Protection of Lake Baikal: legal norms and environmental regulation
I.I. ORLOVA1, O.V. GAGARINOVA2
1Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
2V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russia
Keywords: anthropogenic impact, Baikal Natural Territory, legislation, nature conservation, regulatory requirements, ecological state
Abstract
Lake Baikal is a unique natural object. The international status, water resource potential and ecological state of the lake are the justification for comprehensive measures to protect it and prevent possible negative impacts on its ecosystem. Federal Law No. 94-FZ “On the Protection of Lake Baikal” is the fundamental document for the protection of the lake and the prevention of the Baikal Natural Territory from anthropogenic and technogenic impacts. Achieving the goals outlined in the Law and a number of legal documents in this area involves a set of regulatory and environmental-economic mechanisms for the implementation of sustainable territorial development, provided that environmental risks are prevented and, in general, the natural environment of the BNT is protected. The article outlines the main conceptual provisions for the protection of Lake Baikal, namely: the status of a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, ecological zoning of the Baikal Natural Territory, standards for permissible impacts on the lake ecosystem, regulation of activities on the BNT, special legal regimes of nature management, etc. The authors consider the issues of scientific justification and the specifics of the practical implementation of the ecological zoning of the BNT, the natural conditionality of territorial boundaries and the legal regulation of environmental restrictions on the BNT, the opportunities for socio-economic development under the conditions of regulation of economic activities in the water protection zone of the lake. The article analyzes the results of implementing the provisions of the Law “On the Protection of Lake Baikal”, compliance of by-laws with legislative norms, as well as recommendations of scientists, the interests of society and economic structures. The authors discuss the achievement of the goals of ecological zoning, modern problems of environmental protection and the possibilities of socio-economic development in the territories adjacent to Lake Baikal, and consider examples of the negative impact of anthropogenic factors on the state of the ecological system of Lake Baikal. The article substantiates proposals for the development of legislative norms, the introduction of the institute of mandatory scientific expertise of legal norms and scientific-methodological support for large economic projects.
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