MSWG Conference Report Part II

Main Geographical, Social-Economic and Ecological Indicators of Russia and the Current System of Environmental Management: 

Main Geographical, Social-Economic and Ecological Indicators of Russia and the Current System of Environmental Management Area: total: 17,075,200 sq km; land: 16,995,800 sq km; water: 79,400 sq km; coastline: 37,653 km. Area - comparative: approximately 1.8 times the size of the US. Natural resources: wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, gold, diamonds, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber, different marine resources; note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources. Natural hazards: permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia, Far East and parts of European Russia. Population: 142,893,540 (July 2006 est.), in 2.0 times less than in the US.; Population growth rate: -0.37% (2006 est.). Life expectancy at birth: total population: 67.08 years; male: 60.45 years; female: 74.1 years (2006 est.).

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Environment - current issues: air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides. Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94. Administrative divisions: 7 Federal Districts with in total - 88 territories (48 oblasts; 21 republics; 9 autonomous okrugs; 7 krays; 2 federal cities; and 1 autonomous oblast). Economy - overview: Russia ended 2005 with its seventh straight year of growth, averaging 6.4% annually since the financial crisis of 1998. Although high oil prices and a relatively cheap ruble are important drivers of this economic rebound, since 2000 investment and consumer-driven demand have played a noticeably increasing role.

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Strong oil export earnings have allowed Russia to increase its foreign reserves from only $12 billion to some $180 billion at yearend 2005. These achievements, along with a renewed government effort to advance structural reforms, have raised business and investor confidence in Russia's economic prospects. Nevertheless, serious problems persist. Economic growth slowed to 5.9% for 2005 while inflation remains high (11%). Oil, natural gas, metals, and timber account for more than 80% of exports, leaving the country vulnerable to swings in world prices. Other problems include a weak banking system, a poor business climate that discourages both domestic and foreign investors, corruption, and widespread lack of trust in institutions. State control has increased in the past year with a number of large acquisitions. Most fundamentally, Russia has made little progress in building the rule of law, the bedrock of a modern market economy. Unemployment rate: 7.6% plus considerable underemployment (2005 est.). Population below poverty line: 27.8% (2005). Poverty line – 2602 rubles ($96.4) per month. 69.6% of working population has income per person below 7000 rubles ($259) per month. Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.7%; highest 10%: 38.7% – difference in 22.8 times (2005).

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Industries: complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; defense industries including radar, missile production, and advanced electronic components, shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts. Oil - production: 9.15 million bbl/day (2005 est.). Oil – exports: 5.15 million bbl/day (2005). Oil - proved reserves: 69 billion bbl (2003 est.). Natural gas - production: 587 billion cu m (2005 est.). Natural gas - exports: 157.2 billion cu m (2005 est.). Natural gas - proved reserves: 47.57 trillion cu m (2003). Exports: $245 billion (2005 est.). Exports - commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood products, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures. Imports: $125 billion (2005 est.). Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, consumer goods, medicines, meat, sugar, semi-finished metal products.

The Current System of Environmental Management (a structure of the RF Ministry of Natural Resources - MNR) : 

The Current System of Environmental Management (a structure of the RF Ministry of Natural Resources - MNR) MNR Minister Collegium Advisers Deputy Minister for Natural Recourse Use Deputy Minister for Environmental Protection Depart-ment of State Policy Department of Economic and Finance Federal Agency for Supervision on Environmental Management Federal Agency for Water Recourse Management Federal Agency for Forest Recourse Management Federal Agency for Mineral Resource Management Department of Science and Informational Systems Department of International Cooperation Legal Depart-ment Department of State Policy in Environmental Protection Regional departments in 88 territories of the Russian Federation

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Russian Far East

Russian Far-East: A Gateway of Russia in Asian-Pacific Region: 

Russian Far-East: A Gateway of Russia in Asian-Pacific Region The Far Eastern Federal District of the Russian Federation (Russian Far East – RFE) more that two-third the size of the United States. The RFE covers 6.63 million sq. km, or 40% of Russian territory. The Republic of Sakha alone is twice the size of Alaska. Includes 10 territories of Russia. Ecologically there are four main vegetation belts: (1) Arctic tundra grows in a thin belt along the Artic Ocean coastline; (2) Tundra grows farther south; (3) Taiga, the large mass of boreal forest that forms the heart of RFE; (4) Conifer-broadleaved forests grow below the taiga zone along the Sikhote-Alin Mountain Range. Natural Resources: (1) a huge RF reserve of coal, oil and gas; (2) gold and silver reserves; (3) the world’s second reserve in diamonds; (4) major supplies of platinum and palladium; (4) other important metals – iron, tin, antimony, tungsten, mercury, lead, and zinc; (5) an important RF reserve of forest (timber) resources; (6) marine resources – about 80% of Russian reserves (crab, pollock, salmon, herring, flatfishes, shrimp, scallops, sea cucumbers, seaweed, and sea urchins).

Russian Far-East: A Gateway of Russia in Asian-Pacific Region: 

Russian Far-East: A Gateway of Russia in Asian-Pacific Region Economic importance of RFE in the Russian Federation: About 75% of Russian fish and marine production; Virtually all of Russia’s diamonds and tin; About 50% of the country’s gold; About 10% of all timber production and 30% of log export; About 25% of Russian platinum; About 14% of coal production and 40% of the country’s total reserves; Almost 50% of all lead; More than 90% of fluorspar; A growing percentage of Russia’s oil and gas production and exports; A very important marine and railroad transportation unit of Russia in economic cooperation with the countries of the North-Eastern and Asian-Pacific regions.

Russian Far-East: A Gateway of Russia in Asian-Pacific Region: 

Russian Far-East: A Gateway of Russia in Asian-Pacific Region Major environmental issues and problem areas: