Katsiaryna Krukouskaya BALTIC UNIVERSITY TEACHERS CONFERENCE 2012 "The future of Education for Sustainable Development and the social pillar of sustainability - Security and Stability in the Baltic Sea Region" 7-10 November, 2012, Kazimierz Dolny/Poland

The main role in the conservation of biological and landscape diversity are belong to specially protected natural territory. Their total area is about 7,7 percent of the country. 4 National parks: Pripyatsky Braslav Lakes Narochansky Belovezhskaya Pushcha and Berezinski Biosphere Reserve

Radioactive contamination of the environment caused by the Chernobyl accident remains one of the most significant environmental problems of the Republic of Belarus. The area of radioactive contamination gradually decreases, and on January 1, 2011 it amounted to 30,1 thousand sq.km. The territory is contaminated with: caesium-137 from 1 up to 5 Ku/sq.km − 69,4%, from 5 till 15 Ku/sq.km − 21,9%, from 15 to 40 Ku/sq.km – 2 7,3%, more than 40 Ku/sq.km – 1,4%. 19,5% of contaminated area is forests and 13% is agricultural land. In 2010 a new state program on overcoming the consequences of the Chernobyl accident in and for the period up to 2020 was accepted.

Radioactive contamination of the territory of Belarus with caesium-137 to 2016 year

The area of reclaimed land on January 1, 2011 is 16,6% of all territory of Belarus. In total area of farmlands of Belarus the drained lands occupied 32,8 % and are concentrated mainly in the South of the country. Program “The conservation and use of reclaimed land”. One of the ways to use reclaimed lands is growing of cranberry and blueberry.

43,78 million tones of production waste were formed in The main are: 27,8 million tones − halite and clay-salting slimes 746,8 thousands tones − phosphogypsum Great part of halite and clay-salting slimes (903,9 mln tones) and phosphogypsum (20,3 mln tones) are stored on the plant territory thousand tones of consumption waste were formed. For more effective extraction of secondary resources waste recycling plants are constructed in Gomel, Mogilyov, Novopolotsk, Brest, plant construction in Baranovichi is conducted.

The Resolution “About the concept of a state policy of Belarus in the field of environmental protection” was accepted in The main ideas are: all natural resources belong to the state. But they can be transferred in continuous or temporary use to separate legal entities and individuals protection of environment, objects of the alive and lifeless nature state control over the environment and state ecological review of future or existing economic objects economic methods of environmental protection criminal and administrative liability for violation of environmental legislation compensations of the damage put to environment participation in solving of global environmental problems

“National strategy of sustainable social and economic development of Belarus for the period to 2020” Direction of the transition to sustainable development are: the creation of the social and economic preconditions demanding development and realization of measures of scientific and technical, ecological and social character; the development of priority national programs of social, economic and ecological development; activization of social policy and providing social guarantees to the population; definition of the main directions of economy development, taking into account ecological requirements; increased investment activity; introduction of modern ecologically friendly technologies in the economic activity, etc.

Belarus actively participates in the international ecological partnership. Belarus on a constant basis cooperates with the main international organizations in the environment sphere: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe(UNECE), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World bank and Global Environment Facility (GEF), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Health Organization (WHO) and others. Belarus is the party of 13 global and 9 regional international agreements, and also 34 bilateral and multilateral contracts. The sphere of the international cooperation of the country in the field of environmental protection constantly extends. The Cooperation agreement is signed with Poland, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and other countries.

All ecological problems discussed not only by Ministers and President, but in schools, colleges, universities, on TV. Everybody in our University study “Ecology” as one of the compulsory subjects. Our faculty (biology and ecology) have the environmental movement “Green Sun”. Participants of this movement conduct actions to protect the environment and try to explain to other people the necessity of protection of our planet. Actions: “Green finger”. The main goal of this movement is to show that the problem of climate change and its consequence is «here and now», but not in the future and not on other continent.

“350” is carried out in the International day of protection of climate under the motto: “Think global − act locally”. “Hour of Earth” is conducted for drawing attention to energy saving questions.

Thank you for attention !