UNDP considering three new projects in Belarus

The United Nations Development Program jointly with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Belarus are mulling over three new projects, BelTA learnt from UNDP Coordinator in Belarus Igor Chulba following the official opening ceremony of the Ozeravki ecological path at the Yelnya Reserve in Miory District.

One of the projects is aimed at the development of wind energy in Belarus. “We would like to provide cooperation to the country in the development of renewable energy resources. The theme meets the priorities of the donor, the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project application has been approved, and now we are completing the preparations for this large-scale project,” Igor Chulba said.

The major partner is the Energy Efficiency Department. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is the performer. The five-year project will be financed by the UNDP and GEF. Its budget slightly exceeds $3 million. “The UNDP technical support will include the development of the legal framework, business plans to free investors from risks in the future and prove that our projects can and will work in Belarus,” the coordinator added.

Another project, named Green Cities of Belarus, is aimed at supporting green urban development in small and medium-sized cities of Belarus. The project highlights environmental issues in urban infrastructure planning. The project will require about $13 million. An estimated $3.1 of them will be provided by the United Nations Development Program. The project will be implemented in the cities of Polotsk, Novopolotsk and Novogrudok. Following a request of the local authorities Novogrudok will focus on economical and ecological lighting of streets and public places. An optimal transport infrastructure will be developed in Polotsk and Novopolotsk being a united conglomerate.

The country is working on an application for a new project to preserve biodiversity. Last year Belarus completed the implementation of the first project, Biodiversity, which aimed to include the issues of biodiversity conservation into the land development plans. The project was implemented in ten pilot districts of Belarus.

The opening of the 1.5km long ecological path Ozeravki was held at the Yelnya Reserve on 25 July. It is one of the longest ecological trails in Belarus. It was created as part of a joint EU/UNDP project to assist the development of the universal structure of international cooperation in environmental protection in the Republic of Belarus to draw the public attention to Europe’s biggest highmoor, a unique specimen of the Ice Age.