TOURISM ON THE NORTHERN BAIKAL COAST AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
I.B. VOROBYEVA, N.V. VLASOVA, I.A. BELOZERTSEVA
V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 664033, Irkutsk, ul. Ulan-Batorskaya, 1, Russia Irene@irigs.irk.ru
Keywords: экологическое состояние, загрязнение, поверхностные воды, туризм, ecological state, pollution, surface water, tourism
Abstract
The paper outlines the tourist flow to the Republic of Buryatia. We revealed that during the last ten years there was an increase in the total flow of tourists by 60 %, and of foreign tourists by 3.5 times. The main areas of tourism on the northern coast of Lake Baikal are health-improving, educational, sports, water, scientific, ecotourism and extreme. Presented are the results of studies of the surface water of the rivers Upper Angara, Kichera, Dzelinda, Tyya, of the lakes - Slyudyanskoe (Bolshoe) and Boguchan, and the coastal zone of Lake Baikal. According to the results of the analysis of the lake waters of Slyudyanskie (Bolshoe) and Boguchan, an increased content of sulfates, phosphates and ammonium was found in the summer. The revealed presence of ammonia and nitrites in the water indicates a constant flow of household wastewater into the reservoir. Higher con centrations of sulfates, nitrates, and phosphates are found in the water of the studied rivers now than in the middle of the 20 th century. Especially significant changes in the hydrochemical regime were detected in the water of the Kichera river. We established elevated concentrations of nitrates and sulfates both in winter and summer. The chemical composition of Baikal water is under the constant influence of the Upper Angara and Kichera, which is manifested in a low content of bicarbonates and calcium. Elevated concentrations of sulfates and nitrogen compounds were found. The rivers Upper Angara and Kichera are connected with each other and wastewaters from Kichera and Lake Sikili, falling into Lake Baikal, what was recorded by chemical ana lyzes in winter. In summer, both phosphates and nitrogen compounds (ammonia and nitrites) were recorded there, which indicates a constant influx of pollutants into the reservoir. We revealed that the hydrochemical regime of the rivers of northern Baikal basically retains seasonal changes in the composition of river waters, only quantitative values have become higher.
|