Document Actions
Sources of Information and Methodology
Up one level
4.1. Sources of Information and Methodology
Preselection of Hot Spots was carried out by the national experts of the Republic of Belarus using all available information about the sources of pollution of water bodies in the basin of the Dnipro River within the territory of the Republic of Belarus. The main sources used for the preselection of Hot Spots in the Dnipro River basin over the territory of the Republic of Belarus are as follows:
- Materials of national statistics of the Republic of Belarus (Form 2-OS (WATER) for 1990, 1991, 1999 and 2000;
- The State Water Cadastre. Water resources, use of water resources and water quality – for 1999 and 2000;
- Information bulletins reflecting the results of monitoring of geological environment and water bodies – 1999-2000;
- The report “Environmental conditions in the Dnipro River basin in the territory of the Republic of Belarus” – 2003;
- Reports and papers of non-government organizations, and the periodical press.
The preselection of Hot Spots was done using the following methodology:
1. At the stage of preselection of Hot Spots, the National Experts used national statistics with the application of maximum allowable concentration for water bodies used for fish-farming – for the Republic of Belarus (Form N2-OC (WATER) for all reporting enterprises of the Dnipro River basin.
2. Statistics were processed according to the agreed “Method of assessment of effective mass of pollutant with application of data of all the assessed parameters”. In their calculations the experts used maximum allowable concentration for fish-farming water bodies.
3. Later the processed data were ranked according to the index of “effective mass of contaminants”.
4. The assessment was based on data from 1990, 1991, 1999 and 2000, and at the time of the ranking process, the year 2000 was the latest year where statistics were available.
The Hot Spots which were selected at this stage were subject to the detailed evaluation and ranking. These results are reflected in the subsequent chapters.
The subsequent stages of the selection of Hot Spots were aimed at:
- Lessening the likelihood of errors by using formalized methods of assessment;
- Use of a system of additional criteria in order to take into account not only quantity and characteristics if pollutants discharged, but also their impact on environmental quality;
Sound reduction of the number of Hot Spots in order to carry out their technical – economic and pre-investment assessment.
