Systemic environmental activities are a prerequisite for the sustainable social and economic development of the country. They guarantee its environmental safety and efficiency.
In order to fulfill the objectives of the UN Millennium Declaration and the Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, Belarus’ Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry has approved the Water Strategy 2020 which identifies the key challenges in the area of water resources use and protection that need to be addressed taking into account the particularities of the upcoming stage in the country's social and economic development.
As a result of the prudent water resource policy and the use of the best available solutions, the water withdrawal reduced by 23% over the past 15 years.
Per capita water consumption has dropped from 214 to 137 liters per day; water consumption by industries shrank by 393 million m3 or 50%.
The reduction of the industrial water use was achieved largely through introduction of water consumption measuring. By now measurement devices have been installed at 100% of industrial enterprises and 96% of agricultural companies.
Another contributor to the sharp decline in water consumption was increased water recycling by consumers, which allowed saving up to 93% of water countrywide.
Disposal of inadequately treated effluent into surface water dropped by 19.3 million m3 or 78% since 2000.
