Biodiversity_01_UNDPelv
48
9/6/12
9:13 AM
Page 48
B I O D I V E R S I T Y : D E L I V E R I N G R E S U LT S I N E U R O P E A N D T H E C I S
Russian Federation: using multiple strategies to protect globally significant wetlands in the Volga Delta
tion of biodiversity in four ‘core wetland areas’, through extending the protected area system, strengthening the regulatory and policy environment, and enabling local participation and alternative income generation.
Despite the challenges of balancing improved biodiversity conservation with economic development, the project has succeeded in expanding the protected areas in the region. The VolgaAkhtuba Floodplain Regional Nature Park has
An ecologically and economically important wetland The wetland habitats of the Lower Volga region are some of the best preserved in Europe and are included in WWF’s ‘Global 200’ most important ecoregions. Situated on three major bird migration flyways (the East African, Mediterranean and Central Asian-Indian), the wetlands are used for resting and feeding by up to 10 million migrating water birds from Africa, Siberia, the Arctic and India. More than 280 bird species have been recorded, of which at least 15 are globally threatened, including the red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis), white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala) and Siberian white crane (Grus leucogeranus). Part of the delta has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve, while approximately half is a Ramsar Site. At least 20 endemic subspecies of fish occur in the Lower Volga region, which is a breeding area for six Caspian sturgeon species.
PROJEC T:
Conservation of wetland biodiversity in the Lower Volga region (2005-2012)
The project operates in an ecologically complex area, combining wetlands, meadows, steppes and deserts, with around 240,000 ha in protected areas and one million ha of productive landscapes. The project’s main objective is conserva-
Much of the region is heavily populated and economically important. It includes three major cities, Astrakhan, Volgograd and Volzhsky, and numerous towns and villages. The Volga Basin is a major transportation route and provider of water and energy for the Russian Federation. Oil and gas production is also expanding in the region. The Lower Volga and northern Caspian support a major commercial freshwater fishery; about 90 percent of harvested sturgeons come from the area. Despite this economic growth, however, a significant proportion of the region’s population remains quite poor, with a high dependence on subsistence farming and fishing. The main threats to the biodiversity of the Lower Volga region are related to its economic importance; they include the impact of operations of the Volga-Kama system of reservoirs, unsustainable and illegal exploitation of natural resources, and unplanned and unregulated development of housing and transport infrastructure.