Among Post-Soviet countries, the Republic of Belarus ranked 3rd in the environmental ranking of Environmental Performance Index, compiled by researchers from the U.S. Yale and Columbia universities. Belarus, having scored 65.4 points and, thus, having occupied the 53rd position in overall ranking, was outstripped only by Latvia (72.5 points; 21st first place) and Lithuania (68.3 points; 37 place) among the former Soviet Union.
Estonia was placed on the 57th position (63.8), Georgia — 59th (63.6), Russia — 69th (61.2), Armenia — 76th (60.4), Kyrgyzstan — 79th (59.7), Azerbaijan — 84th (59.1), Ukraine — 87th (58.2), Kazakhstan — 92nd (57.3), Tajikistan — 111th (51.3) , Uzbekistan — 144th (42.3), Turkmenistan — 157th (38.4). Western neighbor of Belarus, Poland is on the 63rd position, havinf gained 63.1 points.
The top three rankings belong to Iceland (93.1), Switzerland (89.1) and Costa Rica (86.4). The lowest places were given to Mauritania (33.7), Central African Republic (33.3) and Sierra Leone (32.1).
In total, ranking includes 163 countries. The index is based on 25 criteria that takes into account the level of air and water pollution, the state of agriculture, the state of fisheries and forest resources, biodiversity and others.
