Environment

Nature protection (origin: Greenpeace, Baikal in Numbers)

In 1996, Lake Baikal was declared World Heritage Site by the UNSECO. As a result of this declaration, the government undertook several measures for the realization of the following demands: passing the Baikal law, the conversion of the pulp and mill industry in an environmentally beneficial production, a closed water circle, stopping the discharge of sewage into the Selenga River and Baikal Lake; purification of smaller inflows around Baikal and their shore line, establishment of nature preserves around the lake and the promotion of monitoring of the Baikal-ecosystems.

There are different kinds of environment protected territories in the Baikal region. Three got the state of nature preserves: the Bargusin Nature Reserve (founded in 1916) in the northeast with an area of 248000 ha, the Baikalsky Nature Reserve (founded in 1969) with an area of 165000 ha in the south and the largest and youngest one: the Baikalo-Lensky Nature Reserve (founded in 1987) at the northeastern side of Lake Baikal. Pribaikalsky and Zabaikalsky have the state of Natural National Parks. Pribaikalsky, founded in 1986, is situated at the eastern side of the lake between Baikalo-Lensky Nature Reserve in the north and Zabaikalsky in the south. The area is 418000 ha wide. The Zabaikalsky was founded one year later in 1987 and contains an area of 307000 ha. Additional 26 game reserves and 272 Nature Monuments exist.

Literature:

- Greenpeace: The environmantel situation of Lake Baikal. Greenpeace, Amsterdam, August 2000, 118 p. (original as~.pdf-file)
- Reiseführer: Thöns, B. (2004): Den Baikalsee entdecken. Die blaue Perle Sibiriens, Verlag Trescher, Berlin, 1. Auflage, 326 Seiten
- Bukharov, A. (2001): Baikal in numbers (short reference book). Sibirian Brunch of Russian Acedemy of Sciences Irkutsk Scientific Center Baikal Museum,72 p.

 

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