Lake Baikal: Model for sustainable development of the territory

Abstract

Created 20–30 million years ago, Lake Baikal is one of approximately 13 ancient lakes in the world. Lake Baikal is also the deepest lake in the world with 365 rivers flowing into it and holding a full 20% of the liquid fresh water on the surface of the Earth. The lake stretches from the south-eastern section of Siberia to portions of northern Mongolia. Administratively, it is divided between three members of the Russian Federation: the Republic of Buryatia, Irkutsk Oblast and Chita Oblast. Lake Baikal and its catchment area are characterized by considerable biodiversity and by a vast richness of natural resources. Well over half of the 2615 plant and animal species found in the Baikal region are endemic. Lake Baikal’s unusual biota includes the Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica) which lives nowhere else on Earth and is separated by 3220 km from its nearest relative. These freshwater seals give birth to their young in snow dens on the lake’s ice. The Baikal region is a spectacular example of coexistence among different cultures and faiths over centuries. Over 1000 archaeological remains of past cultures have been found near Lake Baikal shores. Preserving the unique lake culture, values and ecological, ethnic and cultural traditions of the local people is one of the key elements in developing a model for sustainable development in the Baikal region. Lake Baikal is currently still considered clear and healthy overall, however the number and type of pollution sources are growing, and local pollution can be severe. The main sources of pollution in Lake Baikal are industrial wastes and atmospheric emissions from the Baikalsk pulp and paper mill, atmospheric emissions from nearby industrial facilities, excessive nutrient loads from farming and sediment and wastes that flow into Lake Baikal through the Selenga River. In May 1999, protection of Lake Baikal was codified in federal law for the first time. Progress is being made on a number of fronts despite the turbulent political transformations in Russia in the last 10 years. For instance, in the Irkutsk region, stakeholders have worked together to reduce the flow of unpurified drainage into the lake by 10 million m3 year–1.