LAKE BAIKAL – THE TREASURE OF THE NATURAL WORLD

Lake Baikal – the pride of Russia, the pearl of Siberia, the earth’s well.

On the 5th of December, the Committee for World Heritage, at UNESCO’s 20th convention in the Mexican town of Merida, took the long-awaited decision that Lake Baikal would be put on the list of World Heritage sites. Now this is a “reserve” of world importance and a unique treasure for all people on the planet.

Lake Baikal is an excellent candidate for the list of World Heritage sites because it corresponds to all four criteria for the nature category. Thus Lake Baikal is a serious contender for nomination. The unique aspects of the lake, hidden from view in the depths of water are for studying and pro-tecting. Baikal is surrounded by mountains ridges, covered by Taiga and the natural treasures, kept in their condition, are an added bonus. Baikal is limnological wonder, a lake with many qualities to a superlative degree:

1st criterion – A geological rift system, which created Lake Baikal, was formed in the Mesoic pe-riod. Lake Baikal is the oldest (25-30 million years old) and the deepest (1637m) lake in the world. Moreover, different tectonic forces continue to have an affect, something to which the outflow of thermal streams from the depths of the lake attests (until 2000 there was an earthquake a year at Baikal).

2nd criterion – The evolution of water organisms which has been ongoing during the whole of this long period led to the formation of exclusively unique and endemic flora and fauna. Lake Baikal – a laboratory of evolution - “the Galapagos Islands of Russia”, is an exclusive value for the study of the development of civilization on the planet.

3rd criterion – The picturesque landscape around Baikal’s depression with its mountain-masses, old woods, mountain tundra, lakes, islands and steppe, like the most beautiful and precious diadem frames Lake Baikal. Baikal is in itself the only well of the planet, holding up to 20% of all the world’s fresh water (up to 80% of all the fresh water in the Russian federation). In Baikal there are 23.6 thousand cubic milliliters of water. This is in addition an unsurpassable quality.

4th criterion – Lake Baikal is one of the richest out of all the lakes on the planet, in which there are 1340 types of animals (745 are endemic) and 570 types of plants (150 endemic). In woods, sur-rounding the lake there are 10 types which are included in the Red Book of threatened species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) along with a complete set of other types, typical for old forests.

(*According to the latest data Baikal holds – 2570 types and subtypes of animals out of which a minimum 56% are endemic (O.A. Timoshkin et al.); Out of more than the 2630 types and varieties of animals (1550) and plants (1085) found up to the present day in the lake, almost 2/3 are endemic, have appeared in the lake and are nowhere else to be found on the planet (B.B. Takhteev).

The World Heritage – a special status, means that Baikal and its coasts are a reserve of world im-portance. The responsibility for preserving and protecting the lake, before it is assigned to the Rus-sian Federation and you and me is on the citizens.

The status of the World Natural Heritage gives the following advantages:

1. It gives the additional guarantee of the preservation and integrity of unique natural features.
2. t raises the prestige of the territory and governing names of the organizations.
3. It facilitates the popularity and development of alternative types of eco-industry (above all - eco-logical tourism)
4. It facilitates the securing of financial means for the support of places of natural heritage, above all from the Fund for World Heritage.
5. It helps organisations monitor and control the state of natural places.

It attracts the effort and means of other countries; it underlines the special importance and value of natural territory.

At a convention about the preservation of the world culture and natural heritage 176 states submit-ted their signatures. At the present time the convention is the most active international instrument for the protection of unique natural and cultural structures. The general area of Baikal’s stake of world heritage is equal to 8.8 million gallons out of which 3.15 million gallons – the surface of the lake, and 1.9 million gallons occupy 3 reserves (Baikal, Zabaikal, and Barguzin) and 2 national parks (Pribaikal, Tunkinskii). Outside of the area 5 industrially urbanised and developed territories are excluded (Baikal’sk, Slyudyanka, Kultuk, Babushkin, and Severobaikalsk).

An important document which guarantees the preservation of Lake Baikal besides the decision taken by UNESCO is the federal law “about the protection of Lake Baikal”. At the moment the boundaries of Baikal’s natural territory which must actually coincide with the borders of a place of Natural Heritage are not clearly marked. The lack of clear boundaries is one of the basic obstacles to implementing the law and does not allow for the measures to protect the lake to be achieved.

THE BASIC THREATS TO THE PRESERVATION OF WORLD HERITAGE – LAKE BAIKAL:

1. The pollution of the lake’s water by the waste products of the Baikal Cellulose-Paper mill.
2. The pollution of the lake’s water by the Selenge river, a major inflow of Baikal (due to the communal and industrial drains, the backwash from pesticides from the adjoining territo-ries).
3. The pollution of the lake’s water by household drains which are situated on the banks of towns and villages.
4. The destruction of the forest as a result of fires and cutting in the lake’s water basin.
5. The destruction and pollution of the bank by the action of tourism (rubbish, illegal building, the destruction of the soil).
6. The pollution of the lake’s water due to the waste left by boats.
7. Poaching.

Lake Baikal at the Crossroads

Lake baikal

A journey by train on the banks of baikal, May 2006

The Peace and Majestic Silence of Baikal Turned into "The Industry of Tourism and Recreation"

Transneft is Digging a Grave for Baikal

The Battle for Baikal: Before its too Late! (from old English site)