Are the renewable freshwater resources sustainable in the Republic of Belarus?

Belarus is divided into five river basins (Zapadnaya Dvina, Nieman, Zapandnyiy Bug, Dnieper and Pripyat). 55 % of the total annual river flow goes into the Black Sea basin and 45 % into the Baltic Sea basin.

Under these general hydrological conditions, Belarus is a water-abundant country with around 57 900 million m³ of annual renewable freshwater resources available. This corresponds to 6 120 m³ of water annually available per capita for use by economic sectors and households.

Annually, on average, about 40 % of the renewable water resources in Belarus come from the upstream basins of the Zapadnaya Dvina and Dnierper rivers. However, this figure does not include groundwater because there is a lack of accurate data.

Renewable water resources in Belarus highly vary from year to year. The highest amount of renewable water resources was 90 819 million m³, estimated for 1990, while in 2015 it was only about 29 800 million m³. Although this length of time series is not sufficient for a robust trend assessment, it should be noted that a tendency for decreasing renewable freshwater resources has been observed since 2013. On the other hand, the ratio of actual evapotranspiration to precipitation increased by around 10 % between 1990 and 2017, which also partly explains the decrease in the available renewable freshwater resources.

It should be kept in mind that accurate estimation of renewable freshwater resources is difficult due to the lack of reliable data on inflow of groundwater from neighbouring countries. On the other hand, the availability of groundwater resources is crucially important to the national economy in Belarus, as it meets on average 56 % of the total water demand in the country and is mainly used for drinking purposes.

 

 

Indicator specification

Indicator definition

This indicator covers the main components needed to assess the renewable freshwater resources and their availability in a country. Renewable freshwater (surface and groundwater) resources are replenished by precipitation (less evapotranspiration), which ends up as run-off to rivers and recharge to aquifers (internal flow), and by surface waters and groundwater flowing in from neighbouring countries (external inflow or inflow from upstream areas). The indicator also includes the outflow of surface water and groundwater to neighbouring countries and to the sea.

Units

Million cubic metres (million m³) per year.

Rationale

Justification for indicator selection

Renewable freshwater resources are of major environmental and economic importance. Their distribution varies widely among and within countries. Pressures on freshwater resources are exerted by overexploitation and by degradation of environmental quality. Relating renewable freshwater resources to freshwater abstraction is a central issue in sustainable freshwater.

The indicator provides a measure of the state of renewable freshwater resources in a country and of its change over time.

Scientific references

UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Description of C1. Renewable freshwater resources.

UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Glossary of terms – C1. Renewable freshwater resources.

UNSD, 2012. International Recommendations for Water Statistics, Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division, Statistical papers, Series M No. 91, ST/ESA/STAT/SER.M/91, ISBN: 978-92-1-161545-6, New York.

Policy context and targets

Context description

National policy context

According to the national strategy for sustainable social and economic development of the Republic of Belarus up to 2030, ‘the quantity and quality of water resources determines the sustainable development of any state, and they determine the standard of living and the health of the population’.

In order to develop recommendations for the protection and sustainable use of water resources in Belarus, basin councils are being created for the Zapadnaya Dvina, Nieman, Zapandnyiy Bug, Dnieper and Pripyat river basins. Decisions of the basin councils are regarded as recommendations and are sent to the relevant local executive and administrative bodies and to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus.

International policy context

The issue of the degree of implementation of integrated water resources management is reflected in SDG 6 of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda for the period up to 2030, which is to ‘ensure access to water and sanitation for all’ and is controlled by indicator 6.5.1, ‘degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100)’.

 

Targets

No target has been specified.

Related policy documents

• The concept of national security of the Republic of Belarus. Presidential decree of the Republic of Belarus, No. 575, 9 November 2010)

• National Strategy for Sustainable Social and Economic Development of the Republic of Belarus up to 2030. Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, No.10, 2 May 2017.

• Water Strategy of the Republic of Belarus up to 2030 in the context of climate change. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, Board Decision No. 72-P, 08 November 2011.

• The Road Map of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus on developing statistics on the Sustainable Development Goals (2011). National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk.

• Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (1992). UNECE, New York and Geneva

 

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

Methodology for gap filling

No gap filling has been performed.

 

Methodology references

• EEA, 2005. EEA core set of indicators guide. EEA Technical report No 1/2005, ISBN 92-9167-757-4, Luxembourg.

• UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Data template – C1. Renewable freshwater resources.

• UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Description of C1. Renewable freshwater resources.

• UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Glossary of terms – C1. Renewable freshwater resources.

• UNSD and UNEP, 2013. Questionnaire 2013 on Environment Statistics. United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme, Questionnaire 2013 on Environment Statistics, Section Water.

 

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified.

Data sets uncertainty

Because of a lack of data on inflow of groundwater from neighbouring countries and outflow of groundwater to neighbouring countries, the respective quantification and assessments in the indicator involving those parameters could not be accurately performed and uncertainties presented. Therefore, the assessment on the renewable freshwater resources presented in this indicator should be treated with caution.

Data sources

• С.1. Renewable freshwater resources provided by Belstat (National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus)

• Surface water monitoring. National environmental monitoring system of the Republic of Belarus.

• Groundwater monitoring. State Water Cadastre Information System, Republic of Belarus