The Republic of Belarus is in relatively favorable conditions in terms of water resources. There are more than 20 thousand rivers on its territory that form 5 river basins (Dnieper, Western Dvina, Western Bug, Neman and Pripyat), as well as more than 10 thousand lakes, which contain about 9 billion cubic meters of water. For additional accumulation (storage) of water, more than 1.5 thousand ponds, as well as 85 reservoirs of seasonal regulation, have been created in the country.
In total, the reserves (volumes) of water resources in our country amount to about 70 billion cubic meters, including groundwater – 2.3 billion cubic meters. In fact, only 2% of all available reserves (volumes) of water are used.
Thus, given the existing water resources potential in the Republic of Belarus, they can be assessed as sufficient to meet current and future needs.
The ecological state of surface water bodies in the country is assessed based on the results of surface water monitoring conducted as part of the National Environmental Monitoring System in the Republic of Belarus, at 160 surface water bodies at 297 observation points organized near medium and large settlements. There is a tendency towards improving the ecological state of surface water bodies – the share of which has been assigned a “good” and higher ecological status is about 68%.
At the same time, water resources are among the most vulnerable components of the natural environment and can be subject to significant impacts with widespread consequences for both society and ecosystems.
Here are some interesting facts about water that will make you think about its importance in our lives:
- 70% of the Earth’s territory is covered with water.
- Water regulates the Earth’s temperature.
- Only 3% of all water on Earth is fresh, 97% is salty. Antarctica contains more than 90% of the Earth’s fresh water reserves.
- Every year, about 3.4 million people die from causes related to the lack of clean water.
- Polluted groundwater will be able to be 100% purified only after several thousand years.
- About a third of the clean drinking water that we use in our homes is used to flush toilets.
- In a day, up to 75 liters of water can “float away” into the pipe from a dripping tap at a rate of one drop per second, and more than 11 thousand liters of water per year.
- The human brain is 70% water, so drinking water allows us to think better.
- A person can live about a month without food, and about a week without water. Losing more than 12% of your body’s total water weight can be dangerous and even fatal.
- The Earth’s atmosphere contains more fresh water than all the planet’s rivers combined. A person exhales about a cup of water per day.
