Three years after his divorce from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology is on the verge of dissolving the union with its new partner, the Ministry of Education and Science. Now, however, not at his own request, but at the request of his principal.
In 2018, the scientists demanded the separation because “the management of BAS finances mainly fundamental, not applied science”, which is largely the one they deal with at NIMH.
And today the Ministry of Education and Science believes that it would be more appropriate to transfer the institute under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and Water, because by law it must set common policies for the development of education and research and be equally distant from all scientific institutes. They also give examples – the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases is attached to the Ministry of Health, and the Institute of Defense “Prof. Tsvetan Lazarov ”- to the military.
“The examples with the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases and the Institute of Defense are untenable, because in this case we are talking about departmental institutes. We serve structures in 8 ministries “, commented for” 24 hours “the Director General of NIMH Prof. Hristomir Branzov.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, the leadership asked questions: Are you clear about the real motives of Minister, academician from BAS N. Denkov for this desire to “take out” a national scientific organization with a 132-year history from the Ministry of Science and transfer it to one of the eight ministries that serve scientific products ?
Did you know that he has never joined the NIMH and has never met with his leadership since his appointment as Minister?
Did you know that with the abolition of the right to a delegated budget and the formation of a transitional balance for NIMH in the State Budget Act, we are actually deprived of the opportunity to participate in international and national research projects and programs and receive funding?
NIMH has been local more than once in its history. He was with the Ministry of Education, the Council of Ministers, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
“Why don’t we go to the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works? It is a richer ministry. We also serve him “, jokes Prof. Branzov.
He described as strange the fact that the proposal comes from the caretaker Minister Asen Lichev, who no longer heads the ministry.
Minister Acad. Nikolay Denkov:
I have no remarks to NIMH, but it is good to be where they use his expertise
The systematic place of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology is where its expertise is used. This is above all, but not only the Ministry of Environment and Water. Thus, the Minister of Education and Science, Academician Nikolay Denkov, commented on the NIMH proposal to leave the MES system.
By law, the Ministry of Education and Science must set general policies for the development of education and research and be equally distant from all scientific institutes. At the moment, apart from NIMH, all institutes belong to other organizations – such as universities, BAS, the Agricultural Academy, or other ministries. For example, the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases is attached to the Ministry of Health, and the Institute of Defense “Prof. Tsvetan Lazarov ”- to the Ministry of Defense.
The transfer of the Meteorological Institute from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Ecology was requested on July 16, 2021 by the then Minister of Environment and Water Asen Lichev. His motive – “The Law on Waters creates direct obligations for the NIMH and defines the NIMH as the entity performing quantitative monitoring of precipitation, groundwater and surface water, including alluvial runoff… This activity is directly related to the powers of the Minister of Environment and Water Management level… In addition, the activity of NIMH is of utmost importance for the maintenance of the national network for groundwater monitoring, part of the National Environmental Monitoring System ”. According to Lichev, “the change will also lead to a reduction in the administrative resources directly related to ensuring communication and data exchange in the implementation of water monitoring.”
Asen Lichev’s idea was to transfer the institute during the update of the state budget last fall, but then it was considered more appropriate to do so with the adoption of the budget for 2022, explained Acad. Denkov.
He emphasizes that there are no remarks on the work of scientists: “We all see that they are very active, we use their results.” He notes that the Ministry of Education has never proposed a change in the NIMH’s status in terms of funding – whether under the auspices of one ministry or another, this has not changed the institute’s ability to apply for research projects.
Minister Denkov added that he was ready to discuss where the best place for NIMH was. There are various possibilities, this conversation will be held at the government level, says Acad. Denkov.
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