DNIPRO RIVER BASIN PASSPORT

Geography and Nature Resources

Total area of the Basin:

511,000 km² (catchment area is about 509,000 km²)

Within the Republic of Belarus

116,400 km² (22.9%)

Within the Russian Federation

100,500 km² (19.8%)

Within Ukraine

291,400 km² (57.3%)

Administrative and Territorial Division

Oblasts

30

By country:

 - 5,   - 6,    - 19

Districts

385

By country:

 - 62,   - 81,    - 242

Cities/towns

220

By country:

 - 64,   - 44,    - 180

Townships

447

By country:

 - 20,   - 64,    - 363

Rural settlements

28,020

By country:

 - 11,110,    - 1,260,    - 15,650

Land uses in the Dnipro Basin:

Area of arable land

55.4% (283,000 km²)

Republic of Belarus

29.2% (34,000 km²)

Russian Federation

42.8% (43,000 km²)

Ukraine

70.3% (206,000 km²)

Forests

33.8% (172,400 km²)

Republic of Belarus

48.6% (56,600 km²)

Russian Federation

31.6% (31,700 km²)

Ukraine

17.1% (87,100 km²)

Wetlands

% (km²)

Republic of Belarus

36% (41,900 km², including area of drained land)

Russian Federation

1.8%

Ukraine

Urbanised (built-up) area

Republic of Belarus

4.0% (4,700 km²)

Russian Federation

2.0% (2,000 km²)

Ukraine

3.9% (11,400 km²)

Area of drained and irrigated land

Republic of Belarus

Drained area: 2 million ha

Russian Federation

Drained area: 0.38 million ha,

Irrigated area: 0.04 million ha

Ukraine

Irrigated area: 2.6 (2.2) million ha

Drained area: 2.5 million ha

Total: 5.1 million ha

Area of land contaminated by radionuclides:

Republic of Belarus

41,640 km²

(as of 2001, level of contamination by Cs-137 >1 Curie/km²)

Russian Federation

17,061 km²

Ukraine

54,600 km²

Water bodies

Republic of Belarus

0.3% (400 km²)

Russian Federation

0.6% (600 km²)

Ukraine

3.9% (11,400 km²)

Area of protected territories

1.6% (8,100 km²)

Republic of Belarus

3.0% (3,100 km²)

Russian Federation

1.3% (1,300 km²)

Ukraine

1.1% (3,200 km²)

Mineral Resources

Republic of Belarus

Oil: 60 deposits, 38 under exploitation, 13 under exploration, 9 suspended.

Natural gas: annual extraction 252 million m³.

Peat: 3 billion tonnes.

Potassium salts: the Starobinsky deposit (capacity 5,698.0 million tonnes) is under exploitation.

Rock salt: the Mosyr and Starobinsky deposits.

Building stone: three deposits.

Ferruginous quartzite: the Okolovsk deposit in Minsk Oblast (capacity about 500 million tons; average iron content 26%).

Rare-metal deposit in the Gomel Oblast, containing ores used as a raw material for production of beryllium and rare-earth metals of cerium group.

Russian Federation

The Upper Dnipro Basin within the Russian Federation has scarce fuel/energy resources, limited to small deposits of low-grade coal and peat.

Bryansk Oblast: only peat is extracted in considerable quantity.

Belgorod Oblast: major part of the iron-ore deposit (the Kursk Magnetic Abnormality) lies in this Oblast and extends into the Dnipro Basin, although mining sites/activities are located beyond the Basin.

Kursk Oblast has a number of iron-ore deposits associated with the Kursk Magnetic Abnormality, the largest of them is the Mikhailovsky deposit containing up to 400 million tonnes of ore (iron content 58%) and 1 billion tonnes of ferruginous quartzite (iron content 30-40%). The Oblast has deposits of building materials (chalk, marl, sand, sandstone, clay, and tripoli.

Smolensk Oblast has deposits of low-grade brown coal (410 million tonnes), peat, and building stone (estimated capacity 90 million m³).

Ukraine

4,464 (or 57% of the country total) mineral resource deposits are located in the Dnipro Basin, 1,759 of them are exploited. Key mineral resources: oil, gas, brown coal and coal, peat, iron ore, manganese ore, titanium/zirconium ore, kaolin, bentonitic clay, building materials. The Dnipro Basin contains 29.5% of the country’s coal reserve, 53% of oil reserve, 67% of natural gas reserve, 84% of iron ore reserve, 85% of brown coal reserve, and 100% of titanium/zirconium ore reserve. Major mineral deposits located in the Dnipro Basin: the Krivy Rih – Kremenchug iron ore deposit; the Nikopol manganese ore deposit; the Dnipro-Donetsk oil/gas deposit; the Dnipro lignite deposit; the Western Donbass coal deposit.

In the Krivy Rig area (the right-bank of the Dnipro River), iron ore was extracted in 10 open-cast mines and 23 mines (at present the majority of them are closed). The total area of all quarries is 40.5 km², total void space is 6.5 km³, and their depth is up to 300 m. The depth of ore mines is up to 1,100 m.

In the Kremenchug region (the left bank of the Dnipro River), 2 quarries are in operation, with volume 0.8 km³ each, and depth up to 150 m.

Samara River Basin (left tributary of the Dnipro River), 10 coal mines in operation.

The Dnipro-Donetsk oil/gas deposit (the Middle Dnipro Basin) has about 300 deposits; production output: 2.0 million tons of oil per year, 12 billion m³ of natural gas per year, and 1.0 million of gas condensate per year.

The Dnipro brown coal deposit (the Middle Dnipro Basin): annual output is 1 million tonnes per year.

Manganese ore deposit is located in the area of Nikopol, where 10 quarries and 7 mines are in operation.

Titanium and zirconium ore deposits are concentrated in the right-bank Dnipro tributary catchments in the Zhitomyr and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts.

Population

Total (2001)

32.4 million

Republic of Belarus

6.3 million (19.4%)

Russian Federation

3.6 million (11.1%)

Ukraine

22.2 million (68.5%)

Urban population, million people (%):

 4.60 (73%)    2.40 (66.7%)     14.92 (67.2%)

Rural population, million people (%):

  1.70 (27%)    1.20 (33.3%)     7.28 (32.8%)

Average population density

64 persons/km²

Republic of Belarus

52 persons/km²

Russian Federation

35.6 persons/km²

Ukraine

75.7 persons/km²

Population growth in the Dnipro Basin

Republic of Belarus

- 25,000 persons/year (2000)

Russian Federation

- 35,900 persons/year (2000)

Ukraine

- 222,500 persons/year (average for 1995-2000)

Life expectancy

HDI Report, 2000

Republic of Belarus

68.1 years

Russian Federation

66.7 years

Ukraine

69.1 years

Economy

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Republic of Belarus

Country total, in actual prices: 9,134 million BR

Russian Federation

95.9 billion RR (2000, the Dnipro Basin)

Ukraine

Country total, in actual prices: 172,952 million UAH (2000)

GNP growth

Republic of Belarus

105.8%

Russian Federation

105% (1999); 118% (2000) (the Dnipro Basin)

Ukraine

105.8% (2000)

Real GDP per capita

Republic of Belarus

2,198 USD (1998)

Russian Federation

832 USD (2000, the Dnipro Basin)

Ukraine

873 USD (1998)

GNP by sector

Industry

  26.5%     33% (2000)    n/a

Agriculture

  11.6%     18% (2000)    n/a

Services

  39.9%     39% (2000)    n/a

Unemployment

Republic of Belarus

2.1% (2000) of the able-bodied population

Russian Federation

221,000 people

Ukraine 

The ILO estimate: 2,707,600 people (2000, );

Officially registered: 1,155,200 people (2000)

Industry

Industrial output growth

Republic of Belarus

107.8%

Average annual growth in 1996-2000 was 10.5% (the country average; growth rate is similar in the Dnipro Basin)

Russian Federation

In 2000:  –38% of 1990 level; or +19% of 1997 level

Ukraine

In 2001: 114.2%, when compared to the previous year

Energy

Republic of Belarus

109.3%

Russian Federation

In the Dnipro Basin: 46 billion kWh (2000)

Ukraine

Country total: 173 billion kWh (2001)

Agriculture

Republic of Belarus

Average annual decrease in 1996-2000 was  6%

Russian Federation

In 2000: 68% of the 1990 level

Ukraine

Country total, % to the previous year: 114.2 % (2001)

Water resources and uses (the Dnipro Basin)

Surface waters

 Republic of Belarus

Internal flow

Mean annual flow

16.9 km³/year

Low-flow year (95%)

10.7 km³/year

External inflow

Mean annual inflow

19.1 km³/year

Low-water year inflow (95%)

9.1 km³/year

Flow discharge

Mean annual discharge

36.0 km³/year

Low-flow year discharge (95%)

19.8 km³/year

Hydrographic network

Total length

45,400 km

  Russian Federation

Internal flow

Mean annual flow

15.5 km³

Low-flow year (95%)

10.7 km³

Flow discharge

Mean annual discharge

15.5 km³

Low-flow year discharge (95%)

10.7 km³ 

Hydrographic network (rivers)

Total length

39,500 km

 Ukraine

Internal flow

Mean annual flow

22.1 km³

Low-flow year (95%)

9.0 km³

External inflow

Mean annual inflow

31.9 km³

Low-water year inflow (95%)

22.1 km³

Flow discharge

Mean annual discharge

52.01 km³

Low-flow year discharge (95%)

31.14 km³

Hydrographic network (rivers)

15,423 rivers

Total length

78,500 km

Groundwater (usable reserve)

Projected reserve

Republic of Belarus

9.27 km³/year

Russian Federation

2.31 km³/year

Ukraine

12.80 km³/year

Explored reserve

Republic of Belarus

1.117 km³/year

Russian Federation

0.681 km³/year

Ukraine

n/a

Groundwater abstraction

Republic of Belarus

0.687 km³/year (2000)

Russian Federation

0.379 km³/year (2000)

Ukraine

1.027 km³/year (2000)

Water resources per capita

Republic of Belarus

7,580 m³/person

Russian Federation

2,640 m³/person

Ukraine

3,520 m³/person

Water reservoirs

Quantity

564

Water surface area

775.6 km²

Capacity

46.2 km³

  Republic of Belarus

102 reservoirs, water surface area 345 km², capacity 1.044 km³

730 ponds, water surface area 93 km², capacity 0.164 km³

  Russian Federation

Ponds: water surface area 180 km²

  Ukraine

564 reservoirs, including 6 major ones, water surface area 688 km², capacity 43.8 km³

13,283 ponds; water surface area 12. km², capacity 1.8 km³

Total annual freshwater consumption (2000)

10.68 km³/year

  Republic of Belarus

1.040 km³/year

Industry (%)

29.0%, or 0.302 km³/year

Agriculture (%)

8.7%, or 0.090 km³/year

Of that, irrigation

0.4%, or 0.004 km³/year

Municipal sector (%)

43.8%, or 0.455 km³/year

Other sectors (%)

18.1%

  Russian Federation

Total volume used: 0.715 km³/year

Industry (%)

Extracted 55.4% (0.396 km³/year)

Of that, energy

36.5% (0.261 km³/year)

Agriculture (%)

15% (0.107 km³/year)

Of that, irrigation

0.4% (0.003 km³/year)

Municipal sector (%)

28.2% (0.202 km³/year)

  Ukraine

8.87 km³/year

Industry (%)

58%

Agriculture (%)

14.9%

Of that, irrigation

9.7%

Municipal sector (%)

22.1%

Other sectors (%)

5%

Average annual water consumption per capita (2000)

Republic of Belarus

204 l/day per capita

Russian Federation

0.249 km³/year (domestic/potable consumption)

0.283 km³/year (industrial consumption)

Ukraine

n/a

Wastewater discharge (point sources) (2000)

Republic of Belarus

0.818 km³/year

Russian Federation

0.425 km³/year (0.243 km³/year of polluted wastewater)

Ukraine

5.6 km³

Level of flow regulation

 - 0.1%,   - 3%,    - 22%

Flow diversion to other basins

Republic of Belarus

2 schemes (0.29 km³/year)

Russian Federation

None

Ukraine

6 channels, 5 water ducts, 3.14 km³/year (2000)

Water losses at transportation (2000)

Republic of Belarus

380 million m³/year

Russian Federation

22 million m³/year

Ukraine

1,660 million m³/year

Biodiversity

Rare and endangered species

Republic of Belarus

214 plant species, 97 vertebrate species, 85 invertebrate species

Russian Federation

Species included into the Red Data Book: 22 plant species, 7 invertebrate species, 26 vertebrate species

Ukraine

Water Protection

Water protection expenditures

Republic of Belarus

49,240 million BR (61. 5 million USD)

Russian Federation

75 million RR (2.4 million USD)

Ukraine

136.6 million UAH (25.5 million USD) (2000)

International Agreements in the Field of Environment Protection

Republic of Belarus

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),

Convention on Biological Diversity,

Convention on Wetlands,

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat,

Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution,

Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer,

Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context,

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants,

UN Convention on Climate Change,

Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES),

Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters,

Declaration of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,

NIS Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Ecology and Environment Protection

Russian Federation

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),

Convention of the World Meteorological Organisation,

Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution,

Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer,

Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal,

Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context,

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants,

Convention on Biological Diversity,

Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes,

Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter,

Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution,

Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES),

Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents,

Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (observer status),

Convention on Conservation of European Wild Fauna, Flora and Natural Habitats (observer status),

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (observer status),

Declaration of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,

NIS Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Ecology and Environment Protection

Ukraine

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),

Convention of the World Meteorological Organisation,

Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer,

Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage,

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat,

Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution,

Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer,

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal,

Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context,

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants,

Convention on Biological Diversity,

The Convention of the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes,

Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter,

Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution,

Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES),

Convention on Conservation of European Wild Fauna, Flora and Natural Habitats,

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals,

Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters,

Declaration of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,

NIS Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Ecology and Environment Protection