Reclamation of Disturbed Land in Russia: State of the Art

Abstract

Reclamation of disturbed land is a relevant issue, as each year, more and more land becomes unsuitable for economic use due to human activity, which alters the terrain and creates anthropogenic landscape, ultimately disturbing a variety of lands. Not only is disturbed land no longer suitable for economic use, but also is subject to intensive water and wind erosion, the products of which pollute the environment. The area susceptible to the negative effects of mining is about ten times the size of disturbed area. Reclamation of disturbed land is of special relevance in Russia, as the country is a leading producer and exporter of hydrocarbons, resulting in a worrisome lead in terms of pollution with oil and petroleum products, pesticides and heavy metals, as well as in the scale of soil-disrupting activities such as construction, amelioration, logging, surveying, testing, exploration, and operation of various facilities. This paper discusses the current state of the art of disturbed land reclamation in Russia. The authors analyzed statistics from Rosreestr, Rosselkhoznadzor, and Rosprirodnadzor.