Russia plans new eco-parks the size of Switzerland
26th July 2010
A plan to boost the number of protected areas in Russia is good news for both the country’s wildlife and ecotourism
A plan to boost the number of protected areas in Russia is good news for both the country’s wildlife and ecotourism.
The Russian government aims to create nine new nature reserves and 13 national parks by 2020, safeguarding an area of land nearly the size of Switzerland. All the country’s natural zones will be covered, from the harsh Russian taiga of the north and the snowy peaks of the Caucasus to the Baltic Sea and deep waters of Lake Baikal.
“The creation of protected areas is crucial to save Russia’s diverse and unique biodiversity,” said Vladimir Krever, WWF-Russia biodiversity coordinator. Polar bears, walruses, sea otters, snow leopards and Siberian tigers are just some of the endangered species set to benefit from the conservation shake-up, which will also see the implementation of one million hectares of marine buffer zones.
In recent years, Russia’s vast tracts of unspoilt wilderness have witnessed a boom in ecotourism. According to Alena Kalashnikova of Russian ecotour specialist Astravel, the new protected areas can only encourage more people to visit the country.
“Some of Russia’s parks are located in remote places, virtually untouched by human hands. Kronotsky Reserve on the Kamchatka Peninsula, for example, has 12 active volcanoes and is home to sable, moose, bighorn sheep, bear and lynx.”