Around Baikal: on the causes of ecological problems

This paper is devoted to the unique water body, Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater reservoir by volume in the world that was included on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is regulated by the federal law of its protection. The global role of Baikal as a strategic reserve of water resources of the highest class is increasing in importance. Furthermore, Lake Baikal and its surroundings are invariably the focus of ecological problems. The most challenging issues are the lake’s water pollution leading to changes in hydrobiocenoses, soil and vegetation digression in areas of increased recreational load, forest fires causing a decrease of the number of rare species of flora and fauna, etc. Imperfection of the legal framework, the lack of a unified managerial center and the attempts to deal with the problems solely at the federal level involve a number of incompetent decisions on the lake level regulation and on the setting of its water-protection zone. The conflicts of the interests of the subjects of the federal and regional levels in issues related to use and the protection of natural resources present serious obstacles to the development of a unified, ecologically oriented strategy of economic development of the territory. For a successful solution of the current challenges it is necessary to recognize the ecological problems of Lake Baikal as the priority concerns throughout the country, optimize management of the socio-economic development of the Baikal natural territory on the basis of nature-conservation principles by ensuring appropriate funding, develop a unified scheme of comprehensive monitoring of the ecological and sanitary-hygienic status of Lake Baikal and its protection zone, improve the system of scientific research on the Baikal natural territory, introduction ubiquitous ecological training and education of the population, organize the waste and effluent treatment system in accordance with the latest international technologies, etc