83 / 336
[
] 83
T
ransboundary
W
ater
M
anagement
relatively large number of water tsars, as well as masters of moun-
tain peaks, and all their names are unknown. However, according
to some ethnological data, a considerable number of names reflect
the physical properties of water.
Notably, shaman categories and concepts formed by natives living
near the lake further intensified the parameters for perceiving the
surrounding space. The creation of myths by Siberian indigenous
peoples and their shamanistic culture as a whole prove the current
opinion of scientists on the joint process of developing the area
around Lake Baikal. When Russians came to the area, the spiritual
part of the lake’s perception did not change but was transformed to
some extent. In Siberian Russian-speaking folklore stories, legends,
and songs, Baikal, called the ‘Holy Sea’, is presented as an epic hero,
personifying the beauty and strength of Siberia.
Hence, nature plays an important role both in Mongolian and
Russian cultures and a traditional way of life is built on great respect
for the environment. Until recently, there was a taboo against living
on the shores of the Holy Sea. In the Republic of Butyatia there
are 111 water monuments, including three glaciers, 61 springs, two
rivers, 33 lakes and 12 waterfalls. A 5.7 million km
2
area of Lake
Baikal’s basin in Mongolia (18.9 per cent of the overall protected area
in the country) has ‘protected’ status. The Mongolian Government
took the responsibility of enlarging the network of protected sites on
Lake Baikal and included a few more in 2011. At present, there are
five specially protected nature sites, 10 national parks, four nature
reserves and four monuments of natural and historical
heritage along the Selenga in Mongolia.
2
In the twentieth century, the Russian and Mongolian
governments concluded a number of transboundary
agreements aimed at the preservation of natural resources
for people living around the Baikal region. In 1995,
the bilateral agreement ‘On Conservation and Use of
Tansboundary Water Resources’ was signed. Prior to this,
agreements signed in 1974 and 1988 were enforced. In
2000, an agreement between the Academy of Sciences of
Mongolia (ASM) and the Russian Academy of Sciences
(RAS) on scientific cooperation was signed. Within the
framework of the agreement, the Mongolian water ecosys-
tem study programme was adopted. In July 2001, the 4th
Meeting of the Authorized Representatives of the Russian
and Mongolian Governments in Ulan-Bator approved a
programme of joint ichthyologic research on fish reserves
in the Selenga river within Mongolia and Buryatia.
Mongolia and Russia exchange information on a
regular basis. In 2006, joint planning of water basin
management was discussed. In 2008, a broadened
list of pollutants was made, with agreement that the
dumping of pollutants should be controlled by both
parties. In 2011, a meeting was held in line with the
agreement ‘On Conservation and Use of Tansboundary
Recognizing human beings as part of the ecosystem is a key component of natural resources management
Image: Evgeni Kozyrev