April 26, 1986 was a date that cut Belarussian history into two — before and after Chernobyl.

The problems born by the Chernobyl catastrophe have a global character for the Republic not only because of their negative consequences but also because of the breadth of measures that are necessary for their mitigation.

About 70 percent of all radioactive substances that were released into the atmosphere during the accident fell on the territory of Belarus. During the initial period a significant increase in gamma radiation exposure was registered throughout almost all the Republic. The levels of contamination from radioactive iodine were so high in many regions that the initial period of exposure is defined by specialists as the period of «iodine blow».

Over 18,000 km2 of agricultural land (22 percent of Belarus' total agricultural land) were exposed to radioactive contamination and 2,640 of this was lost to economic exploitation. The territory of the Polessye State Radiation-Ecological Reservation (1300 km2), created in the area nearest to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) zone, was removed from use practically forever due to high contamination by long-life isotopes. More than 20,000 km2 of forests (almost 30 percent of all Belarussian forest land) were affected by significant radioactive contamination. The Supreme Soviet of Belarus proclaimed the entire area of the Republic a zone of ecological calamity.

The damage caused to the Republic by the accident is huge. It is estimated that it will take 32 annual budgets of the pre-accident period spent over a 30 year period to overcome fully the effects of the accident.

Of all branches of the economy, agricultural production has been the most affected. The direct losses from the loss of productive agricultural lands is estimated to amount to $15.2 billion for the period 1986–2015. Further related agricultural loesses are estimated to be $10.3 billion. The losses of industry assets and working capital are calculated to be $0.9 billion.

In addition, the Republic faces huge costs connected with the creation of normal social conditions for the citizens of Belarus both inhabiting the radioactively contaminated zones and being resettled from the contaminated areas. Calculations show that, for the improvement of living conditions and for the implementation of the Law of the Republic of Belarus «On Social Protection of the citizens affected by the Chernobyl NPP Catastrophe», more than $86 billion will be need over the period 1986-2015.

Decontamination, waste utilisation and disposal activities, radiation control and radiological monitoring services also require substantial expenditures.

In the affected districts of the Gomel and Mogilev Regions grave negative changes in the demographic situation have taken place. This has considerably influenced the stability and dynamics of economic development of these regions.

Big investments are needed to develop social infrastructure and create new settlements, as these measures are two of the main conditions for the settling-down of a number of people in the affected areas and the maintenance of their health.

In 1991, the last year when the programme was financed by the USSR and not just Belarus, expenditures on Chernobyl totalled 16.8 percent of the Republic's budget.

Since the disintegration of the USSR the burden of overcoming the catastrophe was shifted onto the shoulders of the Republic. To achieve these objectives the Government allocated 19.95 percent of the budget in 1992. In 1994 the share of the budget dedicated to Chernobyl had been reduced to 10.35 percent.

To finance the Government's programme the Supreme Soviet was forced to impose an extraordinary Chernobyl tax on enterprises equal to 18 percent of salary funds and, later, a second tax equivalent to 12 percent. It was a great additional burden on the economy at a time when the Republic is undergoing recession. However, the State still needs to find other resources.

Planned government expenditure is 13.46 percent of the Republic's budget in 1995. This percentage, however, covers only one-third of the required minimum but the state is not able to allocate 40 percent of its budget to achieve its objectives.

In connection with the acute deterioration of the economic situation in the Republic it is vital to set Chernobyl priorities. These are: lessening of the risk of a deterioration in the health of the affected population and liquidators; reducing the unfavourable ecological, economic and socio-psychological consequences of the Chernobyl accident; restoring normal living conditions and economic activity on the contaminated territories.

The Republic could not confront the aftermath of the catastrophe on its own: there was a lack of medical and diagnostic equipment for screening and treatment of the population, of dosimetry devices, means for decontamination, cleaning up and reprocessing of agricultural production, raw materials, etc. There was no possibility of providing the entire population with balanced nutrition, baby food and products that could strengthen the resistance of the human body. The facilities for victims' rehabilitation were extremely insufficient.

Nowadays the situation in the Republic, left practically alone to face the catastrophic consequences, is still critical. Nearly two million people, including 483,869 children under 17, inhabit 3221 villages and towns in the radioactively contaminated territories. Radiation doses in some of them is up to 5 mSv per year and even higher. The socio-psychological tension is still very high. Continued increases in morbidity have been observed.

Particular anxiety is aroused by the growing number of thyroid pathologies, including thyroid gland cancer among children.

This is not the first time that the heaviest ordeal has fallen on the Belarussian people. Many of us are aware of the fact that every fourth citizen of Belarus perished during World War Two. But not everybody knows that the Chernobyl disaster affected all citizens, that today practically every fifth Belarussian lives on territory contaminated by radionuclides. Much time has passed since the accident, and some of those who did not face the disaster personally deem that the problem of Chernobyl has lost topicality and actuality. The biggest catastrophe of the century is increasingly forgotten and often considered as something belonging to the past. But it is not so for Belarussia.

The situation analysis and forecast attests to the fact that the Republic cannot combat the Chernobyl consequences effectively on its own. The peculiarity of the post-Chernobyl situation in Belarus consists in the incommensurate scales of radioactive contamination and radiation impact on Belarus with the scientific, technical, financial and manpower resources of a relatively small republic (when compared with the other considerably affected states, Russia and Ukraine).

The population and the Government of the Republic of Belarus are very grateful to those who, through difficult years, have rendered a helping hand to overcome the effects of the Chernobyl catastrophe.

Belarus did not and does not now have any nuclear power stations on its territory. We also renounced the possession of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, it turned out that we, more than anyone else, have been confronted with this global catastrophe. Its consequences will affect more than one generation. None of the members of the European and world community is guaranteed to avoid such situations. The Chernobyl catastrophe showed that during nuclear accidents of such a magnitude, the radionuclide dispersion takes on a global character within a very short time. Problems like Chernobyl must be resolved by combined efforts. This was enshrined in UN General Assembly resolution 45/190 on «International Cooperation in Mitigating the Consequences of the Accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant». Chernobyl forced not only us but the whole world to look through different eyes at everything happening on the planet. Lessons, bitter experience gained from the Chernobyl catastrophe, as it happened, are needed by mankind the same way as Belarus requires assistance in ensuring the healthy future for today's and following generations.

Source: DHA News, September–October 1995, p.7-8