Countdown 2010 launched in Russia
29 June 2007, Nizhne-Svirsky, Russia. With the cooperation of IUCN office for Russia, Association of the Zapovedniks and National Parks of the North-West, and Baltic Fund for Nature, the Countdown 2010 initiative was launched on 28 June 2007.
Vladimir Moshkalo, director of the IUCN Office for Russia, gave a presentation on Countdown 2010, highlighting the importance of practical activities oriented towards the implementation of high level commitments for protection of biodiversity, such as the one adopted on the G8 meeting in Germany (June 2007). In this “Potsdam Initiative”, the G8 promises to “increase our efforts for the protection and sustainable use of biological diversity to achieve our agreed goal of significantly reducing the rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010.”
Alexei Grigoriev, also from the IUCN Office for Russia, presented the Situation Analysis of the state of biodiversity in Russia along with some recommendations on how to achieve the goals of Countdown 2010 in the North-West region.The presentations were followed by discussions which resulted in a common set of proposals to reach the 2010 biodiversity target, including
- the protection of biodiversity on the territories of zapovedniks and national parks
- species inventory on protected areas
- compiling a “shadow list” of valuable natural areas to be protected in the near future
- supporting the further development of regional (local) networks of protected areas
The North-West Russia Federal District is a priority region for the development of “Countdown 2010” process in Russia due to the close proximity to the European Union. The regions of Kaliningrad, Pskov, Leningrad, Karelia and Murmansk have common borders with EU countries.
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) from this region are crucial for supporting bird’s populations which are wintering in Europe. Russian virgin forests, including border “green belt” are an important harbor for species, which are rare in intensively used boreal forests in Finland and Sweden (bear, wolf, flying squirrel, woodpeckers, insects). Due to the decline of agriculture, some bird species, which are endangered in EU are very common in Russia (for example the corncrake Crex Crex).
Recent development of oil and gas pipelines and export terminals, and routes of oil tankers carrying more than hundred tons of oil per year, create new threats to the biodiversity of the region.
The North-West Federal District of the Russia has substantial experience in the field of international cooperation on environmental issues. Multiyear cooperation programs are being implemented on support and development protected areas, species protection, forestry, sustainable agriculture, public participation etc.
The Baltic Fund for Nature (BFN), a structural unit of St. Petersburg Naturalists Society, develops research and applied projects, as well as educational and awareness programs concerning the protection of nature and natural resources. BFN has close working relation with St.Petersburg University, Russian Academy of Science.
The Association of Zapovedniks and National Parks of the North-West Russia includes 21 nature protected areas, which jointly cover 43 thousands sq.km. Some of them are listed in Ramsar wetlands areas, UNESCO World Heritage list, etc.
