Participants of the session "Biodiversity is a Strategic Priority: Combining the Efforts of the State, Business, and Society" Photo: Mikhail Kireev / image bank of “Roscongress”
The annual Nevsky International Ecological Congress was held in the Tavrichesky Palace, St. Petersburg. The main theme of this year’s event was «Planet Earth: Living in Harmony with Nature». The Russian Geographical Society participated in the congress in two sessions dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity and the development of ecotourism.
Conservation of biodiversity is no longer a theory, but a rapidly developing reality. Recently, new trends have come to the fore, contributing to clear, thoughtful actions in this area: new regulatory standards are emerging, scientific consensus is being held both at the Russian and international levels, and joint projects are being implemented in Russia and abroad. Biodiversity is integrated into urban and territorial planning, corporate business models, and key performance indicators for management personnel. Environmental responsibility has ceased to be an empty slogan, and environmental education has taken the center stage.
Today, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation is developing a Strategy for the Conservation of Biodiversity. As part of its preparation, 24 national objectives in the field of conservation of biological diversity were identified, which will form the basis of the project. The experts discussed these key positions in a round-table format at the session «Biodiversity is a Strategic Priority: Combining the Efforts of the State, Business, and Society.» Natalya Belyakova, Director of the RGS’s Expeditionary and Tourism Development Department, spoke about the contribution of the Russian Geographical Society to the conservation of natural resources.
«We operate in three important areas: the conservation of rare species, the study and cleaning of holistic ecosystems, and environmental education,» explained Natalya Belyakova. «Since 2015, the RGS has allocated more than 50 grants worth over 113 million rubles for projects to save endangered species. But our work is much broader — we operate at the ecosystem level, which is reflected in the upcoming national strategy of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. It is impossible to maintain biodiversity in polluted territories, so we clean up Arctic ecosystems and carry out environmental monitoring. Out of 90,000 tons of garbage on arctic archipelagoes we removed 6.5 tons from the territories of Kildin Island and the village of Khatanga. Every year, over 400 RGS expeditions conduct research across the country and make discoveries. For example, about 25 new species of flora and fauna have been discovered on the Kuril Islands. The final vector of work on biodiversity conservation is eco-education and volunteer projects, which we implement together with large responsible companies in the regions of their presence. »
Natalya Belyakova at the session "Developing Ecotourism in Harmony with Nature". Photo: Valentina Pevtsova / image bank of “Roscongress”
During the session «Developing Ecotourism in Harmony with Nature», the Russian Geographical Society was presented with the latest editions of the Red Book of Russia and a letter of appreciation from the Federation Council for its significant contribution to nature conservation.
The experts from the RGS have taken the initiative to develop common methodological recommendations for tourists on how to properly interact with indigenous peoples living in specially protected natural areas. At the moment, there are no standards on this topic. In addition, in the context of the development of ecotourism, it is necessary to prepare training programs for small ethnic groups that are beginning to actively invite travelers to visit them on how to receive tourists correctly and how to conduct a dialogue with them. Ecotourism is a complex ecosystem concept that includes both natural territories and people who live there permanently, so the conservation and development of biodiversity is impossible without communication with indigenous people. This format is actively explored in own popular science and ethnographic travels with the RGS.