Taste of water and life
Minsk has recently completely switched to artesian water supply, and all its citizens now have access to the purest water – which was rightfully called ‘the greatest achievement of the current generation’ by President Aleksandr Lukashenko
Artesian water is considered one of the cleanest and most useful, it is extracted deep underground and contains important minerals. Actually, clean water is the basis of life, good ecology and human health. In centuries of its existence, human civilisation has repeatedly experienced devastating epidemics of cholera and typhoid fever transmitted through water.
Belarusians were lucky in this regard – not just because the republic has a great number of rivers and lakes. Due to Aleksandr Lukashenko's well-thought-of policy and position (let me remind of his well-known statement: ‘I am a man whose credo is nature’), groundwater and surface waters are regularly monitored, and the National Environmental Monitoring System is effective. These are serious and expensive technologies.
According to data from open sources, Belarus ranked 39th in terms of drinking water quality in 2024, overtaking Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria. Based on the UNDP statistics, the republic is among the top 20 states in terms of population access to clean water – which is a great result, of course. In turn, the water related issue is extremely acute in many countries, and not just drinking but using tap water for teeth brushing may be sometimes fraught with serious consequences there.
Unfortunately, only 3 percent of all the water on our planet is fresh, and it is already no secret that water is likely to become a real treasure in the foreseeable future: it is a finite resource, the demand for which is steadily growing. The world's population is growing, and economic development is intensifying. As a result, water resources and infrastructure in many countries cannot cope with the dynamic demand. The problem of water deficiency is exacerbated by climate change, which directly affects land reserves, melting glaciers, and land desertification.
About 2.2 billion people worldwide already have no access to safe water, and we can only guess how the situation will develop. Will we face large-scale conflicts over natural resource?..
However, as history shows, almost all problems can be solved: a desire is simply needed. Peaceful co-operation, dialogue, exchange of knowledge and technology, the removal of sanctions and economic destruction of undesirable and colonial practices could significantly improve the situation in many regions of the globe.
Water is just one facet of the whole spectrum of relations between the state and the population, but even this one facet vividly highlights the kindness and care with which Aleksandr Lukashenko treats his people. If we look at other areas of life, we can clearly see: the Belarusian leader sets high standards that other countries still need to reach. Importantly, all these tasks are being successfully implemented in Belarus!
In my opinion, it is sincere concern for the country and the people that guided the Belarusian President’s decision to devote the coming years (2025-2029) to the quality improvement issues – among which are further development of education, medical and social assistance, housing and communal services, transport infrastructure, telecommunications, digital transformation, income growth, promotion of a healthy lifestyle, maintenance of national dialogue, strengthening the institution of the family, traditional moral values, patriotism...
These worthy goals and priorities, stipulated by the Presidential decree, lay an important foundation for the country's qualitative leap forward. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that all this can be achieved only by joining forces of the state, society and citizens.
By Davide Carbonaro