Coalition “For Baikal!” appeals to UNESCO to protect Lake Baikal

On the eve of World Heritage Day the Coalition of Russian and international non-governmental organizations “For Baikal!” that includes 45 Russian NGOs sent the following appeal to UNESCO conserning World Heritage Site — Lake Baikal.

To: Mrs. Irina Bokova
Director General
UNESCO

Dear Mrs. Bokova!

Allow us, in the beginning
of this letter, to express our sincere respect to your organization, as well,
our warmest gratitude for what UNESCO has done to spread highest standards of
education, maintain cultural diversity and support scientific research
throughout the world.

We are writing this on
behalf of the Coalition of Russian non-governmental organizations that in a joint
effort are trying to resolve one of the most burning issues of Lake Baikal, a World Heritage property since
1996: contamination of Lake Baikal by the Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill.

We hereby want to express
our deepest concern regarding the Russian Government’s Decree No.1 signed by
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on 13 January 2010 “On introduction of amendments into
the List of activities prohibited in the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal
Natural Area”. This Decree officially permits to dump toxic wastewaters into Lake Baikal with no legally enforced restrictions, as well as store, process, dispose of and incinerate all kinds of
waste including most hazardous.

Lake Baikal is a truly unique natural
phenomenon on our planet from the point of view of both biological diversity
and storage and re-production of the world’s biggest stock of freshwater that
has been there for millions of years. It is for that reason that in 1996 the
UNESCO World Heritage Committee gave Lake Baikal the status of World Heritage
property based on all four natural uniqueness criteria applied to such
nominations.

Placing a chemical
production on the Baikal shore was a mistake. That is why so much time and
effort was spent to eliminate impact of the mill on Lake Baikal: World Heritage status, special
federal laws and governmental resolutions in Russia, international aid and constant
attention of international non-governmental organizations.

It is for that reason that
we say now that adoption of Decree No.1 has thrown us some twenty years back.
This decision can bear no criticism: the mill is environmentally hazardous,
especially after over a year of standing idle, the production is unprofitable
while the mill itself is a great hindrance on the way of future development of
Baikalsk – a bright example of a mono-town that urgently needs modernization
and diversification of its economy.

Coalition “For Baikal!” is
ready and willing to provide you all the data on economic and social aspects of
the situation in Baikalsk, as well as on environmental impacts with support of
the Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

We are looking at you to
apply the great international authority of UNESCO to save this unique natural
property and to point out to the Government of the Russian Federation that such
a decree cannot be accepted and must be cancelled, and that favorable
conditions should be developed in the Baikalsk area to facilitate growth of
alternative types of production and tourist industry. In the past, only thanks
to a proactive position of UNESCO, such unique cultural sites as the Giza
Pyramids and Archeological Site of Delphi were saved for future generations.
Today Lake Baikal urgently needs UNESCO’s help!
Natural heritage is no less valuable for humankind than cultural and if today
we fail to stop this insanity, tomorrow we shall lose one of the pearls of the
World Nature.

Further on, the Coalition
of Russian and international non-governmental organizations “For Baikal!”
suggests that the World Heritage Committee discuss the situation at the
Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill as an essential item of the agenda of the
Committee’s next session in Brasilia, Brazil, in July 2010. 

And finally, we are asking
you to facilitate further development of the World Heritage property network in
the Russian Federation. For that purpose it would be great
to organize a representative international conference under the auspices of
UNESCO and use this forum to discuss development, conservation and efficient
management of World Heritage sites in our country.

Very truly yours,

Gebler Environmental Society -Barnaul
Alliance for animals rights – Moscow, Petrozavodsk

Association of small indigenous peoples of the Irkutsk region – Irkutsk

Russian Association of Indigenous peoples of the North – Moscow

Russian Federation Eco-journalists Association – Moscow

Baikal Environmental Wave – Irkutsk

Baikal Movement – Irkutsk

Baltic Fund for Nature of the Saint-Petersburg Naturalist Society – Saint-Petersburg

Balakovo branch of the All-Russian Society for Nature Protection — Balakovo

Bureau of Regional Public Campaigns – Vladivostok

Buryatian Regional Association for Baikal– Ulan-Ude

WWF Russia – Moscow

Greenpeace Russia – Moscow and Saint-Petersburg

Movement of Civil Initiatives – Saint-Petersburg

Movement against Seizure of Lakes – Saint-Petersburg

“Let’s save Yuntolovo” Movement – Saint-Petersburg

Druzhina (Team) for Nature Preservation «Lower Amur Environmental Inspection» — Komsomolsk-on-Amur

Druzhina (Team) for Nature Preservation «Service of Nature Protection» of the Kazan State University — Kazan

Druzhina (Team) for Nature Preservation of the City of Kharkov — Kharkov (Ukraine)

Druzhina (Team) for Nature Preservation IATE Atom -Obninsk

Druzhina (Team) for Nature Preservation «Growth Point» — Vladimir

Tikhomirov Druzhina (Team) for Nature Preservation of the Biology Department of the Moscow State University – Moscow

Green Wave – Saint-Petersburg

Green World – Saint-Petersburg

Kamchatka League of Independent Experts – Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Karelian Regional Non-Governmental Organization “SPOK” – Petrozavodsk

Karelian Republican Council of the All-Russian Society for Nature Protection — Petrozavodsk

Karelian Republic Animal Welfare Society – Petrozavodsk

“Firn” Club – Ulan-Ude

Kola Biodiversity Conservation Center — Apatity

Krasnoyarsk Regional Public Association «Krasnoyarsk Regional Environmental Union» — Krasnoyarsk

International Social and Ecological Union – Moscow

MOOL «Town of Oranienbaum» — Saint-Petersburg

Society of Volunteer Forest Firemen – Saint-Petersburg

Ecowiki Project – Moscow

ROEO «Triglava» — Gorno-Altaisk

Siberian Environmental Center – Novosibirsk

Bird Conservation Union of Russia – Moscow

Biodiversity Conservation Center – Moscow

Expert Center ECOM of the Saint-Petersburg Naturalist Society – Saint-Petersburg

Northern Caucasus Environmental Watch – Maikop

Sakhalin Environmental Watch – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

“ECOperestroyka” Environmental Group – Saint-Petersburg

Dront Ecological Center – Nizhny Novgorod

Bellona Environmental Rights Center – Saint-Petersburg