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Projects in Belarus |
A whole number of international organizations have been assisting the Government of Belarus in mitigating and minimizing the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. In most cases the assistance has been focused on overcoming the short- and medium-term consequences of the radiation exposure through re-cultivation of the contaminated lands, providing special medical services to the affected population, monitoring the long-term consequences of the radiation exposure, studying the ecological aspects of the closure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and problems in the sphere of radiation waste treatment.
In spite of Belarus’ growing need for
international assistance to mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster,
the interest of the donor states governments in providing this assistance has
started to decline. There are many reasons for this situation. One of them stems
from the long time period after the catastrophe. In order to overcome the
“tiredness” of the donor community, the UN system organizations have elaborated
a new assistance strategy focusing on rehabilitation and development. This
strategy envisages development of the local economies through supporting private
entrepreneurship, creating new jobs and income sources. Its successful
implementation should result in improving the well-being, and, consequently, expanding the opportunities for people with regard to the access to education and medical services, increasing the quality of nutrition. The new approach also aims at supporting local initiatives in the social and ecological sphere, as well as development of local self-governance.
A NEW GENERATION OF INITIATIVES ON
MITIGATING THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER IN BELARUS
The main objective of the "Cooperation for Rehabilitation" (CORE) Programme lies in reconstruction, rehabilitation and sustainable development of the areas mostly exposed to the radiation, reaching our to local people in elaboration and implementation of socio-economic, health, information, radiological, ecological and other Chernobyl-related projects. The major activities are based on universally recognized humanistic principles of voluntary, collective and non-commercial approaches, transparency, flexibility, mutual dependency and practical adaptability.
The CORE programme was elaborated and launched in accordance with the international standards and recommendations of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the European Commission, the embassies of Italy, Great Britain, Germany and France in Belarus, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Committee for Partnership and CORE Programme Preparation in collaboration with the Belarusian national, regional and local authorities. Four most affected Belarusian districts – Bragin, Chechersk, Slavgorod and Stolin – are in the focus of the CORE programme projects on micro-crediting, application of new agricultural production technology in the contaminated regions, alternative production, improvement of the radiological monitoring system, radiation security education, particularly for children and young people. The most successful projects will be later implemented in other affected regions of Belarus, and, possibly, Russia and Ukraine.
THE WORLD BANK INITIATIVE
During the last five years the World Bank and the Republic of Belarus have carried out joint work aimed to minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl accident. The study “Belarus: Chernobyl Review” conducted by the World Bank in 2001-2002 laid a foundation for further cooperation. Based on the evaluation of the government and international programmes and community-based initiatives the team has concluded that it is needed to promote economic development as a key to revitalization of the affected regions.
The World Bank is currently finalizing
preparation of the Post Chernobyl Recovery Project intended to improve living conditions for people residing in the Chernobyl affected areas by restoration of essential heat and hot water services and connection of individual houses to the gas pipeline. Residential gas connections will improve living conditions and will provide clean and improved space heating to households that are currently burning wood inside homes with negative environmental and health consequences. The project components are correlated with the Government programmes on mitigation of the long-term impacts of the Chernobyl accident. The World Bank is expected to provide a US$ 50 million loan for the implementation of the project.
An integral part of cooperation between
Belarus and the World Bank is provision of support to NGO initiatives in the
context of the Chernobyl Forum recommendations aimed to search for new
solutions, to improve the mechanisms of informing the residents of the affected
areas and to expand institutional collaboration both at local and national
levels. In 2005 the World Bank Small Grants Programme supported projects
focusing on socio-economic development and radioecology. Two of them - “Support
to individual plot owners in implementation of developmental projects through
microcredit mechanisms” in Stolin and “Partnership for Development” in Volozhin
and Ivenets – have completed the activities covered by the grant funding and
have entered a new stage of their programmes.
In 2006 the World Bank supported the initiatives of
non-governmental organizations dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the
Chernobyl accident including the Roundtable for sharing NGO best practices on
mitigating the Chernobyl impact within the framework of the International
Conference on Chernobyl (scheduled for 19-21 April) and the Regional computer
festival “Windows of Chernobyl” for young people and teachers from Belarus,
Russia and Ukraine. >>>
SUPPORT FROM
UNICEF
The “Healthy Lifestyle and Life Skills Education in the Chernobyl Region” Project co-sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency is implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with the Brest Regional Center of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health and the «Hope and Healing» Center in ten schools of the Luninets district of the Brest region.
KAP (knowledge, attitude and practices) surveys of schoolchildren, parents, teachers and health professionals were conducted in 2003 in the Luninets district affected by the Chernobyl accident. The experts made an assessment of the school curriculum in terms of its healthy lifestyle focuses. Given the findings of the monitoring of children’s health and level of public awareness, the key emphasis has been made on education efforts. 152 schoolchildren, 203 teachers, 425 parents, 10 workers of school canteens and 87 representatives of the Luninets District Executive Committee, local police officers, social workers, psychologists, and health professionals have been trained.
To help children build up knowledge and skills to minimize risks associated with living in radioactively contaminated areas, a series of information booklets and leaflets has been published. On top of that, the guidebook «Basics of Healthy Lifestyle and Radiation Safety» for schoolchildren of grades 1 and 2, the curriculum «Basics of Healthy Lifestyle and Radiation Safety» for schoolchildren of grades 1-4 of secondary schools, colouring books to be used by parents for work with children at home, the guidelines for physical training teachers on the techniques of strengthening health of children and young people living in radioactively contaminated areas, the methodological guidelines on radioecology and life skills intended for teachers, parents and health professionals have been designed and published. Youth clubs, information and resource centers on healthy lifestyle have been set up in 10 pilot schools of the Luninets district. A municipal information center was opened in Luninets.
In 2005 the most active schoolchildren and teachers organized healthy lifestyle promotion events in schools and local communities. It was decided to publish the guidelines to supplement the course «Radioecology and Basics of Safe Livelihoods. School Grades 2 – 11» (CDs and hard copies) intended for the use by teachers across the country. At present the guidelines are being developed by a team of experts under sponsorship of the Ministry of Education.
The findings of the monitoring suggest that the health of children has improved and that now schoolchildren from all ten pilot schools are better informed about a healthy lifestyle and how to use a healthy behavior model.
At the final stage in 2006 it is expected
to summarize the information about best practices of healthy lifestyle and life
skills education and promotion in the Chernobyl regions resulting from the
implementation of the project. Children's Photo
Exposition
SUPPORT FROM WHO
The options for establishing the international telecommunication medicine network are now considered drawing upon the findings of the project focusing on provision of health care services to the Chernobyl affected children which has been implemented in Belarus.
Telecommunication system set up within the framework of the joint project of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation and the Belarusian Ministry of Health “Health care services to children affected by the Chernobyl accident through development and introduction of telecommunication medicine” was officially presented in July 2004 in the National Research Center of Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology in Gomel.
Among other achievements of the project, it is worth noting development of the telecommunication infrastructure and establishment of telemetric communication between the National Research Center of Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology and WHO Associate Center for Thyroid Pathologies Research in the School of Medicine of the Nagasaki University (Japan). Telemedicine communication between Minsk and Gomel has been arranged to improve the quality of diagnosing. The information center for exchange of experience and facilitation of education and training of health professionals from Minsk and the Gomel region dealing with radiation-induced thyroid pathologies has been established.
Introduction of telecommunication medicine has allowed health professionals to hold on-line consultations with their Belarusian and foreign counterparts and, consequently, to improve the quality and timing of diagnosing and treatment.
In 1994 WHO Regional Office in Europe had
initiated the international project on thyroid pathologies which was implemented
in Belarus until September 2000. The project aimed to help Belarus, Ukraine and
the Russian Federation to enhance techniques of diagnosing, treatment and
monitoring of thyroid pathologies and to improve methods of identification of
causes, nature and estimated scope of the outbreak of radiation-induced thyroid
cancer. Special priority was accorded to screening-based identification of
thyroid cancer, establishment of the integrated database, medical examination to
determine the level of iodine deficiency, design of testing systems for
measuring thyroid gland hormones, capacity-building and staff training.
The list of the projects in
Belarus (1988-2002)
Based on materials of the United Nations Bulletin of the
UN Office in Belarus
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