Amendments to Water Code approved
02.06.2026
MINSK (
BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has signed the law On amendments to the Water Code of the Republic of Belarus, the press service of the head of state told BelTA.
The document grants the government the authority to establish procedures for leasing surface water bodies for recreation, physical culture, sports and tourism.The law also regulates, at the legislative level, the use of surface water bodies for navigation on structures that are not classified as small vessels.
Local executive and administrative authorities will be allowed to impose restrictions or bans on general water use, including swimming and the use of small boats, only in cases where there is a threat to public life and health, in accordance with criteria to be determined by the government. The legislation obliges tenants to ensure free public access to leased water bodies, except for fishing at sites leased for aquaculture purposes.
A ban is introduced on leasing part of a water body for recreation, sports, tourism or physical activity if no alternative landscaped public access is available.
The law also establishes requirements for small artificial reservoirs (excavated ponds) created by land users on their own plots.
In addition, citizens are granted the right to extract groundwater using water wells on their land plots without obtaining a special permit (the right to such water use will be confirmed by land-use documents).
The document grants the government the authority to establish procedures for leasing surface water bodies for recreation, physical culture, sports and tourism.The law also regulates, at the legislative level, the use of surface water bodies for navigation on structures that are not classified as small vessels.
Local executive and administrative authorities will be allowed to impose restrictions or bans on general water use, including swimming and the use of small boats, only in cases where there is a threat to public life and health, in accordance with criteria to be determined by the government. The legislation obliges tenants to ensure free public access to leased water bodies, except for fishing at sites leased for aquaculture purposes.
A ban is introduced on leasing part of a water body for recreation, sports, tourism or physical activity if no alternative landscaped public access is available.
The law also establishes requirements for small artificial reservoirs (excavated ponds) created by land users on their own plots.
In addition, citizens are granted the right to extract groundwater using water wells on their land plots without obtaining a special permit (the right to such water use will be confirmed by land-use documents).