There are about 10,000 lakes and artificial water bodies with slow water circle within the territory of Belarus which are negatively affected by anthropogenic activity. Anthropogenic activity has negative influence on water quality factors and biological characteristics, which can in many cases cause a very complicated geo-ecological situation within the territory of lakes and reservoirs of Belarus. This requires integrated research for estimating the environmental state of water resources in Belarus, in order to give recommendations and guidelines for the optimal use and protection of inland waters. The Department of Life Sciences of the University of Trieste has considerably expertise in the field of environmental analysis and advanced techniques for environmental planning and management.

A wide range of activities were carried out, including:

• A training course in Misk on Decision Support Systems (DSS) tools for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and GIS technique applications.
• Collection of data and information from Naroch lakes, Braslau lakes, Neman river and Lesnaja river  to be used as case studies for the application of DSS and IWRM. Moreover, the Naroch lake was selected as a case study area to define the optimal site planning for the location of phytodepuration plant to ameliorate the pollution level of the lake waters.
• Drafting a working document addressed to the Belarusian authorities containing both recommendations for the adoption of DSS methods for IWRM and comparative analysis of Belarusian legislation and EU standards in the field.

A study of Belarusian recipients to Italy to discuss project’s findings and acquire additional know-how in the field of environmental resources management.Thanks to the projects activities, the Belarusian beneficiaries had the opportunity to acquire new skills in advanced techniques and tools of environmental analysis. They also got familiar with DSS methods for IWRM and GIS technique applications. Moreover, the beneficiaries gained additional knowledge about EU regulations concerning environmental resources management. Lastly, the project succeeded in creating a successful partnership between the two involved institutions with prospects for implementation of joint projects in the future.