2. JURIDICAL DATA 3. IDENTIFICATION

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1 i, I....,_,...,: <,., _. _,,.,,.,.. : ;.,....,_._...I.:,.... _., _.,... :.. WORLD HERITAGE NOMINATION IUCN SUMMARY LAKE BAIKAL BASIN (RUSSIA) Summary prepared by IUCNAVCMC (March 1996) based on the origina nomination submitted by the Government of the Russian Federation. This origina and a documents presented in support of this nomination wi de avaiabe for consutation at the meetings of the Bureau and the Committee. L L 1. LOCATION Situated in southeast Siberia in the Russian Federation, and covering parts three administrative regions, namey the Repubic of Buryatia and the Irkutsk and Chita Obasts.._ 2. JURIDICAL DATA L The nominated property incudes five nationa parks and nature reserves amounting to 1.9 mi ha. pus the Lake Baika(3.15 mi. ha), pus other regiona parks and ands in the core coasta protection zone. Tota size is 8.8 mi. ha. Protected areas at the federa eve are under authority of the Ministry of Environmenta Protection and Nature Resources, and the Federa Forestry Service. The Government of the Russian Federation is responsibe for administration in the Lake Baika basin,via the Government of the Repubic of Buryatia, and the oca administration in the Irkutsk and Chita Obasts. A federa government programme entited the Lake Baika Protection and Rationa Use of Basin Natura Resources was approved in IDENTIFICATION c ~ The nominated property incudes Lake Baika itsef, the deepest in word and containing 20% of a fresh running water on the panet, that part of its catchment basin ocated within the Russian Federation. the riverhead of the Angara River and the Irkutsk water reservoir. The basin support a variety of pant and anima species, a number being endemic; the most notabe anima is the endemic Baika sea. a uniquev freshwater species in what is otherwise a marine mamma. The great variety of the pants in the basin is determined by its cimatic asymmetry: the western part of the basin is occupied by ight coniferous forests and mountain steppes; in the eastern part pine forests predominate; and in the north it is covered by deciduous forests. The formation of the geoogica structures in the basin took pace during the Paaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic periods and there are a number of significant geoogica features. 4. STATE OF PRESERVATION/CONSERVATION There are a number of environmenta threats incuding sedimentation, therma poution and changes in hydroogica fow as a resut of the reguation of the Angara River. The Basin has a popuation of some 2.5 miion peope and there are many cities, viages and industria enterprises in the buffer zone surrounding the core area. As a consequence there is a risk of sewage and agricutura runoff and industria dumping. Nevertheess, the Lake is at present in essentiay good condition. Lake Baika Basin (Russia) 51

2 5. JUSTIFICATION FOR INCLUSION ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST The Government of the Russian Federation has presenkd the foowing justification for designation as a Word Heritage natura property: (9 Contains exampes of the major stages of earth s history and outstanding geoogica features. L&e Baika and adjacent areas beong to the rift zone which has deveoped since the Mesozoic period. (ii) (iii) (iv) Contains exampes of ongoing ecoogica and bioogica processes. Lake Baika is geoogicay dynamic and continues to grow by apprtkmaky 1Scm a year. There is an exceptiona evei of species endemism. Contains superative natura phenomena and arks of exceptiona natura beauty and aesthetic importance. Both the wider Basin and the Lake itsef is distinguished as a andscape of outstanding natura beauty. Contains the most important and significant natura habitats for threatened species. The foraandfaunaofthelakebaikabasinarcrepnsentedbyagreatv;uietyofspeciestypicafor mountain forests, steppes and tundra WHC/JWT/amb October 19% Lake Baika Basin (Russia) 52 / \ ; tt,,, i,.,,!.. :. 2..,_. :._.,...I. _,.._....../ \. :. _ :,..:....,.

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4 WORLD HERITAGE NOMINATION LAKE BAIKAL IUCN TECHNICAL EVALUATION BASIN (RUSSIA) 1. DOCUMENTATION (i.) IUCN / WCMC Data Sheet (6 references) (ii.) Additiona Literature Consuted: Boye, T. et. A Report of the Factfinding mission UNESCO to Irkutsk and Lake Baika Concerning Incusion of Lake Baika and its Watershed in the Word Heritage List; Krever, V. et.a. eds Conserving Russia s Bioogica Diversity: An Anaytica Framework and Initia Investment Portfoio. WWF; Cherrington, M Siberia s Sacred Sea. Widife Conservation. September; Shestakov, A Lake Baika: A Threatened Jewe. Peope & the Panet 4(2); Ananicheva. M.D. et.a Sacred Sites on Siberia s Lake Baika. Site Saver News; Rodgers, A The Soviet Far East. Routedge; Berg, LS Natura Regions of the USSR. Macmian; Pryde. P Environmenta Management in the Soviet Union. CUP; Matthiessen, P BaikaSacred Sea of Siberia. Sierra Cub; Lydaph, P Geography of the USSR. Wiey; Grachev. M Formation of the Baika Internationa Centre for Ecoogica Research. Ecoogica Internationa Buetin. 21. IUCN Back from the Brink: A Case Study of Lake Baika: Kira. T. ed Data Book of Word Lake Environments. UNEP; Ando, M. ed Directory of Water Reated Internationa Cooperation. Internationa Lake Environment Committee Foundation; Bet. D The Word s Great Lake. Nationa Geographic. 181 (6); Centre for Citizen Initiatives. Et.a The Baika Region in the 21 Century: A Mode of Sustainabe Deveopment or Continued Degradation? 176p.; Environmenta Resources Management Ecotourism Masterpan and Deveopment Pan for Lake Baika. 2 voumes: Fower, R.J. et. A Sedimentary Records of Recent Environmenta Change in Lake Baika. Hoocene (5). (iii.) Consutations: 8 externa reviewers, Russian Government officias, Buryatia and Irkutsk oca Government officias, Limnoiogica Institute sta?, Baika Environment Wave. Baika Centre for Ecoogica and Citizen Initiatives. (iv.) Fied visit: Jim Thorse, Zbig Karpowicz. June COMPARISON WITH OTHER AREAS Lake Baika (LB) is so distinctive that it merits a separate Biogeographic Province. It is, of course, one of many miions of natura freshwater akes around the word but is one of the word s major akes in terms of size and voume. As the attached tabes demonstrate, it is the sixth argest in the word in terms of surface area but the argest in terms of voume of freshwater. It is aso the odest (25 miion years) and deepest (1700 m) of the word s akes (The age of most other akes on earth rarey exceed 30,000 years.). It is aso one of the word s most bioogicay diverse akes with Lake Baika Basin (Russia) 55

5 LAKES OF THE WORLD: STATISTICAL COMPARISONS Voume of seected akes and reservoirs Man Residence time* of seected Ihesheservoin Voume (km ) Residence time (year) Natura akes Natura akes * Baika(Russia) 23, Tanganyika (Tamania/zairJ 17,800 Tahoe (USA) 700 BumdiZambia) +ow 380 Superior (CamWUSA)) supcrior(c) 191 NyasaMaawi (Maawi/Tanzania) Gre8tBau(c8n8d8) 124 Michigan (USA) 4,871 h4ichigaa(usa) 99.1 Victoria (KenyaAJgmda) Vattun (Sweden) 55.9 Great Bear (Canada) 2,236 Victoria (KenyWUgmWMzaG) 23 ont.aiio (Canada/USA) 1,638 Biwa (Japu) 5.5 Toba (Indonesia) 1258 mww 2 Leman (switzerand/fran~) 89 Taihu (China) 0.65 Reservoirs RMMVoh Owen Fas (Uganda) 204 Kariha (Z&mvdzamhia) 3 Bratsk (Russia) 169 Vota (Ghana) 4.3 Aswan High Dam (Egypt/Sudan) 169 Kariba (ZimbabmZambia) 160 (%eau water voum&mm annua fux of outfowing water Surface area of seected freshwater and sat akes Fresbw~ter akes Superior (Canada/USA) Victoria (Kaney/U~anZania) Ontario (Canada/USA) Mic&an(USA) Tan8atwika Tamania/Zair&3urundiZambia).>Baikd irussia) Great Bear (Canada) Erie (Canada/USA) Leman (switzeandgmnce). Sat akes Caspian Sea (R+Wrar0urkmeni.stanI WAzerbaidjan) Ara sea (zbekis) Bakhash (Ktuakhmn) h4amaibo (Venezuea) Dead Sea (IsraeYJordan) *before shrink@ km* 82,367 68,800 59,570 58,016 32, , ,000 64,500* 17,301 13, Lake (Am@ Fisb species in od I8kes Lake age Number of (miion years) fsb speck+ Ratio of endemic species Tanganyika (Africa) Victoria (Africa) + igi$~)@ ( '1 *approximate vaue 520 >250 >80% 0.75 >240 %O% 2 >260 >80% ' 50%. 2 60' 20%? source: Kira(1995) Lake Baika Basin (Russia) i 56 w \

6 1500 species of aquatic organisms iving in the Lake, 80% of them endemic. It has, however. far fewer fish species (40) than the od arge akes in Africa such as Tanganyika (250). The waters of LB are aso particuary rich in shrimpike amphipod species (255 species) and fatworms (80 species). (An average ake in Europe woud have 3 species of amphipods and 8 fatworm species.) The richness of the freshwater shrimp fauna here (onethird of the word s tota and a but one genus endemic) is of specia interest to evoutionary scientists. A reated unique feature of LB is the purity of its water which is maintained by one of these endemic zoopankton (Epischura). Its imnoogy is aso different with a minera content 2550% ower than of most other freshwater akes. The unusua purity of water is aso due to the fact that most of LB s watershed is surfaced with rock so that the water infow into the ake has itte chemica or minera contact and the water is thus very transparent. Unike the water that is found in Lakes in warm cimates., the water in LB mixes thoroughy, carrying coumns of bioogicay productive cod water that is aden with oxygen from the surface to the bottom. Species thrive in this cod water and aso in the steam that escapes from hydrotherma vents ocated aong faut ines at the bottom of the seismicayactive ake. LB is aso meteoroogicay distinctive too in that it is further removed from oceans than other arge freshwater akes and has an extreme continenta cimate with temperatures ranging amost 100 C over the course of a year. It is aso arge enough to create its own microcimate, moderating temperatures within a 25 km radius from its shores. In concusion, so much about LB is different from anywhere ese on earth that it has attracted widespread scientific attention as we as cas for its preservation. It has been referred to as the Gaapagos of Russia as its age and isoation have produced one of the word s richest and most unusua freshwater faunas. Aong with the equay interesting features of Lake Tanganyika which ony has one sma protected area and the Lake Maawi Word Heritage site (9400 ha), LB woud be the singemost remarkabe freshwater ake on the panet. Whie the bioogy of LB itsef is unique, the bioogy of its surroundings is ordinary. The animas and pants are typica of the borea forest zone athough ten IUCN Red Data book anima species occur. LB aso ies cose to where the Siberian taiga meets the Mongoian steppes and there is thus some intermixture of the two eements (e.g. occurrence of steppe on Okhon Isand). The fact that LB is set in magnificent protected taigacad mountain scenery is a major added bonus and one key to its integrity. Finay, due to the intrinsic vaues of LB as briefy outined, the region has generated an exceptiona amount of research with over 10,000 references identified on the Limnoogica Institute s database. Some 40 internationa scientific expeditions visit LB in an average year which is a strong indicator of its importance to science. 3. INTEGRITY As in many frontier regions of the word, argescae extraction of resources and accompanying industria deveopment began in the LB region foowing the postsecond word war period. Intensified agricuture, timber harvesting, rairoad and reservoir construction, and increased fishing in the ake began to take their to. The first major conservation issue in the former Soviet Union began at Baika in 1966 when a arge pup and paper mi was buit on the shore of the ake amidst unprecedented pubic concern. Conservation activities were then initiated incuding specia ministeria decrees and the estabishment of additiona protected areas around the ake. Even with its abundant water, forests, fish and widife resources, LB nevertheess began to show signs of decine. Lake Baika Basin (Russia) 57

7 The uses of and threats to LB have been the subject of much debate and numerous studies as cited in (ii) above. The nomination ony briefy mentions the threats and for the purposes of this evauation these are summan sed beow. The state of conservation over most of LB is good. There is an extensive system of nature reserves and nationa parks surrounding most of the ake extending up to the adjacent mountains. Due to the great assimiative capacity of LB, the recuperative powers of the tmtstria ezimment and the vast area of protected and around the ake, the environment is sti argey intact. However! air, water, and soi poutants and associated visua impacts are severe in certain ocaities. There are 40 towns surrounding LB and some 2 miion peope ive in its 600,000 km2 dminage basin. There are two major industria compexes on the shore of the ake itsef a pup and paper mi at Baikasky and the raiway centre at Severobaikask. Poutant oads from as far away as Uan Bator in Mongoia are brought into the ake via the Seenga River. The point sources and pohttion oads for most of this water and air poution have been we documented and many reports and pans competed outine the actions required. There are aso other concerns reating to the extent of forestry and overfishing. Tourism is growing and a pan to manage it has been prepared. The existing pro&ted areas suffer from a serious ack of resources for management (cutbacks of 75% over the past five years of economic transition have been experienced) but this wi be somewhat reieved with assistance under a GEF project. In response to the growing need to better manage and protect Lake BaiM in anticipation of its Word Heritage nomination, the nationa and regiona governments in Russia have put into effect a number of conservation measures. Severa of the key ones incude: As the greatest poution source for LB is the pup and paper pant at Baikasky, the authorities have agreed to convert the mi to other uses. This activity wi cost more than USS 100 miion and wi cause oca economic disruption in the short term. The cosure of the existing inefficient mi and the cessation of the ceuose beaching that has had such severe effects on the south end of LB is. however, essentia., The detais and the timetabe for this phaseout are sti under discussion and the Word Heritage Committee wi wish to very strongy encourage the authorities to proceed with the conversion as quicky as possibe. n 1990 a second pup and paper compex at Seenginsk was retooed and now operates on a cosed cyce system with no dumping of waste into the akh. This initiative demonstmtes that conversion of these faciities is possibe as we as the commitment by the authorities to reducing the poution oads in the ake. LB s second major poution source is the Seenga River and over 100 waste water treatment pants have been instaed over the past decade. There sti remains, however, significant poution from agricutura. industria and municipa sources upstream and further improvements are needed. The third area where poution oads are high is around the city of Severobaikaisk on the north end of LB. Water quaity here is being monitored but pans for reducing the growing impacts here are not yet firm. Tree feing in the shore zone of LB was prohibited in 1986 as was the harmfu practice of og transport on the ake. There is sti heavy expoitation of forests in the region outside of the core zone of the ake and information on the impacts of this are addressed in the 1993 Baika regiona pan. A major poicy document entited Comprehensive Federa Programme for the Protection of LB and Rationa Use of its Natura Resources was approved by the Russian Govemment in November Lake Baika Basin (Russia).b 58 t ;,. *:. i _ 11 I,.. ^......r. _.. :.,.( :, : ;

8 1994. This provides an overa poicy document for LB and its region and provides a strong basis for its conservation., A Baika Commission was estabished in 1993 and is the key administrative body coordinating the efforts of the senior authorities of the Federa and three regiona governments as we as scientific experts and NGOs. A Secretariat for this Commission is in the process of being estabished. A further project to deveop a regiona and use pan for the LB region was competed in Athough not officiay adopted this 176 page report has acted to provide the stimuus for strengthening and use poicies in the regiona context (incuding that portion of the drainage basin in Mongoia). In addition to these poicy frameworks and administrative structures, the ega basis for management of LB is provided in a new Federa Law on the Protection of LB. This aw has passed first reading in the Russian Duma and is expected to be passed in the near future. An Engish version of this Law (Apri, 1995), which has the support of the regiona governments, has been reviewed by IUCN and fuy endorsed as a soid basis for supporting conservation of LB and its region. Among other things, the Law defines three zones: a centra core zone of the ake and the and and protected areas next to it, a buffer zone incuding most of the drainage basin and an atmospheric impact zone. It is aso noted that in addition to this Federa Law there are aso many strong aws and reguations at the eve of the oca governments that, if fuy appied, aso form strong measures for ensuring the integrity of LB. Apart from the above activities of government agencies to protect LB there is a substantia contribution aso being made by conservation NGO s based in Russia. In concusion. IUCN s overview of the many pressures on the integrity of the ake and the measures being undertaken to address them is one of cautious optimism. There is no doubt that a number of negative impacts on LB have been experienced and there are serious probems remaining. Impementation of projects at the fied eve is the singe biggest need now that poicies, pans. aws and structures have been put in pace. The poitica wi is there to do this as is the pubic support. Word Heritage isting wi provide additiona incentive to convert pans into action. 4. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS a) Boundaries One of the main issues in the preparation and evauation of the LB nomination is what is the appropriate boundary? In Russia there was much confusion caused by the 1990 UNESCO factfinding mission (Boye eta.) which appeared to require that the entire drainage basin be nominated. As this is an area the size of France containing 2.5 mi. peope in severa arge industria cities, such a boundary woud not be appropriate or consistent with Operationa Guideine #vi. After extensive discussion with the Russian authorities it was agreed that the idea boundary for the Word Heritage site woud be the centra core zone consisting of the Lake and the surrounding protected areas and other ands within the immediate coasta protection zone. The ony difference from the core zone woud be that the Word Heritage site woud not incude five arge urban centres ocated aong its shores. These are major deveoped areas with significant resident popuations and incude the towns of Baikasky, Sudyanka, Kutuk, Kyahta, Babushkin and Sererobaikask. A cear 1:250,000 map is avaiabe which precisey Lake Baika Basin (Russia) 59

9 dehneates the Word Heritage site boundary. The tota size woud be approximatey 8.8 mi. ha. of which3.15mii.isthesuribceoflbitsef. Thetotaareaofthethreenaturereservesandtwonationa parks is aso incuded and amounts to 1.9 mi. ha. Other regiona parks and other ands in the coasta protection zone make up the remakng 3.8 mu. ha. It is recognised that this 8.8 mi. ha. site exists within a much arger drainage basin (60 mi. ha.) and that its integrity is very much dependent on the surrounding zones as de&red in the Baikai Law. b) Mutipe Use As with many other Word Heritage natura sites, there is much human activity that takes pace inside the boundaries of this 8.8 mi. ha. proposed Word Heritage area. These incude commercia fishing, some forestry, pastora and agricuhura uses, hunting, and tourism. There are a number of sma viages and a portion of the TransSiberian raiway through the site. c cutura vaues The Baika region has some 1200 historica, archaeoogica and cutura monuments of which 1000 have state protection. A number of these are considered sacred. There is aso a mix of distinctive cutures in the region and an inkresting human history. The site, however, has not been nominated under any cutura criteria. 5. EVALUATION LB presents a cassic case for a Word Heritage site meeting a four natura criteria. The Lake itsef is the centrepiece of the site and it is its argey unseen underwater features that are the core of its vaue to both science and conservation. The surroundings of the ake with its taigacad mountain scenery and widife resources sti mosty existing in a natura state is an added bonus. LB is in a cass by itsef, a imnoogica wonder and a region of superatives: The geoogica rift system which gave rise to LB was formed in the Mesozoic period. LB is thus the odest ake in the word as we as the deepest. Various tectonic forces are sti ongoing as evidenced in recent therma vents in the depths of the ake (criterion I). 0 The evoution of aquatic ife that has taken pace over this ong period of time has resuted in an exceptionay unique and endemic fauna and fora. LB is the Gaapagos of Russia and is of exceptiona vaue to evoutionaty science (criterion ii). The picturesque a&cape surrotmding the LB depression with mountains, borea forests, tundra, akes, isands and steppes provide an exceptionay scenic setting. The singe argest reservoir of freshwater on earth (20% of the word s tota) is found here which is an additiona superative phenomenon (criterion iii). LB is one of the most biodiverse akes on earth with 1340 species of animas (745 endemic) and 570 species of pants (150 endemic). In the forests sumnmding the ake there are an additiona ten IUCN Red Data Book threatened species aong with the fu compement of typica borea species (criterion iv). IUCN is concerned, however, that there are serious threats to the biotic communities in Lake B&a and that there is a danger that its unique ecosystem properties coud be ost. To address these issues of integrity, various steps are being taken to reduce these threats and there is strong support by a eves of government and the Russian pubic to impement the required actions. The property is of substantia Lake Baika Basin (Russia) 60

10 size with a buffer zone around it. Poicies and structures and aws are either in pace or are in the advanced stage of approva. Vaid concerns regarding conditions of integrity were expressed by the Bureau. Due to recent changes in the administration of nature conservation within the Russian centra government it has not been possibe for a detaied statement on when the Law is expected to pass and which other measures wi be undertaken. Based, however, on direct discussions with senior centra and regiona government representatives during the fied mission in June, IUCN suggests that the best interests of conservation of LB woud be served if the Committee woud act on the nomination at this time. 6. RECOMMENDATIONS Lake Baika with the 8.8 mi. ha. boundary as described in section 4, meets a four natura criterion and shoud be inscribed on the Word Heritage List. The Committee shoud underine to the Russian authorities the importance of (1) tina passage of the Federa Law on the Protection of Lake Baika: (2) conversion of the pup and paper mi at Baikasky to eiminate it as a poution source; (3) the initiatives of the authorities to continue to reduce poution oads in the Seenga River; (4) providing more resources to the management of the nature reserves and nationa parks surrounding the ake; and (5) continuing and further supporting the research and monitoring activities on the Lake. WHCIJWTamb October 1996 Lake Baika Basin (Russia) 61 ;;, i ;. (, *I.,..:,, _,,,...:...,,._,_ :.:..

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