According to the National Academy of Sciences, the potential of the Belarusian bogs is estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.
The figures and conclusions are found in the study of the Yelnya bog (Vitsebsk region), which was held by the Institute of Experimental Botany named after Kuprevich of the National Academy of Sciences.
Natural resources of the restored Yelnya are estimated at $300 million. After the restoration of the hydrological regime and ecological balance, the Yelnya wetland complex can bring more than $30 million in annual revenues, scientists believe.
The most valuable resource of raised bogs is fresh water. According to scientists, Yelnya swamps contain more than 450 million cubic meters of water, and that’s excluding the lakes. On the basis of market prices, it’s one-time value is about $247 million.
Also, peat is a natural absorption installation. Each hectare of wetland is able to pass through 680 tons of water daily, removing its contaminants. Maintenance of industrial plants with a capacity comparable to Yelnya will be at least $9 million per year.
Yelnya is one of the largest bogs in continental Europe. Recently, its hydrologic regime has been restored in the framework of the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Environment Facility implemented with the financial support of The Coca-Cola Foundation.
belsat.eu, Belta
