INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
million hectares, the Volcanoes of Kamchatka is a landscape filled with natural wonders, from salmon spawning grounds and bird colonies to
construction, replacing a once-unpaved road accessible only to off-road vehicles
Experts say it marks just the beginning of what could become a major exploitation of this UNESCO World Heritage site.The roadway is being
stripped the protected status of some 15,000 hectares in one of those areas, the South Kamchatka Nature Park, including the Zhirovaya and
Tolbachik volcano in Kamchatka.kuhnmi (CC BY 2.0)Three Volcanoes Park, which reportedly has 40 billion rubles ($407 million) in joint state
Potanin, the president of Norilsk Nickel and the richest man in Russia, according to Bloomberg, as well asSergei Bachin, who was previously
involved in the construction of the controversial Rosa Khutor ski resort in Sochi.Backed by both federal and regional authorities, this
tourism cluster will encompass ski infrastructure facilities, 5-star hotels and a new port terminal capable of accommodating cruise liners
resource that needs to be preserved and protected in every possible way
Currently, tourism in [Kamchatka] is growing spontaneously, almost without control
Caucasus World Heritage Site when the same businessmen were constructing a ski resort and Olympic facilities in Sochi.Three Volcanoes Park
oversight body also points to numerous proposed and approved legal amendments that could negatively impact Lake Baikal and Wrangel Island,
as well as the construction of roads, tourism and ski infrastructure in the Western Caucasus, among other issues
The mountain-tundra belt of the volcanic plateaus of Central Kamchatka.Anton Korablev (CC BY 4.0)It's not uncommon for Russia to enter a WHC
session with numerous threats to natural heritage at home, the expert in the field said
Having been involved in environmental conservation in Russia for almost two decades, the expert said that attacks on protected sites have
For the past few years, the situation has been relatively calm
what Russia can or cannot do
They certainly wouldn't want Russia to develop its phenomenal tourism opportunities
recently expressed a willingness to fully participate in the UNESCO Heritage Convention, telling the Kommersant business daily last month
that "the mechanisms of the convention have proven their effectiveness and relevance."The expert in the field said the Foreign Ministry is
indeed trying to maintain relations with UNESCO, pointing to the fact that Russia has not withdrawn from the UNESCO convention, despite the
it's an opportunity to preserve a platform for dialogue with the West
