There are over 1,300 designated conservation areas in Belarus. The figure was mentioned by Andrei Kuzmich, Deputy Head of the Biological and Landscape Diversity Office of the Central Office for Waste Management Regulation, Biological and Landscape Diversity of the Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, at a press conference on 16 August, BelTA has learned.

The official said: “Our country has a considerable potential for the development of ecological tourism. As of 1 January 2021 there were 1,307 designated conservation areas in Belarus. All of them can be interesting to some degree from the point of view of ecological tourism.”

In his words, 29 state nature protection institutions operate in Belarus. They manage the Berezinsky biosphere reserve, four national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries.

There are 48 ecological trails, 176 tourist routes, and 116 tourist camps in the designated conservation areas. Ecological trails are created not only in nature reserves, but in cities as well. For instance, there are 11 ecological trails in Minsk already, the specialist said.

The Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry representative also described how various branches of ecological tourism develop. He mentioned tours in swamp shoes and on swamp buggies (the Yelnya nature reserve), diving training (the Rizhi nature reserve in Braslav District), rafting trips (the Dnepro-Sozhsky nature reserve in Loyev District). Ecological festivals are rather popular.

Apart from that, efforts are put into the ecological awareness of the population. Sixteen visit centers and four environmental education classrooms have been set up so far.

Source: БелТА