“UNESCO’s interest is explained by the fact that many plants registered in the Red Book of Europe are currently growing in Belarus,” explains Oleg Maslovsky, who heads the flora cadastre sector at the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Experimental Botany. He adds that the project aims to ensure thorough protection for endangered plant species countrywide.
Scientists from the Institute of Experimental Botany have already begun implementing the project, aiming to launch a protection system for endangered plant species in line with global and European strategies for plant conservation. “There are over 40 plant species in Belarus which are protected in Europe and worldwide which are yet to be registered in the Red Book of Belarus. As part of the project, a passport and a conservation obligation will be prepared for each protected species, allowing us to prevent the disappearance of these rare plants,” explains the scientist. According to preliminary estimations, several hundred such passports will be created.
