This page provides a preliminary summary on the following items for Russia:

1. Spatial Planning
 

1.1 Legislation and Regulations

The Russian Federation State Committee for Land Policy (Goscomzem of Russia) provides an inter-industrial co-ordination of the activity in the field of land relations and functional regulation in this sphere as well, including maintenance of state land cadastre, cadastral land valuation, land management and state inspection on land protection and land use. No further information received. [29]

1.3 Coastal Policy

The Russian Strategy of Coastal Zone Exploitation still has to be adopted. No further information received.
 
 

2. Environment
 

2.1 Legislation and Regulations

Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources (MEPNR) is responsible for implementation of environmental policy. The Department of Natural Resource Use and Environmental Protection of the Central Administration of the Russian Federation co-ordinates decision-making of other executive federal bodies. [31] The Ministry of Melioration and Water Management, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Fisheries approve rules determined to protect surface waters from pollution. Also involved in the work on environmental bills is the Committee on Ecology and the Committee on Natural Resources and Nature Use work. Territorial branches of the MEPNR have been created in the oblasts, krays and local administrations, which are allowed to determine guidelines for local environmental protection and to elaborate environmental programmes in their area.

2.3 Environmental Policy

The environmental policy aims at using ICZM as major tool for sustainable development in the coastal zone, developing and approving legal instruments specific for coastal zones and ICZM as well as gradually improving and adapting the present institutional arrangement in coastal zones, securing horizontal and vertical integration of planning, the decision making process and management and giving a certain priority when defining the national policy of international co-operation. [32] In 1994, the Basic Guidelines on the State Strategy of Environmental Activities were approved at the highest level. In the Conceptof Transition of the Russian Federation to Sustainable Development (1996) organisation of ICZM among the priority fields of international co-operation in order to address interstate regional problems of the Caspian Sea area. Russia’s National Action Plan on the Environment mentions the Volga-Northern Caspian Region in particular, as an area in urgent need of environmental rehabilitation measures. Furthermore, the Plan envisaged the Federal Target Programme for 1996 - 2000 to solve environmental, economic and social problems stemming from the rising level of the Caspian Sea (the ‘Caspian’ Programme).
 
 

3. Nature Conservation
 

3.1 Legislation and Regulations

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources (MEPNR) with e.g. its Directorate for Protection of Biological Resources and Department for Management of Wilderness Areas is responsible for nature protection. The Department of Natural Resource Use and Environmental Protection of the Central Administration of the Russian Federation co-ordinates decision-making of other executive federal bodies on nature protection. [33] Regional government authorities can make their own decisions with regard to the establishment of regional protected areas, or make a request to the Federal Government to establish state nature reserves - Zapovedniks and Zakazniks - or National Parks. At present the federal government has the authority to reduce or eliminate a protected area with regional status for the construction of federal roads, pipelines, harbours or military bases. Zapovedniks and Zakazniks are administrated by the State Committee for Environmental Protection of RF (Goskomekologiya). The Federal Department of Protected Areas of the Committee supervises the administration of each Zapovednik and its Director. It is very common for federal Zakazniks to be placed under the Regional Committee for Environmental Protection. The administration and staff of National Parks work under the control of the National Board of the Federal Forest Service. Nature Parks are governed by regional authorities and usually administrated by the Regional Board for Environmental Protection, a corresponding body or by the Regional Board of Tourism. [34]

3.3 System of Protected Areas

Protected areas can have the status of Federal Protected Areas or Regional Protected Areas. Categories used for designation of protected areas are Zapovedniks, national parks, Zakazniks, nature parks and nature monuments. Zapovedniks are strictly protected areas where nature protection is the dominant form of land use. National parks are designated for both recreation and nature protection, tourism is allowed. Zakazniks are state-owned areas where partial limitations on land use are introduced to preserve natural ecosystems. Nature Parks are intended for use in environmental, recreational, educational, scientific and cultural activities. Nature monuments are designated to protect objects of special interest. The Red Data Book gives fixed nature protection status to each species. Among the most vulnerable areas on the Caspian Russian coast are wetlands in the lower Volga delta. Parts of Astrakhan State Biosphere Reserve and State Reserve are located on the Russian coast. Since 1975, part of the Caspian Sea water body north to the mouth of the Sulak River has the status of reserve area. The Samur State Nature Park has also been established.
 
 

4. Sectoral Development
 

4.1 Coastal Defence

In 1993-1995 activities were started under the project "Complex of Urgent Measures for the Prevention of Flooding of Towns, Human Settlements, Productive and Non-productive Facilities, Agricultural Lands and other Valuable Lands in the Coastal Zone of the Caspian Sea" to minimise damage caused by the Caspian level rise. Actual allocations were low, and the project was not fully implemented. In spite of this, in the Republic of Kalmykia dykes totalling 25 km have been constructed, work has started on protective structures totalling 36 km in the Republic of Daghestan, (only 20 to 60 % were completed) and in the Astrakhan Oblast construction of bank-stabilisation structures and flood control dykes totalling 7.3 km is under way. ^[35] In 1996 the Plan of Priority Measures on Protection of Population and Prevention of Flooding of Economic and other Facilities in the Caspian Coastal Zone in 1996-1997 was approved. However, a shortage of funding led to the suspension of the construction of a number of facilities. The draft Federal Target Programme on Addressing Social, Economic and Environmental Problems caused by the Caspian Sea Level (the ‘Caspian’ Programme) also aims at protection of damage from the Caspian Sea rise. Recent relative stabilisation of the Caspian Sea level has resulted in considerable adjustment of priorities in the activities and the amounts of funding.

4.2 Recreation and Tourism

In terms of recreation the Russian coast of the Caspian is developed unevenly. The main recreational loads are characteristic of the Daghestan coast. Deterioration of the Caspian water quality has impact on the state of coastal tourist bases, resorts and sanatoria, as well as their prospects.

4.3 Fisheries and Aquaculture

The Caspian basin has extremely large importance with regard to fishery. It is connected with commercial catch of sturgeons, salmon and small fishes, herring and sprat. On a state level, main responsibility concerning agriculture lies with the Ministry of Fisheries and the State Fisheries Inspection. Normative documents have been created to limit harvest and protect fish resources. Preservation of fish resources in the Caspian Sea basin is carried out by two departments for the protection, reproduction of fish resources and fishery regulation: ‘Sevcasprybvod" (areas of the Northern Caspian, adjacent to the Astrakhan Oblast and Kalmykia) and "Zapcasprybvod" (areas adjacent to the coast of Daghestan). The functions of securing preservation of water biological resources in the Caspian Sea were entrusted to the Federal Frontier Service of Russia in order to increase the efficiency of fish resources preservation. Currently a crisis in fisheries is visible.

4.5 Transport and Energy

Russia holds the world's largest natural gas reserves, the second largest coal reserves, and the eighth largest oil reserves. Russia is also the world's second largest energy consumer, and is the world's largest exporter of natural gas and second largest exporter of energy and petroleum in the world. The Ministry of Fuel and Energy oversees the energy sector. [36] After three years of resistance, Russia has signalled that it may stop opposing U.S.-backed plans for a Caspian Sea oil pipeline to Turkey and end its objections to offshore projects with Azerbaijan. [37] The Azerbaijan host government agreement for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline project was signed at the beginning of May, providing the green light for a project that will deliver large amounts of Caspian oil to the world market. [38] Kazakhstan is in talks with GAO Gazprom, Russia’s natural gas monopoly, on gas transportation projects in the former Soviet republic. [39]

4.6 Harbours and Shipping

Seaports in the Caspian region include the one in Makhachkala (Republic of Daghestan) and Astrakhan (Astrakhan Oblast). One of the most important strategic projects being implemented in the Astrakhan Oblast is the construction of a new seaport near the Olya settlement. No further information received.

4.7 Industry

Russia's economic turnaround has been driven in large part by increases in its industrial production, which was about 6% higher during the first 8 months of 1999 compared to the same period a year earlier. [40] In the Caspian, only the Astrakhan Oblast may be regarded as urban area with predominantly industrial type of economy. Major industries include complex for extraction and treatment of gas condensate and production of sulphur, machine building and metal works, woodworking, pulp and paper industry, light industry, food industry, chemical industry and river and marine transport. The share of the Republic of Daghestan in the total volume of industrial production of Russia only made up 0.09% in 1996. Industries include machine building, metal works, food industry, light industry, chemical industry and the production of construction materials. Oil and gas extraction is also developed. The Kalmuck Republic vast area is still one of the most economically undeveloped parts of the Russian Federation, even though it possesses significant natural resources. The Republic’s share in the total volume of industrial production of Russia were 0.03% in 1996, sectors of industry include machine-building and metal works, light and food industry. [41]

4.8 Agriculture

Agriculture is the leading economic sector with various specialisation such as vegetable growing, melon production, meat and milk cattle breeding and sheep breeding. Residual amounts of fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides are carried by runoff and underground waters into surface water bodies and into the Caspian Sea, causing significant contamination. Predominantly agrarian type of economy can be found in Kalmykia and Daghestan in particular.
 
 

5. Framework for the Development of ICZM
 

The conventions ratified by the Russian Federation (relevant to the Caspian Sea Area) are:

6. National Achievements in the Field of ICZM

References