Ministry of Natural Resources: about a third of the territory of Belarus is under special environmental protection

The natural framework of the country consists of specially protected natural areas. The fundamental purpose of their announcement is the preservation of valuable natural complexes and objects in a natural state, as well as biological and landscape diversity. This was stated at the conference in the House of Press by Deputy Head of the Department of Biological and Landscape Diversity of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Andrey Kastyuk, sb.by correspondent reports.

These unique territories, rich in terms of biological and landscape diversity, are the guarantor of maintaining ecological stability and a healthy environment for people’s lives.

- Belarus has achieved tangible results and shows significant progress, especially over the past decades, the speaker said. The existing system of specially protected natural areas in the country includes 1361 objects. Including one reserve, four national parks, 98 sanctuaries of republican significance, 277 sanctuaries of local importance, 317 natural monuments of republican significance and 664 natural monuments of local importance.

If you look at the regions, the maximum area — three leaders: Brest, Vitebsk and Gomel regions. In general, these three areas make up about 1 million 200 thousand hectares of specially protected natural territories. The total area of the country is 1.9 million hectares.

Taking into account natural areas subject to special protection (water protection, protective forests, biotopes, habitats and growth of species listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus), the total area of protected areas is about a third of the territory of the republic.

According to the scheme of rational placement of specially protected natural territories of republican significance, until January 1, 2035, annual measures are planned and implemented to develop the system of protected areas of republican significance.

- This is an announcement, transformation, termination of functioning, Andrei Kastyuk explained. So, for 2026-2027, it is planned to announce one reserve of republican significance. It is also planned to transform six reserves of republican significance and 39 natural monuments of republican significance.

In 2026, field work, research will be carried out, draft documents will be prepared, and in 2027, resolutions and decisions of state bodies will be documented. Also, regional schemes approved by decisions of regional Councils of Deputies plan measures to develop systems of specially protected natural areas of local importance in all regions of the country.