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ransboundary

ater

anagement

are of key importance for environment sustainability and

human well-being.

The ecosystem approaches to management contain

the following key components:

• combining ecological, social and economic goals

• recognizing human beings as part of the ecosystem

• including a scientifically justified understanding of

how ecosystems react to natural ecological processes

and anthropogenic interferences.

UNESCO international chairs undertake similar

projects, among them the Irkutsk State University Chair

on water resources, co-managed with Savoie University.

The university has a wide spectrum of science partners

in Buryatia as well as neighbouring Mongolia, and

continues to involve miscellaneous interest groups in

joint processes to define issues and search for solu-

tions within a University Twinning and Networking

Programme network. Comparison with alpine lakes like

the Leman Lake, another Swiss-French transnational

lake along the Rhône valley, has also been undertaken.

There are many additional examples of transnational

lakes along the alpine chain, such as Lake Major in Italy,

Lake Balaton in Hungary and the Bodensee in Germany,

while Austria and Switzerland also have drainage basins

covering more than one country.

Joint research projects performed during comprehensive

expeditions of the Irkutsk and Mongolian State universi-

ties to Lake Khövsgöl and the Selenga basin (1959-1960

and 1969-1992) and joint Russian-Mongolian compre-

hensive biological expeditions of RAS and ASM (1970 to

present day) are prime examples of joint study and pres-

ervation solutions in Lake Baikal and its largest tributary,

the Selenga river. As a result of conducted studies, criteria

and middle-scale cartography methods were developed for

ecological-biological and ecological-economic assessments

of ecosystem and natural resource conditions. Throughout

the expedition time, more than 20 monographs and 1,000

articles have been published, and about 50 doctoral and

100 PhD dissertations have been defended.

The latest steps in this direction include the formation

of the Russian-Mongolian interdisciplinary expedition

of the Siberian branch of RAS and ASM (2012) and an

international project, ‘Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis

of Baikal Lake Basin’ (2012-2014). This project is a joint

effort by Russian and Mongolian scientists with support

from international organizations such as the United

Nations Office for Project Services. The UNESCO water

resource chair at Irkutsk State University took an active

part in the project, carrying out studies on ‘Issues Related

to Habitat and Health of Benthos in the Selenga River

Delta’. The studies revealed new data on quantitative and

qualitative indicators of zoo benthos of the Selenga river

delta in the summer and autumn seasons. The first soil

atlas was drawn; initial information about composition,

quantitative characteristics and detritus and solid waste

shore accumulationmechanics was obtained; the nutrition

habits of primary delta benthos fish were studied in detail;

and their impact on zoo benthos organisms was assessed.

Water Resources’, at which a final protocol on bilateral collab-

oration was signed. In 2012, a special ministry of international

collaboration on the problems of water resources was created in

Mongolia and three important laws were enacted regarding the

use of water from these resources. Altogether, there are 56 laws

in Mongolia dealing with the protection of the environment and

management of water resources.

One of the ways to preserve Lake Baikal is to restore traditional

forms of management run by local people. Under market conditions,

these forms will definitely ensure employment and improve people’s

standards of living. The forms are suitable to the highest degree

for preserving ecosystems in and around Lake Baikal as a world

natural heritage site. They will facilitate the region’s sustainable

development; its support of biodiversity; its production of ecologi-

cally clean, high quality agricultural products; its implementation of

autonomous low-energy technologies and small-sized technological

means; and its tourism development. The consent of both Russia

and Mongolia is in place to execute a comprehensive and unified

programme in this direction, and this is key to the continuation of

research and nature conservation activities.

The rational management of natural resources such as water must

be directed to ensure that the consumption and use of this resource do

not exceed the environment’s assimilating capacity. Natural resource

management should be based on the idea that water systems do not

have an economic value only, but also fulfil ecosystem functions that

Natural resource management should acknowledge that water systems fulfil

ecosystem functions key to environment sustainability and human well-being

Image: Evgeni Kozyrev