The overall aim of the activity is to raise awareness and enhance capacities for application of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Belarus in accordance with requirements of the EU directive on SEA and UNECE Protocol on SEA, which have been also reflected in the national legislative framework by adoption of the Law on State Ecological Expertise, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment.
The draft national National Strategy of Water Resources Management in the context of Climate Change for the period until 2030 is selected by the Government as a subject for pilot SEA.
The first meeting (Minsk, 11 July 2019) brought together up to 50 participants from relevant governmental structures and the public to discuss the objectives of the activity, roles and responsibilities, and also expected benefits under SEA project.
The second meeting (Minsk, 12 July 2019) aimed to train national experts on carrying out the scoping phase of SEA, including identification of potential environmental aspects that might be affected by the Water Strategy, and key problems related to the environment of the concerned territory. Up to 15 participants, including the SEA experts selected by the Ministry to undertake SEA, as well as relevant officers from the Department of Water Resources and the Department of Air Impact Control, Climate Change and Expertise, attended the meeting.
The activity is implemented within EU4Environment and EUWI+.