6 October – World Habitat Protection Day

Every year on October 6, the World Habitat Day is celebrated worldwide - an international holiday aimed at drawing humanity's attention to the problem of preserving the habitat of the planet Earth's fauna. This holiday was established in 1979 under the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.

A person has long influenced nature through their activities, changing it. With each passing year, more and more territories around the world are undergoing changes due to the growth of cities, the extraction of natural resources, the construction of factories, and other objects of the national economy. Therefore, there are practically no places left on Earth where human feet have not tread.

Uncontrolled human intervention in the laws of nature has led to the irreversible disappearance of hundreds of species of animals and plants. Over the 19 centuries of our era, 150 species of mammals, mostly large ones, and 139 species of birds have disappeared from the Earth. And these figures are not final; today, many species of the animal world are on the brink of complete extinction. Each extinct species represents a significant and irreplaceable loss.

In order to preserve biological diversity in the territory of the Orsha district, 17 habitats of wild animals belonging to 6 species included in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus, and 9 habitats of wild-growing plants belonging to 4 species included in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus have been put under protection.

Territorial bodies of the Ministry of Natural Resources are constantly working on the inventory, identification, and transfer for protection to land users of new habitats of wild animals and the growth of wild plants included in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus.

Considering the importance of preserving the habitats of rare animal species and the growth sites of rare plant species, the Orsha City and District Inspection of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection reminds that unauthorized removal of wild animals and/or wild-growing plants belonging to species included in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus, or the commission of other actions that may lead to the death of wild animals and/or wild-growing plants, a reduction in their numbers, or the disruption of their habitats and growth environments, is subject to administrative liability in accordance with Article 16.8 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses in the form of a fine ranging from ten to thirty basic units.