and removal of inoperative water wells. Reduction of the pollution of surface and groundwater bodies from point and diffuse sources:

 the implementation of circulating and recycling water supply systems in order to reduce the consumption of fresh water and reduce the amount of wastewater discharged;  the reduction of the use of drinking water for industrial needs in those cases when this is allowed in accordance with the norms of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus;  the construction and reconstruction of local treatment facilities of industrial wastewater before their discharge into the sewage systems of settlements to reduce the load on municipal treatment facilities;  the implementation of modern technologies for the deep treatment of wastewater from biogens in municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial enterprises during the discharge of wastewater into surface water bodies;  the ensuring the treatment of surface wastewater in settlements with a population of more than 50 thousand people, in resort and industrial areas;  the prevention of the discharge of untreated and insufficiently treated wastewater into water bodies;

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 measures for the disposal of wastewater - treatment of all types of wastewater (industrial, municipal, from livestock complexes, surface wastewater);  sewage and rainwater treatment, primarily from the sites of industrial enterprises, streets with heavy traffic, high-rise areas to prevent river water pollution from surface runoff from urban areas;  removal (reclamation) of filtration fields in the Pripyat river basin, which have a significant negative impact on surface and underground water bodies.  measures carried out directly in water bodies - sanitary releases from reservoirs, aeration, cleaning of the water surface from floating impurities;  measures to reduce the anthropogenic load on the water body due to a possible reduction in production volumes and improved location of production facilities in river basins and water management sites;  the implementation of the best available technical methods in agriculture;  compliance with the norms and technologies of fertilizing, the rules for their storage, the selection of the rational structure of crops on the coastal slopes, the creation of protective forest belts along waterways;  the upgrade of water users with modern measuring instruments;  the accounting for the discharge of pollutants through rainwater drainage systems;  the preparation of water management and hydrochemical balances for large industrial centers;  the development of the scientific and methodological framework for the management of the use and protection of water bodies, including the development of cost-effective mechanisms to stimulate effective water use;  the development of an observational network for the status of water bodies and water management systems, including a state network for observing the status of surface and groundwater bodies of the National Environmental Monitoring System of the Republic of Belarus in terms of combining observations of quantitative and qualitative indicators of surface waters;  development of methodological and normative support for simulated mathematical models for assessing the input of pollutants from dispersed (diffuse) sources of pollution and their impact on water bodies, making estimates of the input of pollutants from these sources and their impact on surface and underground water bodies.

During the implementation of these measures in a number of specific cases, environmental criteria may take precedence over economic criteria. However, in the Republic of Belarus as a whole, investments in water protection measures are significantly less than preventable damage. Reduction of the negative consequences of significant changes in the hydrological regime due to hazardous hydrometeorological events leading to floods and droughts:

 assessment of the potential degree of development of hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena in water bodies (spring floods and summer-autumn rain floods; dry periods);  identification of territories subject to flooding, their classification and mapping. Development of flood risk assessment maps in accordance with the approaches of EU Directive 2007/60/EU;  inventory of existing polder and reclamation systems in the basin, assessment of their effectiveness, safety and environmental impact with the development of recommendations for their improvement;  implementation of engineering water management measures to protect settlements and agricultural lands from floods in the most flood-prone areas of Polesye within the framework of State programs and individual projects;  the installation of posts for operational automatic control of the hydrological regime of the rivers of the Pripyat basin (the Pinsk district became the first region in Belarus where modern technologies for operational tracking of the hydrological regime are being introduced - six automated hydrometeorological stations were installed as part of international technical assistance projects at hydro-

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logical posts on the Pripyat rivers above the city of Pinsk, Styr and Goryn in the Pinsk and Stolin districts, Pina in the city of Pinsk, Tsna in the Luninets district and Yaselda in the city of Bereza);  the creation of an early warning system based on operational data of automatic control of the level regime of rivers of the Pripyat basin;  the development of approaches and methods for managing the flood control system;  the restoration of channel capacity;  the development of alternative methods of flood control (planning of construction of territories, land withdrawal from agricultural circulation, the creation of a flood insurance system, training the population on flood protection).

There are the following basic activities at the interstate level:  the monitoring of the hydrological regime in the Upper-Pripyat waterworks (the Pripyat river above and below the water intake, the Vyzhevsky Channel of the Beloozersk water supply system of the Dnieper-Bug Channel), as well as on the Svyatoye, Volyanskoye and Beloye lakes by the Volyn Regional Water Agency (Ukraine) with the provision of information to the Belarusian side;  the optimization of water intake management at the Upper-Pripyat waterworks on the territory of Ukraine and the Beloozersk water supply system in order to maintain water supply to the watershed of the Dnieper-Bug Channel upon the condition that the Pripyat river operates ecologically below the water intake and the recommended range of changes in water levels in Svyatoye, Voly- anskoe, Beloye lakes;  the conduction of joint research with the Ukrainian side in order to develop optimal solutions for managing the water resources of the Upper Pripyat and functioning of the Upper-Pripyat waterworks and improving the environmental state of Svyatoye, Volyanskoye, Beloye oceans (the main natural water reservoirs of the Beloozersky water supply system of the Dnieper-Bug Channel) and the downstream section of the Pripyat River.  the inventory and expert assessment of existing national and regional projects, programs and schemes for flood protection with a view to joint basin implementation;  the elaboration and development and development of basin geographic information systems;  the development of automated management systems for the use and protection of water bodies based on the introduction of mathematical modeling tools and the projection of the state of the river basin, the full and operational use of data from state monitoring of water bodies, as well as state control and supervision of the use and protection water bodies;  the development of operational information systems and alerts to executive authorities, local authorities, water users and the public about the status of water bodies and the threats of harmful effects of water;  development of a data management scheme in order to share relevant data between decision- makers and stakeholders. Changes in ecosystems and conservation of landscape and biological diversity: - the development of the existing system of specially protected natural territories and elements of the National Ecological Network, their integration into the all-European ecological network as a key condition for preserving the biological and landscape diversity of the national and all-European level. - the development of fisheries and hunting, their transfer to an adapted type of management; expansion of harvesting of wild plant products based on the existing high potential of natural ecosystems and specially protected natural areas; - harmonization and standardization of the biological assessment system of the Pripyat River and its tributaries between the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine with the exchange of hydroecological information; - the systematic realization of environmental educational activities among the population, the development of ecological and water tourism based on existing environmental facilities and the Pripyat

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River (there is a steady demand for these types of tourism from both the population of Belarus and European countries; which will increase as urbanization grows and income rises); - the reconstruction of selected reclamation systems and hydraulic structures that have worked out the normative period and have come to a state unsuitable for further operation; - the maintenance of selected reclamation systems and separately located hydraulic structures in technically sound and efficient condition, timely behavior of works to eliminate minor damage, and prevention of damage; - the realization of land reclamation measures on drained agricultural lands; - the maintenance of the optimal soil hydrological regime for agricultural plants by managing hydro- regulatory structures; - the monitoring of the hydrological regime in reclamation systems and reclaimed lands. Radioactive pollution of river waters caused by the accident of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant: The main basic measure to prevent the pollution of the river waters of the Pripyat basin is the existing system for monitoring surface waters by hydrochemical indicators in transboundary river sections

7.2 Localised measures

In total, according to this Pripyat River Basin Management Plan, 44 measures were proposed, of which 40 are main measures, 4 are additional. Table A.21 of Annex A provides a list of specific measures for water bodies, based on their strategic directions and the content of the measures themselves. The special file of the MS-Excel format as well as the map B.55 of Annex B shows the distribution of these measures in the context of water bodies, also taking into account the directions of these measures. 39 measures directly aimed at improving the environmental status of surface water bodies in accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive. 5 measures related to the reduction of the negative effects of hazardous hydro-meteorological phenomena (floods and droughts), which are not related to the WFD. Their list also includes the activities of the State program “Engineering water management measures to protect settlements and agricultural lands from floods in the most flood-hazardous areas of Polesye for 2011-2015”, which was not ac- tually implemented during these years. The implementation of the program was subsequently post- poned until 2020, and then to 2025. The distribution of the number of water bodies covered by measures, based on their strategic directions, is shown in Figure 7.1 In total, measures cover 225 water bodies, which is 31.5% of all allocated surface water bodies (Fig- ure 7.1). Measures aimed at improving the environmental status of surface water bodies cover 139 water bodies in the Pripyat River basin, which makes up about 20% of all allocated surface water bodies. The list of water bodies covered by the Plan activities, based on their strategic directions, is presented in table 7.1

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Amount of water bodies affected by measures

Development of surface and groundwater monitoring systems 19; 9% 55; 24% Reducing hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena (floods, droughts)

38; 17% Reducing the impact on water bodies from the housing and utilities sector (construction and reconstruction of treatment facilities, water supply and sanitation systems) Decreased anthropogenic impact on water 27; 12% bodies from industrial and agricultural production 86; 38% Land use regulation in water protection zones, including the elimination (reclamation) of filtration fields

Figure 7.1 – General distribution of supplementary measures due to different tipes of measures

Table 7.1: Distribution of water bodies affected by supplementary measures due to different types of measures

Amount Main directions of of water Water bodies affected by measures measures bodies Institutional Measures (support of the Pripyat All the SWBs and GWBs.

basin council, etc) Pripyat river (00/01, 00/10, 00/11, 00/13, 00/15), Bobrik river (10/03), Dokolka river (3827/02), Ipa river (41/03), Moroch river (2418/04), Oressa river (3831/04), Svinovod river (28/01), Sluch river (24/03, 24/06), Ubort river (34/02), Tsna river (14/04), Cherten river (5104/01), Yaselda river (07/03, Development of 07/07), Beloe lake (0004/00), Vygonoshanskoe lake (0008/00), Chervonoe surface and lake (00012/00), Narovlyanka river (47/00), Plessa river (0717/00), Ptich groundwater river (38/01, 38/02, 38/04, 38/05), Shat river (3810/02), Prostyr river (02/00), monitoring sys- 55 Gorodishenskoe lake (0009/00), Sergeevichskoe lake (00014/00), Spo- tems including rovskoe lake (0005/00), Beloe lake (0001/00), Tsna river (14/02), Naut river data sharing (2702/02), Luninetskiyi canal (12/02), Lyakhovichskiyi canal (060203/03), scheme Tsepra river (1904/02), Mazha river (241804/02), Solyanka river (3831021/02), Serebronskaya canal (3830/01), Struga canal (060403/00), Bobrik II river (35/02), BYPRGW001 (9 new wells), BYPRGW003 (1 new well), BYPRGW004 (2 new wells), BYPRGW009 (2 new wells).

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Amount Main directions of of water Water bodies affected by measures measures bodies Stviga river (26/02), Ubort river (34/01, 34/02), Ptich river (38/04, 38/05, 38/06), Luninetskiyi canal (12/01), Pripyat river (00/01, 00/02, 00/03, 00/04, 00/06, 00/08, 00/09, 00/10, 00/11, 00/12, 00/13, 00/14, 00/15), Turovo- Olgomelskiyi canal (25/00), Remel-Semigostichskiyi canal (22/00), Dubov- skiyi canal (13/02), Vinets canal (0712/02), Tsna river (14/02, 14/03, 14/04), Zhirovskiyi canal (060205/01), Lyakhovichskiyi canal (060203/01, 060203/02), Yaselda river (07/06, 07/07), Oginskiyi canal (0729/01, 0729/02), Khodakovskiyi canal (071901/00), Glavnyiyi canal (0719/01), Bobrik river (10/02, 10/03), Lan river (19/03), Smerd river (16/02, 16/03), Pangalasovskiyi Reducing haz- canal (242404/00), Volkhva river (2424/03), Styr river (08/00), Kletnyanskiyi ardous hydrome- canal (072501/00), Zavishanskiyi canal (0606/02), Pina river (06/05), Vislitsa teorological phe- 86 river (1007/02), Rukhchanskiyi canal (11/00), Goryn river (18/00), Vetlitsa nomena (floods, river (15/01), Mostva river (2603/00), Vysoko-Makhnovichskiyi canal droughts) (510203/02), Mlynok river (4901/01), Slovechna river (51/00), Glinitsa river (2701/01, 2701/2), Sluch river (24/02, 24/05, 24/06), Nenach river (42/03), Plotnitsa river (3406/00), Svinovod river (28/01), Neratovka river (383002/02), Rudobelskiyi canal (3830021/00), Tremlya river (39/01, 39/04), Skolodina river (36/02), Sekerichskiyi canal (3834/00), Khorometskiyi canal (3829/00), Ipa river (41/02), Shpilovichskiyi canal (383114/00), Oressa river (3831/02, 3831/03), Berezovka river (3831091/01, 3831091/02), Vit river (50/03), Turya river (46/02), Pogonyanskiyi canal (54/01, 54/02), Rozhava river (5305/00), Zhelon river (53/03, 53/04), Khrapun river (5302/00), Strelka river (5303/00), Veresozhka (5304/00), Kozhukhovskiyi canal (52/02). Reducing the impact on water Sluch river (24/03), Moroch river (2418/04), Krivichnskiyi canal (241809/03), bodies from the Tsepra river (1904/02), Pripyat river (00/03, 00/11, 00/14), Yaselda river housing and (07/04), Krechet river (0709/00), Luninetskiyi canal (12/02), Neslukha river utilities sector (0604/02), Lyakhovichskiyi canal (060203/03), Oressa river (3831/03), Naut (construction and 27 river (2702/02), Vit river (50/03), Mazha river (241804/02), Oginskiyi canal reconstruction of (0729/02), Goryn river (18/00), Khotlyanskiyi canal (381001/00), Nenach river treatment facili- (42/02), Mlynok river (4901/01), Kozhukhovskiyi canal (52/01), Ubort river ties, water supply (34/02), Ptich river (38/04), Bereza 1 reservoir (0012/00), Beloe lake and sanitation (0004/00), Pina river (06/04). systems) Sluch river (24/02, 24/03, 24/04), Neslukha river (0604/02), Pina river (06/03, 06/04), Serebronskaya canal (3830/01), Duboiskiyi canal (13/02), Merechan- Decreased an- ka river (0730/01, 0730/02), Luninetskiyi canal (12/02), Struga canal thropogenic im- (060403/00), Kopanets river (1803/00), Bobrik 2 river (35/02), Pripyat river pact on water (00/03, 00/13), Matsovka river (0706/00), Yaselda river (07/02, 07/03, 07/08), bodies from in- 38 Goryn river (18/00), Tsna river (14/04), Bobrik river (10/03), Philippovka river dustrial and agri- (0605/01), Mlynok river (4901/01), Nenach river (42/02), Lokneya river cultural produc- (2410/02), Lan river (19/02, 19/03), Tsepra river (1904/01), Ptich river (38/02, tion 38/03), Glusskiyi canal (3823/00), Moroch river (2418/03), Vislitsa river (1007/03), Oressa river (3831/03), Tremlya river (39/04), Pangalasovskiyi canal (242404/00), Smerd river (16/03). Land use regula- Goryn river (18/00), Tsna river (14/04), Bobrik river (10/03), Yaselda river tion in water (07/08), Merechanka river (0730/02), Pina river (06/03), Philippovka river protection zones, (0605/01), Struga river (060501/00), Mlynok river (4901/01), Nenach river including the 19 (42/02), Pripyat river (00/13), Sluch river (24/02), Lokneya river (2410/02), elimination (rec- Lan river (19/02), Tsepra river (1904/01), Ptich river (38/02, 38/03, 38/05), lamation) of filtra- Glusskiyi canal (3823/00), Chervonoe lake (00012/00). tion fields Additional All the SWBs and GWBs. measures

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CHAPTER 8. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS (PART 2 RELATED TO THE PROGRAMME OF MEASURES)

During the performance of economic analysis in the framework of the program of measures, as well as in the framework of characterization of the Pripyat river basin, the EUWI + Guidance document on economic analysis was used to develop river basin management plans [36]. In total, the measures cost, including measures to reduce the risks of the negative consequences of hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena (floods and droughts), as well as aimed at improving the environmental status of surface water bodies, is 456.24 million Euros. In total, the cost of measures aimed at improving the environmental status of surface water bodies is 354.78 million Euros. The distribution of the cost of measures, based on their strategic directions, is shown in Figure 8.1 and in Table 8.1

410; 0.1% 210; 0.0% Estimated cost of measures, thousands Euro/ % from total cost 5672; 1.2% 3370; 0.7% Istitutional Measures (support of the Pripyat basin counsyl etc)

Development of surface and groundwater monitoring systems 59840; 13.1%

101465; 22.2% Reducing hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena (floods, droughts)

Reducing the impact on water bodies from the housing and utilities sector (construction and reconstruction of treatment facilities, water supply and sanitation systems)

Decreased anthropogenic impact on water bodies from industrial and agricultural production 285268; 62.5%

Land use regulation in water protection zones, including the elimination (reclamation) of filtration fields

Additional measures

Figure 8.1 – General distribution of estimated cost of measures due to different tipes of measures

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Table 8.1: General distribution of estimated cost of measures due to different tipes of measures Cost of measures, Main directions of measures thousand Euro Institutional Measures (support of the Pripyat basin council etc) 210 Development of surface and groundwater monitoring systems 3370 Reducing hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena (floods, droughts) 101465 Reducing the impact on water bodies from the housing and utilities sector (construction and reconstruction of treatment facilities, water supply and 285268 sanitation systems) Decreased anthropogenic impact on water bodies from industrial and agricul- 59840 tural production Land use regulation in water protection zones, including the elimination (rec- 5672 lamation) of filtration fields Additional measures 410 Total cost of measures 456235 Total cost of measures for improving ecological status of water bodies 354770

In conversion to gross domestic product (GDP) in the Pripyat river basin for 2018 (42,030 million rubles/16,880 million Euro) and the terms, mainly in the first five-year period of the implementation of the Pripyat river basin management plan, the cost of activities in 354.77 million Euro can tentatively be no more than 2.1% per year from the GDP created in the Pripyat basin (not more than 70 Euro per year per inhabitant of the basin). The measures cost in order to improve the environmental status of water bodies is comparable to the annual amount of financial resources used in the Pripyat river basin for environmental protection purposes (total environmental protection running costs), which is 287.6 million rubles/115.5 million Euro (according to data for 2018). On an annualized basis, the implementation of the Pripyat River Basin Management Plan measures may require a not very significant increase in established existing financ- ing of environmental protection measures - by 25%. The funding sources for measures are state budget, local budgets, own and borrowed funds of enterprises, government programs, funds of the programs of the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). It should be noted that the analysis of the economic effectiveness of measures for the Pripyat basin (comparing the values of costs and benefits) is quite problematic and not very possible [36]. This is due to the fact that it is practically impossible to assess the value terms of the benefits of measures, including due to the uniqueness of technical solutions for many problems. Thus, one could argue about the indirect and direct advantages of introducing the Plan of measures for all types of economic activity by improving the condition of surface waters. In particular, it is possible to improve the fishery characteristics, increase the tourist attractiveness due to the better sanitary quality of bathing water, reduce the cost of water treatment and wastewater disposal, etc. A total assessment of the financial consequences of the program of measures, carried out in accordance with the Guidance document [36], allows us to conclude that due to the implementation of measures, it is unlikely that tariffs for water supply and sanitation services, as well as environmental tax, will be changed in terms of its tariffication. The conclusion mentioned indicates insignificant negative financial consequences of implementing the measures of the Pripyat River Basin Management Plan.

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CHAPTER 9: INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION

1. River Basin Organisation On June 29, 2018, in accordance with Article 19 of the Water Code of the Republic of Belarus, the first meeting of the Pripyat Basin Council was held. Its structure was approved by order of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus dated June 21, 2018 No. 190-OD “On the Creation of the Pripyat Basin Council”. The formation of the Pripyat Basin Council is the implementation of one of the basic principles of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, which the Republic of Belarus joined in 2003. The activities of the basin council are primarily aimed at integrated water resources management. This will require to conduct the most thorough analysis not only in the current water management situation, but also an objective assessment of the prospective use of water resources, taking into account the achievement of indicators of social and economic development of the Republic of Belarus, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals contained in the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly from 25.09.2015 No.70/1. During the session of the Basin Council the information was heard on the results of the development of the very first draft Pripyat River Basin Management Plan. The preparation of this draft is carried out by the CRICUWR within the framework of applied research in accordance with Article 15 of the Water Code of the Republic of Belarus. It was noted that the draft Pripyat river basin management plan is being developed with the prospect of its implementation for 10 years. According to the protocol of the first meeting of the Pripyat Basin Council, the following goals were proposed in the framework of the international technical assistance project “EU + Water Initiative” (EUWI +):  to improve in more detail the sections of the Pripyat river basin management plan taking into account the results of the inventory and identification of water bodies;  to improve the proposed measures aimed at improving the ecological status of surface water bodies of the Pripyat River basin, including taking into account the environmental action plan for the ecological rehabilitation of the Bolev Mokh complex - Lake Chervonoe in the Zhitkovichi district of the Gomel region for the period until 2022. It was approved by the First Deputy Chairman of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee A.V. Mikalutskiy., and prospects for the development of enterprises in the region;  send the improved document for reconsideration by those interested with a view to its subsequent consideration at the next meeting of the Pripyat Basin Council with the adoption of a final decision on it. 2. Public consultation On 1st of November 2019 in Misk public consultations on the draft of the Pripyat river basin management plan were held. Pripyat RBMP was improved take into account the results of these consultations and other comments and proposals received from different miinisteries, stakeholders and other governmental and not governmental organizations. On 31 of January 2020, a public consultation was held in Gomel concerning the draft of the final ver- sion of the Pripyat river basin management plan were held. The Pripyat basin council organised on April 2020 aproved the Pripyat river basin management plan. Then, in accordance with Belarusian procedure, the Pripyat RBMP is transmitted to the concerned Oblast executive committees for approval.

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ANNEX A: TABLES TO THE PRIPYAT RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN (PRESENTED IN A SEPARATE DOCUMENT)

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ANNEX B: MAPS TO THE PRIPYAT RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN (PRESENTED IN A SEPARATE DOCUMENT)

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