Information centers on sustainable development and "green routes" will be established in the regions of Belarus

May 15, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA/. Information centers for sustainable development and tourist "green routes" will be created in Belarusian regions that are most actively involved in the development of local sustainable development strategies. This is envisaged by the new joint project of the European Commission and the UNDP "Sustainable Development at the Local Level," said project manager Dmitry Frishchin today at a seminar in Vitebsk on the practical aspects of project implementation in the Vitebsk region, BELTA correspondent reports. The main task of such centers will be to provide regional residents with information on sustainable development - efficient management that meets their own needs without harming the environment and the interests of future generations, as well as on the implementation of "Local Agendas 21" in the regions - strategies for improving the quality and standard of living at the local level. In addition to educational functions, the centers intend to work on involving other regions in the development of "Local Agendas 21" and the organization of "green routes," thereby ensuring a certain continuity in the project implementation. The main goal of the project is to increase the potential of Belarusian regions in preparing and implementing "Local Agendas 21," including the development of ecological tourist routes ("green routes"). It is designed to help local communities identify their own problems, determine ways to solve them, and mobilize internal and external resources for the development of regional initiatives and programs. The project involves providing international support in the preparation and formalization of regional sustainable development strategies, and training representatives of initiative groups in the development of such plans. It is also planned to form proposals for the national regulatory framework for sustainable development and to assist in the exchange of experience with neighboring countries. The seminar was attended by representatives of structural divisions of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, district executive committees, as well as tourism enterprises and public organizations. During the event, opportunities for using the "Local Agenda 21" and "Green Routes" programs to improve the socio-economic and environmental development of the region were discussed. A preliminary selection of promising regions of the oblast was also carried out to provide support, including financial support, in the development of local sustainable development strategies and "green routes." -0-