Forests are greater than a useful resource: How Belarus protects its important ecosystem | EUROtoday

Ahead of the International Day of Forests, noticed on 21 March, deputy resident consultant of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Belarus Armen Martirosyan advised UN News concerning the threats dealing with this important ecosystem and efforts to guard it.

According to him, forests should not merely a pure useful resource, however a fancy, self-regulating ecosystem. Its significance extends far past nationwide borders.

“Forests absorb and store carbon, playing a key role in climate change mitigation. They regulate water systems, protect soils from erosion and improve air quality,” Martirosyan stated.

Ecosystem and economic system

Today, forests cowl practically 10 million hectares of Belarus. That space has elevated by a million hectares over the previous 30 years, or one hectare per capita, which is twice the worldwide common charge of development, in response to UNDP.

Armen Martirosyan, deputy resident consultant of UNDP in Belarus.

Forest ecosystems play an important function in preserving biodiversity, offering habitats for 1000’s of plant and animal species. Their financial contribution is equally important, using round 40,000 folks within the forestry sector, with wooden merchandise accounting for 8.4 per cent of exports. Non-timber forest merchandise, corresponding to berries, mushrooms and medicinal crops, are additionally necessary.

Forests additionally present key areas for recreation and tourism, creating new alternatives for small companies and employment within the areas.

“Ecotourism is becoming a priority in Belarus,” Mr. Martirosyan stated. “Forests offer local communities opportunities to create jobs, develop small businesses and design educational eco-routes for residents and visitors alike.”

Emerging threats

However, forest ecosystems are dealing with rising threats, primarily linked to the impacts of local weather change.

One of essentially the most critical challenges stays forest fires. Mr. Martirosyan harassed that that is straight related to rising temperatures, shorter frost intervals, altering precipitation patterns and depth in addition to the rising frequency of utmost climate occasions. According to consultants, because the begin of the 2025 hearth season, greater than 700 fires have been recorded in Belarus, affecting over 1,200 hectares of forest, practically twice as a lot because the earlier yr.

Coniferous forests, which dominate in Belarus, are notably weak, as fires may cause extreme injury to biodiversity and destroy whole ecosystems, he warned.

“Forest pests are another serious challenge,” he stated, pointing to a rise in recent times in bugs corresponding to bark beetles and sawflies, which can also be linked to local weather warming and the declining resilience of forest ecosystems.

Forest hearth in Belarus.

UNDP assist

Cooperating with the Ministry of Forestry of Belarus for a few years, UNDP helps to introduce trendy approaches to forest administration and the UN company’s consultants have developed suggestions for updating laws on this area.

In 2025, proposals have been ready on using digital applied sciences and revolutionary strategies for forest stock, safety and conservation together with more practical hearth administration. In February 2026, with UN assist, a technique and nationwide motion plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity have been adopted in Belarus.

A brand new mission was launched final yr to strengthen preparedness for hearth prevention and response. It is the primary mission applied by UNDP in Belarus with monetary assist from the Government of the People’s Republic of China beneath South-South cooperation framework. Another mission focuses on creating ecotourism and is being applied in cooperation with the Ministry of Natural Resources with assist from the Russian Federation.

“Ecotourism creates new sources of income for local communities while supporting protected areas,” the UNDP consultant defined, including that the mission helps develop ecotourism infrastructure, create new routes and providers, and prepare specialists working in Belarus’s nature reserves.

“A forest is a living organism, he said. “It must be treated not simply as a resource, but as part of our shared reality, one on which our future depends.”

Firefighting personnel and gear are inspected in preparation for the fireplace season in Belarus.

Three steps to guard forests

Joint efforts with companions on the worldwide, nationwide and native ranges assist construct a scientific method to forest administration, guarantee sustainable outcomes and protect forests for future generations, UNDP’s Mr. Martirosyan stated, emphasising that defending forests requires specializing in three key areas.

• using innovation and digital applied sciences to watch forest situations and detect threats early
• strengthening partnerships between the federal government, worldwide organizations and native communities
• schooling and elevating environmental consciousness, notably amongst younger folks