Strategy for wetlands management until 2030 developed in Belarus

Belarus has drafted a national strategy for wetlands management until 2030, the manager of the UNDP/GEF project “Landscape approach to management of peatlands aiming at multiple ecological benefits” Alexei Artyushevsky told reporters, BelTA has learned.

"We have started distributing the draft strategy among stakeholders. In accordance with the instructions of the government, the document must be submitted for approval by the end of 2015,” said Alexei Artyushevsky.

According to him, the preparation of the strategy is the main objective of the project "Landscape approach to management of peatlands aiming at multiple ecological benefits". "There are huge problems with how peatlands are used in Belarus. The fertility of lands in Polesye has fallen dramatically due to the degradation of the reclaimed wetlands. The production of crops on these lands becomes unprofitable. Naturally, the question arises: what we do now with the money invested in the infrastructure for of farms and people living in those territories,” said the project manager.

The document will provide for testing the method of alternative use of reclaimed lands and transformation of degraded wetlands into meadows. In 2014, about 200 hectares of reclaimed lands were already converted into meadows in Beryoza District. “Experience has shown that when using the reclaimed peatlands for the production of forage grasses the speed of degradation is reduced significantly. In addition, the transformation of degraded lands creates the basis for the sustainable livestock production, improves the hydrological regime and creates many other environmental benefits,” said Alexei Artyushevsky. The strategy is based on: the annual extraction of peat should correspond to the annual volume of natural increase. Thus, the document will contribute to the ecological balance.

The project manager also added that the restoration of peatlands, previously used in forestry and agriculture, should help conserve the biological diversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reverse soil degradation and promote knowledge of sound principles of forest management.

The UNDP/GEF project "Landscape approach to management of peatlands aiming at multiple ecological benefits" was launched in March 2013 and is set to run until September 2017, with the participation of the United Nations Development Program, and the Global Environment Facility. The national executing agency of the project is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection of Belarus. The budget is more than $3 million.