UNDP-GEF “Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem” Project Manager Sergey Kudelya will present the current status and options for enhancing the legal and institutional frameworks of cooperation in the protection and sustainable management of transboundary waters between the Russian Federation and Mongolia.

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• mobilize stronger political commitment and actions towards the implementation of international agreements;
• undertake more far-reaching public awareness campaigns, as well as education regarding effective water cooperation and dialogue;
• promote the exchange of experiences in successful policies and best practices at the local, national, regional and international levels;
• strengthen partnerships and cooperation between the public and private sectors, as well as among communities, local authorities and governments;
• enhance international and regional cooperation.

A special exhibition will also highlight water issues and challenges faced by all nations and their populations.

A special exhibition will also highlight water issues and challenges faced by all nations and their populations around the world.

In December 2010, following the proposal initiated by the Republic of Tajikistan and submitted by a group of countries, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation (Resolution A/RES/65/154) to facilitate the coordination and collaboration in addressing emerging freshwater issues, and unite efforts undertaken by governments, international and regional organizations, business communities, scientists and other representatives of the civil society.

UNDP-GEF “Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem” Mongolian Project Technical Director Tumurchudur SODNOM will present the implementation of the project.

The international scientific conference "Environment and Sustainable Development in Mongolian Plateau and Surrounding Regions" will be held in Ulan-Ude.

The conference purpose is to promote the multilateral academic and educational exchange and cooperation for the problem of Environment and Sustainable Development in Mongolian Plateau and Surrounding Regions.

Themes:

• Environment Changes and Physical Geography
• Natural Resources Management
• Land Use and Land Cover Change
• Socio-economic Geography, Tourism
• Urbanization and Regional Development in the Mongolian Plateau
• Nomadic culture and Management

Venue:

6, Sakhyanova str., city of Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia, BINM SB RAS.

Conference working languages: Russian, English.

Basin-specific National Capacity Self -Assessments were carried out and used to identify highest priority training and management support at the regional and basin level. Training services were delivered to key stakeholders on the topics of: environmental impact assessment (EIA) development, industrial and mining site inspection, intercalibration of water quality / aquatic system laboratories and training in bioassay techniques, and utilization of geographic information systems (GIS) for mapping threats to ground and surface water resources, enforcement of water quality and biodiversity regulations.

This training program was focused on supporting the implementation of the Baikal / Selenga SAP. Training targeted the range of key actors, including:

• Staff positions in the organizations most immediately responsible for watershed and basin-wide management of the Baikal Basin’s aquatic ecosystems in both Russia and Mongolia.
• Academic experts in hydrology, aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity, mining, fisheries, and tourism.
• Leading civil society organizations with recognized partnership roles in sustainable management.
• Leading consultancies/organizations who actually elaborate EIA reports on the Russian side of the Baikal Basin.

Holding of seminar “Environmental problems and role of green economy in their solving” in Buryatia, which goes within the scope of Outcome 2.3, for specialists of Ministry of nature resources of Buryatia and Ministry of environment and green development of Mongolia helped to develop practical recommendations for consolidation of state, society and business efforts for mutual solving of ecological problems and rising of ecological security of nature resources use.

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The the State Duma hearings "Transboundary water issues:enhancement of Russian legislation and international cooperation." was held on June 17, 2013.

The Russian national technical project director presented the current status and options for enhancing the legal and institutional frameworks of cooperation in the protection and sustainable management of transboundary waters between the Russian Federation and Mongolia.

The one of Duma recommendations was to conduct Environment Impact Assessment of possible Mongolia plans of dam contraction on Selenga river.

The Government of Buryatiya region and the Federal Tourism Agency organize International forum «Eco-tourism on Lake Baikal +20». The forum is organized within the framework of the Year of Environment, will be the basement for discussions about contemporary eco-tourist standards, learning exchange of best practices of ecological development, using ecological technologies and products, eco-education, eco-tourism collaboration in the Baikal Region.

The round table "Developing of an eco-tourism: initiatives and partnership of business, society and government" will be organized by the UNDP-GEF project "Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem".

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Preamble. One of the major challenges of sustainable development of the Baikal region is the scientific support of socio-economic development. Previously, such activities with the participation of federal ministers held every 5 years in the major conferences on the development of the productive forces of the federal subjects and Siberia as a whole.

Recent international scientific conferences of that rank were held in Ulan-Ude, in 1994 and 1998 on the initiative of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The result was to attract the world's attention to the problems of protection and sustainable development of the lake Baikal and the Baikal region, the inclusion of Lake Baikal in the UNESCO list of world natural heritage, the adoption of the Law "On the Protection of the lake Baikal " and the first two federal programs on lake Baikal (1994 and 2001).

Since that time the discussion of scientific programs was practically collapsed and the main activities were limited to the conduct of the Baikal Economic Forum and the search of investments.

The purpose of the conference:

- discussion scientific programs of development of the Baikal region and the problems of protection of Lake Baikal in the new social and economic realities in the creation of the Ministry of Development of the Far East and Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization,

- invitation international organizations to the problems of preservation of Lake Baikal as a World Heritage Site.

Main conference reports must be presented by the Federal economic and environmental agencies, large state corporations, the leading Russian and foreign scientists, and representatives of international environmental organizations.

The program and the basic directions:

- The federal target program "Protection of Lake Baikal and the socio-economic development of the Baikal natural territory" in the past, present and future;

- The Law of the Russian Federation "On Protection of Lake Baikal" and the problems of its implementation;

- International cooperation on Lake Baikal: results and prospects;

- Monitoring of natural and social processes in the Baikal region for sustainable development;

- Environmental culture and the role of civil society organizations;

- The development of a system of protected areas;

- "Green" economy in industry and agriculture;

- Sustainable energy development and the problems of gasification of the region;

- Transboundary river basin of Selenga or river without borders;

- Economic and environmental governance on the Baikal natural territory;

- The Baikal pulp and paper mill in the present and the future;

- Mechanisms of regulation of environmental activities in the central ecological zone;

- Society in terms of environmental constraints;

- Transport and engineering infrastructure of the Baikal natural territory in the context of globalization.

A commemorative meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission on Lake Baikal, devoted to the 20th anniversary of its activity will be organized during the conference.

The conference will be dated as a start of the international air expedition "Lake Geneva (Switzerland) - Lake Baikal cooperation between Europe and Russia."