Characteristics of the Problem Addressed by the Program



I. Characteristics of the Problem Addressed by the Program

The analysis of key figures characterizing the anthropogenic impact on the Baikal natural territory, in general, and on Lake Baikal, in particular, indicates intensification of negative anthropogenic impact on the unique natural complex.

The scope of the negative impact on the Baikal natural territory was characterized in 2008 by the following figures:

- The Irkutsk Region: 391.5 thousand tons of emissions, 30.1 million cubic meters of discharge, 275.7 thousand tons of waste generation;

- The Republic of Buryatia: 117.6 thousand tons of emissions, 495.4 million cubic meters of discharge, 11,712 thousand tons of waste generation;
 
- The Zabaikalye Territory: 10.9 thousand tons of emissions, 1.3 million cubic meters of discharge, 366.6 thousand tons of waste generation.

The growth rate of the mentioned figures increased dramatically in 2008 (against 2007) and amounted to:

- Emissions – 17.9%;

- Discharge – 17.5%;

- Waste generation – 4.5%.

The situation with the production and consumption waste treatment in the Baikal natural territory is characterized by generation and accumulation of substantial waste volumes. At the same time, waste disposal represents a pressing problem: waste disposal landfills are either lacking or in unsatisfactory condition.

Only a small portion of accumulated production waste is recycled. Thus, on the territory of Ulan-Ude 366.78 thousand tons of waste had been generated by the end of 2008 (342.573 thousand tons in 2007), of which 2.402 thousand tons were recycled (51.213 thousand tons in 2007).

The environmental security of Lake Baikal is seriously endangered both by the current economic activities of industrial enterprises and by production waste remaining after liquidation of a number of enterprises.

The Lake Baikal coast includes many local areas for mass tourism and recreation characterized by a continuously increasing inflow of tourists. The recreational use of Lake Baikal, with account for environmental requirements, generates a need to develop an organized tourism and recreation infrastructure along its coast.

The increasing anthropogenic impact on the Baikal natural territory calls for a set of urgent measures to ensure conservation of endangered fauna and flora species, as well as reproduction of endemic fauna and flora species, in the specially protected natural territories.

The system of state environmental monitoring of the unique Baikal ecosystem fails to provide complete, real-time, and accurate information about the condition of environment components.

According to the Concept of Long-Term Socio-Economic Development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2020 approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1662-р dd. November 17, 2008, the key priorities for the social and economic policy of the Russian Federation in the field of environmental security include environmental improvement, higher environmental standards, wider supply of high-quality drinking water to population, creation of an efficient system for production and consumption waste recycling.

The task of preserving the unique lake, which is a UNESCO world natural heritage site, with the achievement of socio-economic indicators of constituent entities of the Russian Federation within the framework of sustainable development of the Baikal Region totally corresponds to priority tasks of the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation.

The current problems of the Baikal natural territory require a comprehensive solution. Such solution will be achieved through the application of a special-purpose program method providing interrelation of goals and tasks, as well as a complex character and common approaches to the solution of the current problems.

The Federal Target Program “Protection of Lake Baikal and Socio-Economic Development of the Baikal Natural Territory in 2012-2020” (hereinafter, the Program) provides for a set of measures to evaluate the ecological state of the territories, to develop and implement state support mechanisms aimed at reducing and cleaning up of the environmental damage caused by past economic activities, to develop a system of specially protected natural territories of federal significance, etc.

Conservation of the unique Lake Baikal ecosystem is undoubtedly the state task, and the Program shall thus be primarily funded by the federal budget and budgets of constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

To select a program mechanism of state funding for the protection of Lake Baikal and the Baikal natural territory, 2 scenarios for achieving the goal were considered, which provide for different coverage of the tasks by the Program measures:

- Execution of most important projects in the Baikal natural territory;

- Implementation of a wide range of measures that differ in significance but cover the problem area in the most complete way.

The advantage and disadvantage analysis of different alternatives for the Program implementation and financial support has revealed the advisability of the first scenario, which requires lower expenses to implement the environmental measures and at the same time maintains high Program efficiency factors.

In addition, the basic risks of implementing the Program measures should include the risk of fulfilling the expenditure commitments undertaken under the Program by constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as the degree to which particular projects are ready to be implemented by specified deadlines.