The Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia has prepared a roadmap for the implementation of a new federal project for the environmental improvement of the country's water bodies. The document has already been approved by the interested departments and will now be considered in the apparatus of the Russian government, the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources said on its website.
The project is scheduled to be launched in 2025.
“The project will cover all regions of Russia. Remediation activities will be carried out in the basins of such large rivers as the Volga, Amur, Don, Ural, Irtysh, Terek, Lena and other water bodies and their tributaries,” said Alexander Kozlov, head of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources as quoted by the agency.
Currently, under the national project "Ecology", the federal projects "Preservation of unique water bodies" and "Improvement of the Volga" are being implemented until 2024. Each includes individual programs and roadmaps for the conservation of the Volga, Irtysh, Don and other rivers and lakes. At the same time, these projects were originally planned to solve specific problems, which means that not all territories can count on federal support for the conservation of water bodies. “The joint federal project will improve the condition of large rivers throughout the country,” the ministry explained.
In particular, it is planned that this project will include measures for the restoration of water bodies, the construction and repair of hydraulic engineering and treatment facilities, the recovery of sunken ships, and measures to reduce the negative impact on water bodies of industrial enterprises. Until 2024, a specific list of measures will be formed with a justification of the volume of federal budget expenditures and an assessment of the effects of their implementation.
Participants discussed the boundary between nature and ecotourism, whether mass visits to unique areas can remain safe, the responsibilities of investors, and how to prepare tourists for visiting specially protected natural areas.
The head of state expressed confidence that the Forum will be held at a high level, and that its results will contribute to the development of tourism in Russia and the expansion of humanitarian and business ties.