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UNDP/GEF‐RF Ministry of Natural Resources
Implementation Report
FOR PROJECT 00077026 “MAINSTREAMING BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION INTO
RUSSIA’S ENERGY SECTOR POLICIES AND OPERATIONS”
Reporting Period: 01 January, 2014 – 31 December, 2014.
Moscow‐2014
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101 January, 2014, to 17 December, 2014.
GENERAL
Project purposes
Improve biodiversity in Russia’s industrial regions; Assist in establishing a system for BD monitoring and testing of ecology
technologies oil producing, coal mining and hydropower businesses; Assist in adopting legislative and regulatory documents on biodiversity
conservation in the energy sector.
Project Management
Project start date: March 2011 (actual start date: November 2012) Project completion date: December 2017 Project Management National execution National director: A.M. Amirkhanov, Deputy Head of the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service Demonstration areas: Sakhalin Oblast, Nenets Autonomous Оkrug, Northern Caspian (Astrakhan Oblast, Republic of Kalmykia), Amur Oblast (since 2014), Lower Volga (Volgograd Oblast), Khakas Republic, Kemerovo Oblast. Main Partners: RF Ministry of Natural Resources and its subordinate federal services and federal agencies, RF Ministry of Energy, executive government agencies on the demo sites, energy companies (Lukoil, Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Ltd., RusHydro, SN‐Invest, SUEK‐Kuzbass, SUEK‐Khakassia, and Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya coal mining company, Yuzhny Kuzbass coal mining company, SDS‐Ugol etc.), NGOs and social agencies (RF Association of Small Indigenous People of the North, Siberia and Far East)). PSC meeting dates: 19 July, 2012 (Moscow, RF MNR), 25 February ‐ 18 March 2013 (distant mode); 27 February 2014 (Federation Council of the RF Duma), 23 December 2014 ‐ 31 January 2015 (distant mode). Work plan approval dates: 20 March, 2013 (General work plan and Work plan for 2013); 27 February, 2014 (Work plan for 2014); 01 February, 2015 (Work plan for 2015);
Finances Total financial capacity: USD 39,150,000Total budget (GEF financing): USD 7,200,000 Co‐financing implemented in 2013: USD 468,772.21 Financing implemented in 2014: USD 1,164,348.451
Executive organisation
Tsentr intellektualnoi sobsvetnnosi, ZAO, The Certificate confirming the technical aid nature of the Project’s funds was received on 22 April, 2014.
Mid‐term evaluation
May 2015, on demo site in Kemerovo Oblast.
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Contents
General conclusions on Project implementation in 2014 ........................................ 4
Corporate contribution to the Project in 2014. ...................................................... 18
Outcomes of Component 1 ..................................................................................... 30
Outcomes of Component 2 ..................................................................................... 36
Outcomes of Component 3 ..................................................................................... 42
Outcomes of Component 4 ..................................................................................... 49
Report on the Progress of Works with the Project Indicator Species .................... 59
Addendum 1. Project work plan for 2015.
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General conclusions on Project implementation in 2014
(a) In 2014, which was the second implementation year of the UNDP/GEF‐Ministry
of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia project “Mainstreaming biodiversity
conservation into Russia’s energy sector policies and operations” (“the Project”), the
Project accomplished of the most difficult tasks ‐ the actual launching of the main
demonstration activities stipulated in the project document.
A special focus was made on consistency of the works launched with the project
ideology (Project results structure), needs of the demo sites and coordination between
all the works to ensure synergies.
(b) The main indicator of Project efficiency ‐ “increase in the area of operated and
damaged land under restoration..., with a focus on the main ranges of the regional
endangered species in the demonstration zones” can be attained by implementing the
totality of Project activities, including:
‐ Actual restoration of damaged land (recultivation in the NAO and Kemerovo
Oblast; restoration of creeks in the Volgograd Oblast; offsetting measures in the Amur
Oblast);
‐ Support for the establishment of protected areas in the energy project impact
zones (Bureyski Nature Park, Amur Oblast, regional PA Bachatskiye Fells, Kemerovo
Oblast, local PA in the Kamyzyak District of the Astrakhan Oblast etc.);
‐ Federal and regional regulatory support of biodiversity restoration activities,
for instance, development of regional action plans to preserve biodiversity in the
Sakhalin Oblast, Volgograd Oblast; participation to refine regional regulations (Law of
the Astrakhan Region “On Specific Issues of Environmental Protection and Biodiversity
Preservation in the Astrakhan Region”, Law of the Amur Region “On Protected Areas in
the Amur Region”, Methodology for calculation of damage caused to the flora and fauna
of the Kemerovo Region’s Red Book and to their habitats as a result of violation of the
law on environmental protection and management), participation in drafting of the 5th
National Report & Action Plan for preservation of biodiversity in the Russian Federation
and CIS‐wide model law “On Preservation and Restoration of Biodiversity” as systemic
documents underpinning implementation of the project philosophy.
(c) Project activities to improve the EIA process, primarily from the perspective of
assessing the impact on biodiversity, are being implemented along with preparation of
proposals for EIA and SEA draft regulations, field activities to monitor the impact of the
ongoing construction of the Lower Bureyskaya HPP on biodiversity, assessment of
ecosystemic services to be provided by the projected PA in the Kemerovo Oblast, and
drafting of the Compendiums of innovative solutions to preserve biodiversity for three
energy sectors and preparation of the Businessman’s Guide on Social Dialogue with
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Indigenous Minorities. The demo project related to the projected PA in the Kemerovo
Oblast assumes refining of the procedure for assessment of the environmental impact,
in particular, based on assessment of the fee for ecosystemic services to be maintained
after establishment of the PA and comparing it to economic benefits from possible
economic use of this territory.
(d) The provisions of the project document related to methodological support to
introduce the principle “prevent‐reduce‐ restore‐offset” throughout the lifecycle of
economic projects assume a variety of methodologies and guidelines to be drafted.
This task is being implemented in two aspects: drafting of the general purpose
documents and drafting of sector‐specific guidelines.
Regarding the first aspect, six documents started to be developed in 2014 on a
contractual basis:
‐ Guidelines to incorporate biodiversity preservation issues into the EIA
procedures (contractor: Agency for Systemic Development, LLC);
Perform public discussions, testing and improvement of the guidelines on
nationwide assessment of BD’s full economic value. (contractor: independent Russian
consultant S.N. Bobylev);
‐ methodological principles to determine the cost efficiency of BD preservation
in implementing energy projects (contractor: independent Russian consultant S.N.
Bobylev);
‐ manuals to organise and implement the activities for preserving biodiversity,
water resources and natural habitats with the purpose of compensating damage from
implementation of the planned economic activities (contractor: independent Russian
consultant A.N. Belousov);
‐ manual to organise an environmental management system at production
companies for preventing a negative impact on biodiversity throughout the lifecycle of
production companies (signing of the contract with an independent Russian consultant
pending);
Improve the “Businessman’s Guide on Social Dialogue with Small Indigenous
Groups: an Algorithm”. (contractor: EthnoExpert, LLC).
All specific guidelines to be drafted under the project for individual energy
sectors are based on the outcomes of field studies implemented in 2014 as part of the
BD impact assessment and monitoring and planned for 2015‐2016. These documents
are considered to be the following:
Under Component 2:
‐ Guidelines for oil producing companies on the criteria for land recultivation
and oil sludge treatment technologies that have the greatest effect (contractor: Komi
Institute of Biology, Urals Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences);
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‐ Guidelines to monitor biodiversity of water bodies in the areas of oil
production and transportation in the NAO and Komi Republic (contractor: Polar
Fisheries and Oceanography Institute.);
‐ Guidelines to monitor surface ecosystems for subsoil use in the NAO including
PA (completed contract with the Nenetski Natural Reserve);
‐ Guidelines to monitor large cetaceans and implement a set of activities to
reduce the underlying effects on these animals from economic activities, and
instructions on measures to reduce the effects on large cetaceans from economic
activities on the continental shelf of the Far Eastern coast of the Russian Federation (in
progress based on the outcomes of field studies financed by Sakhalin Energy Investment
Company Ltd, contractor: Marine Mammals Council).
Under Component 3:
‐ Guidelines on preparation of monitoring programmes and conduct of field
surveys of BD in course of construction and operation of hydropower projects, including
monitoring of the state of populations and habitats of aquatic and terrestrial flora and
fauna in the impact area of proposed hydropower facilities, using the Lower Bureyskaya
HPP as an example (signing of the contract with the Zeyski State Nature Reserve
pending);
‐ Guidelines on identifying the BD impact area of a hydropower project (using
Lower Zeyskaya HPP as an example) (signing of the contract with the Zeyski State Nature
Reserve pending);
‐ Guidelines on ensuring sustainable development at all the stages of the
lifecycle of a hydropower project (4 chapters), including requirements on ensuring BD
conservation (contractor: individual Russian consultant for testing the methodology of
the International Association of Hydrogeologists in Russia A.P Zhdanova).
Under Component 4:
‐ A technology of man‐induced damage mapping, area ranging and spatial
division into value classes of mining works into value classes (contractor: Institute for
Computation Technologies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science).
‐ “Methodology of biological recultivation of land in the climatic conditions of
the Khakas Republic” (based on the outcomes of the work carried out by SUEK‐
Khakassia);
‐ Methodologies for biomonitoring of ecosystems directly impacted by coal
mining (contractor: Kuznetsk Centre for Technical and Ecological Expert Assessment in
the Coal Mining Sector).
All the stakeholders, including RF MNR, Russian Fishery Agency, Russian Union
of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Association of Small Indigenous People of the North,
Siberia and Far East, energy companies participating in the Project are involved in the
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preparation and discussion of the above documents. The documents will be presented
in all leading discussion forums; at the same time, measures are underway to formalise
them.
As the documents are drafted, work will be done to identify, summarise and
formalise decisions of systemic nature. The documents will serve as a basis for general
purpose guidelines related to production monitoring of biodiversity and Guidelines for
recultivation in subsoil use.
In 2016‐2017, these documents will be coordinated with the RF MNR and other
stakeholders and will be also included into finalised versions of the Compendiums of
innovative solutions for BD preservation for three energy sectors. Thus, the outcomes of
the project will remove the administrative obstacles which prevent BD issues from being
included into the energy sector’s operations and also obstacles resulting from a lack of
experience and knowledge in this area.
(e) Creating GIS‐based environmental vulnerability maps for the three demo areas,
to be further used for territorial planning purposes, is a major indicator of the project’s
performance.
In the reporting period, the worst problems were related to the launch of this
work which we believe to result from a lack of common methodological understanding
of the content and format of vulnerability maps and, therefore, opportunities for their
further introduction. There are also problems of access to GIS data already available in
regions including energy company GIS, and problems related to negotiations to include
the project’s developments into these systems. These factors resulted in the launch of
this work to be postponed until Q4 2014.
Currently, two activities to create GIS‐based vulnerability maps are underway:
‐ developing a methodology for assessing environmental vulnerability including
that of biodiversity for use in industries, creating an environmental vulnerability map of
the NAO (contractor: A.N. Severtsov Institute for Environmental and Evolutionary
Studies);
‐ developing a methodology for assessing environmental vulnerability including
that of biodiversity for use in industries, creating an environmental vulnerability map of
the Kemerovo Oblast (contractor: Institute for Computation Technologies, Siberian
Branch of the Russian Academy of Science).
In the first case, it is planned to integrate the map into the NAO Environmental
Passport while, in the second case, to create biodiversity layers for a GIS portal to be
developed in the Kemerovo Oblast.
Moreover, as part of the activities to monitor the environment and biodiversity in
the area of coal pits operated by OJSC HC SDS‐Ugol (contractor: Kuznetsk Centre for
Technical and Environmental Studies of the Coal Industry, LLC) it is envisaged to create a
GIS‐based environmental vulnerability map of the Novokuznetsk municipal district. The
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purpose of this work is to provide information support for local self‐governance bodies
in course of their control over the coal mining company’s impact on BD.
Thus, the work in the area under discussion is implemented in two demo sites of
the project. In 2015, activities to identify the third demo site for creating a GIS‐based
vulnerability map will be continued. In this respect, promising areas include the Sakhalin
Oblast, Amur Oblast and Volgograd Oblast where the authorities are interested in this
effort and the underlying institutional capacity is available.
(f) In 2013‐2014, the target indicator “growing investments by energy companies
into biodiversity preservation activities” was assessed on the basis of queries sent to the
project’s partner companies to determine their BD preservation costs, something that
allowed to have the source data for analysis and generalisation. In 2015, the work on
this indicator will be performed by retaining specialists in the field of statistics. Under
the current system of federal statistical monitoring, the amount of such investments by
energy companies could be approximately assessed using 18‐KS form “Fixed capital
investment into environmental protection and rational use of natural resources” to be
annually filled and served to Rosstat offices by legal entities (except small businesses)
engaged in any type of economic activities and in construction and commissioning of
environmental facilities. A number of items to be filled as part of this form are directly
related to biodiversity preservation, in particular: land recultivation (line 52), protection
and rational use of forest resources (line 56), protection and reproduction of the fish
stock (line 58), organisation of reserves and other protected areas (line 69), protection
and reproduction of wild animals and birds (line 75).
Since (а) once they are filled by legal entities, federal statistical monitoring forms
are deemed confidential, (b) aggregated data on biodiversity preservation costs in the
Russian Federation are now published by the Rosstat both for the country as a whole
and across territories (constituent members of the Russian Federation), (c) the Rosstat
prepares upon request special statistical statements on the basis of the filled forms, it is
proposed to:
(а) draft (jointly with the Rosstat staff) a form of query not only on investments
but also current costs to preserve biodiversity aggregated by three sectors: coal, oil and
hydropower industry;
(b) prepare such a query and submit it to the Rosstat on behalf of the MNR RF;
(c) based on the answer to the query, perform an analysis of the data on current
costs and investments of the said sectors into biodiversity preservation.
It should be taken into account that one can more fully assess this indicator, once
new regulations are adopted to require from subsoil users to set up liquidation funds,
compensate for the damage caused to the environment, and also to liquidate the past
environmental damage. In the reporting period, the project staff submitted to federal
authorities their proposals for draft federal laws aimed at developing funding of the said
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activities regarding preservation of biodiversity. The project’s respective proposals were
taken into account and incorporated into texts of the draft laws.
(g) The target indicator “In statements by major energy companies operating in
demo areas, biodiversity preservation costs are a special item segregated from general
environmental protection costs” could be achieved after the Rosstat issued Order No.
540 dated 29 August 2014 to approve a new federal statistical monitoring form (4‐OS)
“Current environmental protection costs and environmental payments” to be annually
filled and served to Rosstat offices by economic agents (legal entities and individuals)
engaged in environmental protection activities. Form 4‐OS was redrafted on the basis of
СЕРА 2000, international classification of types of environmental activities. In particular,
starting from 2014 statements, the form was supposed to include current costs incurred
by businesses for biodiversity preservation and protection of natural territories (line 07)
including current (operational) costs to:
protect and restore animal, vegetal and mushroom species, preserve their habitats
(preserve/restore rare and endangered species, provide for artificial reproduction of
natural populations, re‐introduce/re‐acclimatize species, prevent any uncontrolled
dissemination of invasive alien species, preserve and restore rare and endangered
species by using cryopreservation technologies and creating other types of genetic
material deposits to restore extinct natural populations and species and maintain or
restore genetic biodiversity in severely damaged populations, perform monitoring
and inventory (registering), maintain Red Books etc.),
preserve and restore natural territories,
perform instrumental measurements and control, laboratory studies in the area of
biodiversity preservation and protection of natural territories,
administer and perform environmental management, information support, public
awareness activities in the area of biodiversity preservation and protection of
natural territories,
perform other current activities to preserve biodiversity and protect natural
territories.
In addition, the item “Research and development costs to reduce negative man‐
made effects on the environment” (line 09) should cover the relevant R&D costs related
to biodiversity preservation and protection of natural territories (although they are not
identified as a separate line).
Thus, starting from 2014 statements, there is an objective opportunity to monitor
current costs of biodiversity preservation to be reported by economic agents as part of
universal statistic reporting.
In this regard, it is proposed to formalise and serve a relevant query to Rosstat
offices to start collecting information to assess the amount and efficiency of the costs
(including investments – see item (f) above) incurred by three industries of the Russian
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energy sector to preserve biodiversity. The detailing and depth of such assessment will
depend on the Rosstat’s answer to the query to obtain the relevant data .
In any event, such initial analysis based on the 2014 data could be probably
conducted as early as in 2015 on the example of energy companies partnered with the
project.
(h) Regarding the project’s sectoral components, a total of 23 contracts were signed
in 2014 with legal entities, private entrepreneurs, individuals (Russian and international
consultants).
Given below is a list of the contracts.
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OUTCOME 1.
Item No
Description
1.
Demonstrating a tripartite agreement/dialogue between indigenous population, public authorities and energy companies. Preparing for the project “Businessman’s Guide on Social Dialogue with Small Indigenous Groups: Algorithm for Action”
2. Analyzing the impact on the ecosystem and biodiversity in oil production areas of the North Caspian taking into account the activities under the Teheran Convention and GIS development concepts in this region
3. Developing the concept of an Action Plan for biodiversity preservation in the Sakhalin Oblast
4. Developing proposals for a set of measures to improve the EIA procedure and implementing an institution for strategic environmental assessment including pilot activities to be performed in demo sites
5. Preparing object based databases, geobotanical subdivision maps for the NAO as a basis for vulnerability mapping. Preparing a man‐made territorial damage map based on remote testing data
6. Drafting proposals for a CIS model law on biodiversity preservation
7. Developing a draft manual to organise and implement the activities for preserving biodiversity, water resources and natural habitats with the purpose of compensating damage from implementation of the planned economic activities
8.
Drafting proposals to implement the ecosystemic approach principles, primarily as regards BD preservation and ecosystemic services, into business practices of Russian energy companies by implementing a number of measures at the government level (including regional governments), sectoral and enterprise level.
OUTCOME 2.
Item No
Description
9. Drafting Guidelines to perform monitoring of large cetaceous and a set of measures to reduce the underlying effects on these animals from economic activities
10. Drafting the first version of the Compendium of innovative solutions for the oil sector to preserve biodiversity
11. ‐ Monitor the efficiency of various land recultivation techniques with a view to conserve BD at oil and gas fields in the Republic of Komi and NAO
12. ‐ Estimate the efficiency of oil waste utilisation for conservation of BD in on‐shore ecosystems in the NAO and the Republic of Komi.
13. Monitoring of small and large stream flows in order to evaluate the impact of oil production in NAO and the Republic of Komi on fish reserves and industrial fishing.
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14. Assessing the oil waste disposal technologies to preserve biodiversity in the North Caspian as part of activities to reduce the accumulated environmental damage in the Astrakhan Oblast
OUTCOME 3.
Item No
Description
15. Provide research‐based substantiation for a set of BD restoration measures on the Kashirin creek and Proklyatoye lake; prepare project cost estimation documents for BD restoration on this site in accordance with the research‐based set of activities.
16. Updating the documents to create the PA Bureyski Natural Park as a compensation activity to minimise the effects of implementation of the Lower Bureyskaya HHP construction project on biodiversity
17.
Assessing HHP construction projects in the Amur Oblast to determine the current level of BD preservation and sustainable development. Developing Guidelines to ensure sustainable development of the hydropower sector throughout all stages of the lifecycle (4 parts) including the biodiversity preservation requirements.
18. Implementing the activities to compensate a negative impact of the Lower Bureyskaya HPP construction project on flora and fauna in the area to be inundated by the water reservoir
19. Organising and performing monitoring (including pre‐project monitoring) of the biodiversity status of the areas impacted by hydropower facilities envisaged, under construction and in operation in the Amur Oblast
OUTCOME 4.
Item No
Description
20. Comprehensive geoenvironmental assessment of the environment and biodiversity status of coal pit areas operated by OJSC HC SDS‐Ugol
21. Drafting a demo project plan to develop a landscape restoration technology to ensure maximum restoration of the previous terrain, vegetation cover and also populations of indicator species
22. Drafting the first version of the Compendium of innovative solutions for the coal sector to preserve biodiversity
23. Improving the information and methodological support to address geoenvironmental objectives of a mining region on the example of the territory of the Kuznetsk Coal Basin
Detailed information on the progress of Components 1‐4, main achievements
and risks, and on connection between the current activities and the status of the project
indicator species is given in the following sections of the report.
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(i) The achievement of all project indicators is ensured by active involvement and
support of all stakeholders as stated in biodiversity preservation agreements entered
between the project and federal/regional public authorities, energy companies and
project beneficiaries.
These agreements are aimed at creating an environment to encourage private
sector investments into biodiversity preservation, and also at laying the ground to pass
the project’s outcome regarding BD monitoring and GIS to subsequent operators.
In the reporting period, 6 agreements were entered in the Kemerovo Oblast,
Amur Oblast and NAO including:
‐ quadripartite cooperation agreement for biodiversity preservation between
the NAO Directorate of Natural Resources and Environment, RPN Office for the Nenets
Autonomous Okrug, Nenetski Natural Reserve and the Project;
‐ quadripartite agreement between the Ministry of Natural Resources of the
Amur Oblast, Department for Protection, Control and Management of Fauna & Habitats
of the Amur Oblast, OJSC Lower Bureyskaya HHP and the Project;
‐ tripartite agreements between the Department of Natural Resources and
Environment of the Kemerovo Oblast, Project and major regional coal companies –
Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya company, SUEK‐Kuzbass, Yuzhny Kuzbass, SDS‐Ugol.
Agreements for the Sakhalin Oblast and Republic of Khakassia are pending.
(j) In 2014, implementation of all project activities was supported by presentations
at major conferences, workshops and round tables. In a number of cases, the project
initiated these events, of which the central was the International Conference “Business
and Biodiversity: Approaches and Solutions” which took place at the MNR RF offices on
2‐3 October 2014.
The Conference was attended by representatives of federal public authorities,
environmental protection bodies of the Kemerovo, Amur and Volgograd Oblasts, the
Republic of Khakassia, energy company staff such as Lukoil, Rosneft, Sakhalin Energy
Investment Company Ltd, Gazprom Neft Shelf, RusHydro, Lower Bureyskaya HHP, SUEK‐
Kuzbass, Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya company etc. The Russian environmental community
was represented by researchers from the A.N. Severtsov Institute for Environmental and
Evolutionary Studies (Russian Academy of Sciences), Moscow State University, Institute
for Computation Technologies (Siberian Branch of the RAS), activists of non‐
governmental organisations: International Fund for Aminal Welfare, World Wildlife
Fund ‐ Russia, and also representatives of protected areas. The best international
practices of biodiversity preservation was presented by experts from Canada,
Netherlands, France and Sweden.
The plenary meeting chaired by A.M. Amirkhanov, RPN Deputy Head, summed up
the approaches aimed at preserving biodiversity in the course of economic activities,
with a major focus on the need to strengthen the legal mechanisms and methodological
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approaches to biodiversity preservation; integrate the biodiversity preservation issues
into corporate management systems at Russian companies; assess the cost of
ecosystemic services in initiating new energy projects; and support partnership with
environmental organisations, indigenous population and other stakeholders at all stages
of the economic project lifecycle, with such dialogue to play a special role at the stage of
strategic planning and within the framework of EIA.
Fig. 1. International Conference “Business and Biodiversity: Approaches and Solutions”, plenary session, 02 October 2014, Moscow.
The Russian experience of biodiversity preservation in the Arctic, Sakhalin and
North Caspian was presented by oil and gas companies at the round table discussion
“Biodiversity and Oil Production”. A major conclusion drawn from the round table was a
need to considerably refine the legal requirements to environmental terms of subsoil
user licenses, and also address the issue of recultivating oil polluted land, compensation
activities, and creating an environment for “peaceful coexistence” of energy facilities
and adjacent PA.
The round table “Biodiversity and Hydropower” was primarily set to discuss the
hydropower potential of the Amur Oblast, construction of the Lower Bureyskaya HPP
and its underlying environmental risks. Much attention was devoted to environmental
problems of the Volga‐Akhtubinsk floodplain and the need to regulate water discharge
of the Volga‐Kama hydropower cascade taking into account the biodiversity needs of
the Lower Volga. The round table participants agreed that any decisions to build new
HHP should be made with due account for the outcomes of strategic environmental and
ecosystemic services assessment, and also for the impact of hydropower construction
on the downstream pool and flood beds.
Biodiversity preservation in coal production was discussed as a separate problem
for the first time in Russia at the round table “Biodiversity and Coal Production”. A
major expert contribution to formulate urgent problems and find solution was made by
representatives of the Kemerovo Oblast, Russia’s major coal producing region, where
the need to address environmental protection problems is critically important. The most
important decisions of the round table concerned the need to: (а) perform an inventory
of the Russian biodiversity as a basis of public management for rational use of natural
15
resources; (b) enhance quality requirements to land restoration work and recultivation
methods; and (c) create “genetic deposits” of biodiversity in severely damages areas to
ensure natural restoration of damaged territories in the future.
The conference participants also supported the proposal to set up a nationwide
intersectoral platform “Business and Biodiversity” as a forum to develop comprehensive
approaches to biodiversity preservation which would address the needs of domestic
production companies and provide a complementary tool to implement the National
Strategy and Action Plan for biodiversity preservation in Russia. The early stage of the
work to set up the nationwide platform “Business and Biodiversity” is scheduled for
2015.
In the reporting period, apart from the conference, the following events were
organised under the project to update the biodiversity preservation issues and present
the project outcomes:
International conference “Problems of Regulatory Support for Biodiversity
Preservation and Restoration in the Process of Economic Activities” Moscow, Federation
Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, 27 February 2014;
Sectoral workshop “Regulatory Support of Biodiversity Preservation in Coal
Producing Regions”, Kemerovo, 27‐28 March 2014;
Field meeting “Biodiversity Preservation in Industrially Developed Regions”
Kemerovo Oblast, Belovo District, Belovo, 3‐4 June 2014;
Round table “Biodiversity Preservation in Process of Development of Oil
and Gas Fields in the North Caspian Region” held as part of the Caspian Day – 2014,
Astrakhan, 13 August 2014;
Round table “Oil Company Experience of Monitoring and Reducing Impact
on Marine Mammals” held as part of the VIIIth International Conference “Holarctic
Marine Mammals”, Saint‐Petersburg, 23 September 2014;
Workshop “Regional Aspects of Biodiversity Preservation in Implementing
Energy Projects”, Yuzhno‐Sakhalinsk, 24‐26 November 2014;
Workshop “Towards Social Dialogue Between the Business and Indigenous
Population”, Moscow, 22 December 2014.
Moreover, in 2014 the project’s current outcomes were presented at numerous
international workshops and conferences. The project staff, consultants and partners
presented their reports on biodiversity preservation issues in process of implementing
energy projects at:
International Research Conference “Legal Regulation of Natural Resource
Management: Comprehensive Approach” organised by the Institute for Legislation and
Comparative Legal Studies under the Russian Government (Moscow, 11 April 2014);
16
16th International Industrial Research Forum “Great Rivers” (Nizhny
Novgorod, 13‐16 May 2014);
Meeting of an environmental commission organised by the “Svobodnaya
Rossia” faction at the Federation Council of the State Duma to discuss the concepts of
environmental industrial policies developed by the RUIE (Moscow, 21 May 2014);
All‐Russia Conference “Development of the North and Nature Restoration
Problems” (Syktyvkar, 27‐29 May 2014);
Workshop “Improving Environmental Regulation” organised by the MNR
Russia (Moscow, 3 June 2014);
Session of the standing commission of the Interparliamentary Assembly for
agricultural policies, natural resources and environment (Cholpon‐Ata, Kyrgyzstan, 26‐
27 June 2014);
IVth International Research Conference “Environmental Situation of the
Pechora Region” – “EcoPechora‐2014” (Naryan‐Mar, 16‐17 October 2014);
Workshop organised by the standing commission of the Interparliamentary
Assembly for agricultural policies, natural resources and environment to discuss draft
model laws (Saint‐Petersburg, 24 October 2014);
IInd International Arctic Legal Forum “Legal Aspects of Preservation and
Sustainable Development of the Arctic” (Saint‐Petersburg, 12‐15 November 2014);
Research meeting “Urgent Issues of Biodiversity Preservation in Regions of
the Russian Federation” organised by the MNR RF (Moscow, 18 November 2014);
All‐Russia Conference “Improving the Efficiency of Water Bioresources
Preservation Policies” (Zvenigorod, 19‐21 November 2014).
International Research Conference “Open Arctic” held as part of the Days
of the Arctic (Moscow, 20 November 2014);
Meeting of the section “Regulatory Support of Ecology and Environmental
Protection” of the Expert Council under the Committee for Food Policies and Natural
Resources Management of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly (Moscow, 28
November 2014);
Meeting of the Supreme Environmental Council, State Duma Committee
for Natural Resources, Natural Management and Ecology held to discuss environmental
safety issues of oil spill removal operations (05 December 2014);
Extended meeting of the Supreme Environmental Council “Improving Legal
Regulation in Implementing Federal Law No. 219‐FZ “On Amending the Federal Law “On
Environmental Protection” and Specific Regulations of the Russian Federation”
(Moscow, 15 December 2014);
IInd Russian Industrial & Environmental Forum “ROSPROMECO” (Moscow,
16 December 2014), and others.
17
(k) Under the 2014 Project budget, the total amount of costs was planned at USD
1,221,800. As of 17 December 2014, all project costs totalled USD 1,164,348.45. Thus,
95 percent of the project’s planned budget was expended. The total amount of costs
may grow to some extent by March 2015 when the actual cost data is received from the
project’s Executing Agency.
The funds were expended to make payments under the contracts aimed at
implementing the project’s objectives and signed on a tender basis with both legal
entities and individuals.
In the reporting period, the following staff was employed for the project: chief
technical consultant, biodiversity consultant, Amur Oblast & NAO regional coordinators.
(l) The project performance in 2014 can be generally recognised as good. The 2014
Work Plan of the project was performed to 80 percent, with 20 percent of outstanding
activities largely regarding the hydropower component (a number of objectives did not
demonstrate adequate potential when analysed in detail while a part of activities were
rescheduled to 2015) and coal component where three activities were also rescheduled
to 2015. A 95 percent performance of the financial plan with a 100 percent target for
2014 based on the finalised outcomes became possible because all demo activities set
for the oil component in early 2014 were launched strictly on schedule and content‐
specific stages including field work were performed already in the reporting period.
In the course of the annual performance assessment by the Global Environmental
Fund, the project was recognised as “satisfactory” (which is the second best result after
“highly satisfactory”).
The 2015 Work Plan of the project provides for continuation of the current and
implementation of new activities including:
setting up the nationwide platform “Business and Biodiversity”;
developing tools for monitoring and identifying linkages between flooding
and biodiversity (for drafting proposals to regulate the Volga HHP discharges);
“Impact monitoring of BD trends in the regional zakaznik “Karakan Ridge”.
studying whether coal enrichment and processing waste (recultivants) are
suitable for biological recultivation of overburden rock dumps;
maintaining regeneration ecosystems in damaged land following success
of the self‐restoration stage;
creating the protected area of regional importance “Tuleniy Island Natural
Landmark” in the North Caspian.
In the course of drafting the first version of the 2015 Work Plan, the promising
activities identified by the project included taimen monitoring in the Sakhalin Oblast,
GIS‐based vulnerability mapping for the Sakhalin Oblast and Volgograd Oblast, and also
developing specific GIS instruments for the Amur Oblast. Meanwhile, due to complexity
18
and high cost of this work, and also a need to incorporate the created GIS into balance
sheets of end beneficiaries, the issue of expediency of including this work into project
activities should be discussed specifically at the project Steering Committee’s meeting in
absentia.
It is proposed to hold the project Steering Committee’s meeting in absentia to
approve this report and the 2015 work plan in the period from 23 December 2014 to 31
January 2015.
Corporate contribution to the Project in 2014.
1. Contribution of oil companies
to the UNDP/GEF‐RF MNR Project in 2014
One of the Project’s topmost priorities is to introduce BD conservation principles in
the operations of Russian oil producing companies. In 2014, the Project’s main partners
in this area were Lukoil, Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Ltd., and SN‐Invest.
LUKOIL, OAO, and its subsidiaries
In March 2014, before the start of the field season, the Project held a working
meeting with Lukoil’s Department for Industrial Safety, Ecology and Research; the
meeting discussed the Project’s aims and purposes in the oil and gas sector of the
energy industry, the plans for the coming years and ToRs for particular project activities.
The work plan for 2014 was coordinated with the Lukoil management, and the ToR
forwarded to the subsidiaries. According to the joint decision of the meeting, the
Company instructed its subsidiaries to establish demo sites where the Project could
monitor methods of land recultivation and of waste processing, observe water flows in
the areas of oil extraction and transportation in the North, and to assist with
implementing the plan activities.
The subsidiary Lukoil‐Komi and Lukoil‐UsinskNeftegaz were directly involved in
providing proper sites in the NAO and the Republic of Komi for the survey aimed to
estimate the impact of land reclamation and oil sludge treatment technologies on
biodiversity. Working groups examined ca. 30 recultivation sites, sludge treatment sites
and adjacent areas.
In 2014, the area of the sludge treatment sites researched under the Project was 20
ha, and of the recultivation sites, 55 ha. Adjacent areas surveyed under the two projects
are 200 ha. The main sites where the works would continue in the next two years were
identified in the course of the survey.
In 2014, Lukoil‐Komi supported the research groups involved in field surveys (Polar
Fisheries and Oceanography Institute, Komi Institute of Biology, Research Institute for
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Vegetable Selection and Seep Production): provided them with means of transportation,
issued permits to enter hazardous facilities, offered assistance from representatives of
the Department for Industrial Safety, Ecology and Research, expediently shared archive
data on the sites under survey, and ensured well‐organised logistics of the field works.
This helped to ensure good working results quite quickly.
The final aim of these activities is to develop justified methods for biodiversity
monitoring at various working stages, such as long‐term planning after recovery works,
including monitoring operations in oil spill response plans and regulations on oil
company management, ensuring objective control on the part of nature protection
organisations, and to make these methods part of oil and gas companies’ everyday
practices. In its turn, Lukoil informed it wanted to implement the results of this work in
its operations.
Lukoil has been conducting BD conservation works in the Russian North‐East (Nenets
Autonomous Okrug and Republic of Komi) for over 15 years. In 2014, Lukoil‐Komi’s
expenses on rational use and protection of water resources in the Nenets Autonomous
Okrug and the Republic of Komi were RUB 116 million, including RUB 1.9 million on
artificial reproduction and release of 150 thousand whitefish (Coregonidae) hatchlings in
the Pechora basin.
Lukoil does not provide any direct funding for the Project’s demo activities at the
moment, but participates in the Project through its nature conservation programmes.
According to Lukoil’s Ecology Policy, in 2014 ornithofauna monitoring in various habitats
was carried out: on the Damchik test site in the Astrakhan Nature Reserve and on the
Small Zhemchuzhnyi island (to estimate the populations of the herring gull, great black‐
headed gull, Caspian tern, sandwich tern, great reed warbler, Dalmatian pelican,
common cormorant, hooded crow, sanderling, little stint, turnstone). The expenses
were RUB 3.8 million.
The same approach was used to do hydrobiology monitoring (in respect of: the
sturgeons in the area of the Korchagina and Filanovski oil field development: the
sturgeon, starred sturgeon, sterlet; marine fish crops; ichtyoplanctone; Caspian seal and
crayfish). The company’s contribution to these works were RUB 21.8 million. Lukoil‐
Nizhnevolzhskneft has been conducting offsetting activities (releasing sturgeon
hatchlings) and oil pollution control. Sea bed biostations have been installed and
operating on the Korchagina field. The Company provides the data obtained in the
above mentioned surveys as its contribution to the Project.
Joint discussions of international regulations, including those relating to the Tehran
convention are an important example of cooperation between the Project and Lukoil.
During the year the Company’s representatives delivered reports and actively
participated in discussions, conferences, working group meetings on BD in the oil and
gas sector initiated by the UNDP. Lukoil made a particularly important contribution to
20
the drafting of the “Compendium of State‐of‐the‐art Biodiversity Conservation Solutions
for the Oil Sector’ and the “Businessman’s Guide on Social Dialogue with Small
Indigenous Groups: an Algorithm”.
«Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd.»
In 2014, joint work with «Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd.» was conducted
along the following lines:
‐ Drafting BD Conservation Action Plan of the Sakhalin Oblast,
‐ Drafting “Guidelines on Monitoring of Large Cetaceans and a Set of Measures to
Reduce Human Impact on them in Course of Economic Operations on the Shelf of the
Seas in the Russian Far East”.
‐ Prepare the “Businessman’s Guide on Social Dialogue with Small Indigenous
Groups: an Algorithm”.
The contribution that Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd. made in the above
works was the content of the documents based on the Company’s unique experience in
BD conservation, establishing a dialogue with small indigenous people and integrating
the said issues into corporate policies. This experience has been helpful in course of
drafting BD Conservation Action Plan of the Sakhalin Oblast, as well as for other entities
of Russia.
During the year the Company’s representatives delivered reports in all the
discussions, workshops and conferences proposed by the Project that were related to
the oil and gas sector, and BD conservation both on Sakhalin and in Moscow.
The workshop “Regional Aspects of BD Conservation in Energy Projects” was held in
Yuzhno‐Sakhalinsk in November 2014 with close participation of Sakhalin Energy
Investment Company, Ltd. that undertook all logistics and financial issues. In course of
active experience sharing, workshop participants from different regions supported new
areas of the Project’s activities on the island, in particular: drafting the regional
regulation on acceptance of oil polluted land, and conducting trainings on oil sludge
processing and recultivation.
Preparation of regulations on permissible residual oil and oil transformation product
content (PROC) for the Sakhalin Oblast, carried out jointly by the Ecoterra Expert
Analysis Centre for Environment Protection (on behalf of Sakhalin Oblast and Exxon
Neftegaz Ltd.) In view of the diversity of soils and climatic conditions on the island, the
issue of developing a regulatory framework on land recultivation and acceptance is
quite acute because there is a risk that the soils are contaminated with hydrocarbons. In
this connection the energy companies’ initiative to develop PROC regulations for the
Sakhalin Oblast is a significant and important beginning of large‐scale work aimed at
introducing a regulated system of environment protection in the region. In 2014, the
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Project issued an independent official opinion about the draft regulations; the work will
continue in 2015.
Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Ltd. does not provide any direct funding for
the Project’s demo activities at the moment, but participates in the Project through its
indicator species conservation programmes. The total financing of the above
programmes was RUB 64 million in 2014, including monitoring of the Sakhalin taimen
(RUB 1,295,160), Steller’s sea eagle (RUB 2,623,700), and the grey whale (RUB
60,135,160).
The Company annually provides to the Project data on the population of the above‐
mentioned species in the monitoring areas, and other materials, and in course of its
daily operations prepares expert evaluations of the Project’s future activities and
proposals. Major activities related to the conservation of the Project’s indicator species
on the island include a meeting of the Advisory Group on West Pacific Grey Whales at
the International Union for Conservation of Nature held in Yuzhno‐Sakhalinsk for the
first time, which discussed the outcomes of grey whale monitoring in 2013 and plans for
their further research and restoration of their population.
Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Ltd. plays an important role in preparation of
the “Businessman’s Guide on Social Dialogue with Small Indigenous Groups: an
Algorithm”. In view of the company’s globally recognised experience in establishing a
dialogue with indigenous people, the Project turned to the Company with a proposal to
oversee the Guide drafting process. The company welcomed this proposal; this will
allow the Project add a practical aspect to the Guide, which is so much in demand with
the Russian business community.
Demonstrating an example of successful cooperation with the Project, Sakhalin
Energy Investment Company, Ltd., encourages other stakeholders to join in the
partnership; as a result, an agreement on cooperation with both large and small energy
companies of Sakhalin, and the regional ministries is being drafted at the moment.
Following the example of Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Ltd., another big
company, Gazprom Extraction Shelf Yuzhno‐Sakhalinsk, showed interest in the Project’s
activities, willing to work on its Sakhalin taimen (the Project’s indicator species)
conservation programme .
In conclusion it should be noted that the Project’s work with the Sakhalin oil and gas
companies would not have brought any fruit without the support on the part of the
regional authorities. The Project was supported by the Ecology Board at the Sakhalin
Oblast governor’s administration and by the standing Working Expert Group for
Biodiversity at the Board that since 2013 has become the forum where the Project’s
current activities and plans are discussed and where companies can express their
opinions, comment and make proposals.
22
SN‐Invest
Stage one of the works on background BD assessment of nature complexes; prepare
and introduce a system of monitoring of ecosystems damaged by exploration work on
NAO deposits in the previous years was completed in 2014. During this stage, SN‐Invest
provided a site in its operating area on the Kumzhinskoye field. A BD monitoring
programme was drafted and handed over for implementation in the system of nature
protection operations on the Kumzhinskoye field in SN‐Invest’s operating areas.
As a final outcome of this work, data for BD monitoring programmes for exploration
sites will be obtained and summarised (current exploration work and work in the past
years) for the Nenets Autonomous Okrug climate under key parameters such as
indicator flora and fauna species, and possible trends for BD restoration in damaged and
polluted ecosystems, including ecosystems i n PAs. However, SN‐Invest did not
participate in co‐financing the Project’s works in 2014.
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2. Contribution of hydropower companies
to the UNDP/GEF‐RF MNR Project in 2014
In 2014, the Project's hydropower component focused on opening a demo site in the
Amur Oblast and making arrangements for its efficient work.
RusHydro and the Lower Bureyskaya HPP
In 2014, the Project held a series of consultations with RusHydro’s subsidiary Lower
Bureyskaya HPP, which has been constructing a large HPP in the Amur Oblast and
making arrangements for the design of the Lower Zeyskaya HPP, and secured support
for the Project’s activities in the Amur Oblast. In course of this work Lower Bureyskaya
HPP provided access to its archives, design and working materials to help with drafting
an work plan. Lower Bureyskaya HPP has been granting logistics and transportation
support. It is important to note the HPP’s support in establishing contacts with the Amur
Oblast authorities.
As a result of establishing a demo site in the Amur Oblast, the Project, Lower
Bureyskaya HPP, Department for Conservation and Management of Items of Fauna and
the Amur Oblast PAs, and the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Amur Oblast entered
into an agreement for conservation of biodiversity in course of Lower Bureyskaya HPP
construction.
In September 2014, the Project, together with the Lower Bureyskaya HPP, started
adjusting the work plan for the Amur Oblast and worked out a Matrix for segregation of
duties on conservation and offsetting activities in the animal and plant world in course
of Lower Bureyskaya HPP construction. At the moment, the Matrix has been signed by
all the parties and is being implemented. In particular, as part of the segregation of
duties, the Project continued the previously suspended establishment of the Bureyski
Nature Park, which had been proposed by the Lower Bureyskaya HPP as an offsetting
activity but never completed. As part of this work, Lower Bureyskaya HPP provided
documents and transport for the public hearings discussing the establishment of the
Bureyski Nature Park PA. A bus was provided to transport participants from the town of
Blagoveschensk and from the Arkharinski district to the Novobureyski settlement. The
Lower Bureyskaya HPP management also participated in the public hearings and
supported the Project and its initiatives.
At the same time, Lower Bureyskaya HPP spent ca. RUB 9.5 million in 2014 on the
environmental part of the socio‐ecological monitoring programme and provided the
Project access to the monitoring outcomes. The HPP’s socio‐ecomonitoring programme
totalled RUB 30 million in the 2012‐2014 period. At the same time, Lower Bureyskaya
HPP decided to continue the socio‐ecomonitoring in the years 2015‐2016 and requested
24
the Project to offer its proposals to the draft ToR. Around RUB 20 million have been
allocated for this part of the monitoring work, including RUB 15 million to be spent on
the ecology chapter.
In addition, Lower Bureyskaya HPP agreed to provide off‐road vehicles for offsetting
operations and field surveys in the HPP’s impact area.
Lower Bureyskaya HPP provides special vehicles and permits to enter its sites in the
Amur Oblast. Lower Bureyskaya HPP supported the initiative to resume the work of the
Interdepartmental committee for BD conservation and PAs of the Amur Oblast and
proposed to create a special Working group in this committee to deal with offsetting
measures in course of the HPP construction. The company helped to carry out an
informal evaluation of Lower Bureyskaya and Lower Zeyskaya HPPs’ compliance with
the sustainable development criteria (provided means of transportation,
accommodations, premises for interviews, as well as gave access to its archives and
working documentation). Evaluation results were handed over the company’s relevant
departments for analysis; possible formal evaluation that would definitely include
preparation is considered.
It should be noted that the government of the Amur Oblast requested the Project for
assistance in developing the project cost estimate documentation required to build the
Bureyski Nature Park facilities (including building and equipping two cordons), and
Lower Bureyskaya HPP undertook in this connection to finance the development. The
cost of work is approximately RUB 5 million.
Over the year since the beginning of the joint work (the first meeting took place on
29 January, 2014), the relations have been fruitful and constructive, and Lower
Bureyskaya HPP has contributed significantly to a quick and efficient start of works on
the demo site.
The Project has also been in close contact with RusHydro’s Executive Administration,
which carries out management functions and determines strategic, technical and
political vectors of the hydropower sector development. In this respect, the company’s
contribution to the drafting of the “Compendium of State‐of‐the‐art Biodiversity
Conservation Solutions for the Hydropower Sector” should be noted in connection with
their proposals on the practices and with the reviews of the document in course of its
preparation. RusHydro also provided assistance with making a good quality layout of the
document. The company provided access to the outcomes of monitoring surveys of the
environment, its archives and information materials, as well as to a database of
RusHydro’s standards and design documents of the Kankun HPP, Lower Bureyskaya HPP,
Lower‐Zeyskaya HPP and Cheboksarskaya HPP. On the Project’s proposal, RusHydro
agreed to draft the chapter on BD conservation as part of the preparation of project
cost estimate documentation on building the Cheboksarskaya HPP up to the design
mark of the normal water level of 68 metres.
25
RusHydro also invited Project experts to take part in drafting a new version of the
Company ecology policies. On the Project’s proposals, the Company also started
working with NGOs and the public, and to participate in public ecology‐related activities,
including the international conference “Biodiversity and Business. Approaches and
Solutions”, where the Company’s representatives delivered five reports.
RusHydro actively participates in promoting the Methodology for Evaluation of HPP
Project Compliance with Sustainable Development Criteria, which provides for
introducing biodiversity conservation principles in the hydropower sector. Following an
informal evaluation, the Company agreed to have the results of the informal evaluation
of Lower Bureyskaya and Lower Zeyskaya HPP Projects’ compliance with sustainable
development criteria translated into English and to submit these results to the
International Hydropower Association. Furthermore, the Company staff participated in
drafting, jointly with the WWF and the Project, the article “Methodology for evaluation
of HPP project compliance with sustainable development criteria” (published in the
Sustainable Development bulletin). The Company participated in preparing a joint letter
to the RF authorities on the results of testing the Methodology for evaluation of HPP
project compliance with sustainable development criteria, supporting the Project’s
initiative.
Company experts prepared a number of statements on the testing results and other
Project works. RusHydro provides publicity support for the Project’s work in the mass
media and through its PR Department, prepared news releases on the Project’s
activities and articles for corporate media resources.
The outcomes of work with RusHydro’s Executive Administration can be considered
quite good, in particular if we consider the Company’s closed nature in respect of
environmental activities and public relations before RusHydro became a partner in the
UNDG/GEF ‐ RF MNR project. The contribution that the Company’s Executive
Administration made to the Project consists in supporting the Project at the strategic
planning and corporate governance levels, which ensured implementation of Project
results at the corporate policies level and allowed conducting demo activities jointly
with the Holding’s subsidiaries.
26
3. Contribution of Coal Mining Companies
to the UNDP/GEF/ RF MNR Project in 2014
In 2014, one of the key Project activities was the cooperation with coal mining
companies in the Project target areas in the Kemerovo Oblast and Khakassia.
The challenge was in the coal industry economic problems due to the coal market
price drop and the overall decline in product sales. That is why the coal companies of
Kuzbass and Khakassia were not generally interested in cooperation with the Project.
The exception was Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya coal mining company, which at the time of
the Project implementation had already made certain achievements in terms of offset
activities. Thus, in 2011, the Company followed the public opinion and offered its lands
for creation of the Karakan Ridge regional zakaznik PA, which became the first area in
the oblast where the unique steppe landscape is under governmental protection.
Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya coal mining company was the first coal company to sign the
Agreement on cooperation with the Project and the Kemerovo Oblast Administration,
followed by other three Kuzbass companies: SDS‐Ugol, SUEK‐Kuzbass and Yuzhny
Kuzbass. In Khakassia, cooperation was built with SUEK‐Khakassia. Throughout 2014, 5
Agreements were signed with coal mining companies in key Project areas.
It should be noted that the BD conservation principle "Prevent ‐ Reduce ‐ Restore ‐
Offset" used to be neglected by the Russian coal companies, the soil reclamation
technologies not only evade the issue of BD restoration on affected lands but contradict
it.
In order to implement the basic BD conservation principles in coal companies and to
radically change the approaches to mining and land reclamation, project targets were
coordinated with the executives of the partner companies. In 2014, within the
framework of the Agreements, the Companies signed as many as four survey contracts
in addition to the Project cooperation tasks. In is worth mentioning that under the
current laws, BD conservation by coal companies is the goodwill of their owners, who
individually choose to what extent the expert recommendations should be followed.
Regional public authorities and federal environmental services often have no access to
the information on the presence, dispersal, and population density of rare and
endangered plants and animals, so permits are issued to coal companies under the
assumption that no rare species inhabit the area in question.
All the coal mining companies that became official partners of the Project, in the
beginning of 2014, we were invited to join the Coal Component Working Group, which
includes not only the senior environmental engineers of the companies, but also the
production officers (Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya coal mining company, SUEK‐Kuzbass).
Production Manager of Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya coal mining company A.A. Poklonov
joined the Project Steering Committee as a Coal Energy Industry representative. The
27
coal companies' officers – members of the Coal Component WG – actively participate in
the meetings, discuss the issues on the agenda and make proposals in the resolutions.
The close involvement in cooperation with the Project is demonstrated in the
partners' participation in the 1st International Conference 'Business and Biodiversity:
Problems and Solutions' including their roundtable reports on given subjects. The
reports and discussions showed that the advanced BD conservation methods in the coal
industry are only implemented on the key Project platforms in Russia, mainly in the
Kemerovo Oblast.
The Project partners were actively involved in filling the "Compendium of State‐of‐
the‐art Biodiversity Conservation Solutions for the Coal Mining Sector" that
encompasses data from the coal companies and their experience in biomonitoring, pre‐
project land survey, integrated land reclamation practices, etc.
The total funding by 2017 in the framework of the Agreements, amounted to RUB
11 million. In 2014, RUB 4 million were invested into the implementation of the BD
conservation principles.
Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya coal mining company
Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya coal mining company carries out long‐term operations
under two survey agreements: (a) Mining and ecological phytobiocenoses monitoring
and BD trends in the mining impact area of the he Karakan Ridge for a regular
processing operation cycle and forecasting of dangerous situations, as well as for
enhancement of measures intended for flora restoration and protection, RUB 500,000
per year and (b) Environment pollution assessment in terms of biological resources in
the mining impact area, as well as on the Karakan Ridge with a possibility for the
Contractor to schedule the development of the above‐mentioned areas with the
implementation of the rehabilitation program for the amount of RUB 1 million per year.
To perform one of the projects the Company provided and prepared a rock pile
platform for a test range, where in two years new herbage ecosystem recovery
technologies will be developed by the Project under a contract with the non‐
governmental environmental organization KREOO Irbis having a vast experience in
collaboration with coal mining companies in design and practical application.
In the end of 2014, Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya coal mining company obtained ISO
14001 certificate. In this process, one of the key factors was the cooperation of
Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya coal mining company with the Project and implementation of
joint activities. It is evident that the Project has created new opportunities for
development of an advanced corporate environmental policy in the company.
SDS‐Ugol
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The young coal mining company SDS‐Ugol became a good partner and was the first
among coal mining companies to implement pre‐project land survey for coal mining.
Under the Agreement environment and BD monitoring in the coal mining areas of
Istokskiy opencast coal mine is carried out by SDS‐Ugol, with the volume of three‐year
funding of RUB 3.6 million. In the first year of field work allowed to identify populations
of rare regional Red Book plants in the impact area of the future opencast coal mine. In
the correspondence with the company executives, it was agreed that the rare flora
species conservation measures would be implemented before stripping in their habitats.
SUEK‐Kuzbass
SUEK‐Kuzbass coal mining company mainly engaged in underground coal mining
installed an advanced highly efficient mine water treatment system on one of their
facilities. In order to estimate the level and the nature of the treatment plants impact on
the river system condition of the hydrobiont diversity, the project "Development of
monitoring programs and biodiversity monitoring in the construction and operation
area of the Ruban Main Mine" is pending implementation and is covered by a two‐year
agreement with the annual funding of RUB 980,000.
SUEK‐Khakassia
The second key area, in the Republic of Khakassia, cooperation was built with SUEK‐
Khakassia, which under the Agreement with the Khakassia Institute of Agricultural
Problems is working on the "Study of the efficiency of energy saving technologies in
their industrial application and of the impact by opencast coal mines on the sanitation
and protection areas at SUEK‐Khakassia facilities" at one of its leading entities,
'Chernogorskiy' Open Mine. The funding in 2013‐2015 amounted to annual RUB
2,500,000. This Agreement aims at development of efficient vegetation recovery
technologies in opencast mines in dry climate conditions. The results of operations in
2013 will be analyzed in the 'Recommendations on reclamation activities at the coal
mining companies of Khakassia'. SUEK‐Khakassia executives offer valuable assistance to
the researchers providing a free access to their processing facilities and providing
equipment for creation of the relief forms determined in the experiment program. They
purchase young trees and shrubs for the tests.
In general, the successful cooperation of the Project with coal mining companies are
the product of the joint efforts of the Project team and the significant contribution of
the Kemerovo Oblast Administration, who widely support the main focus of the project
and participate in all its phases the implementation of the results. It is quite certain that
in the past year, the Kuzbass coal‐mining companies gained broad experience in BD
conservation and proved that it is applicable to coal mining activities. The Project made
29
it possible to establish a dialogue between the coal companies, the society and the
scientific circles, to compromise and to gain tangible benefits, trust and respect. Coal
companies' executives acknowledged that the efficiency of BD conservation activities
does not cost countless millions, but can bring valuable environmental benefits.
30
Outcomes of Component 1 Legal, regulatory and institutional base prepared supporting implementation of BD
conservation principles in economic activity norms in the oil and gas, hydropower, and
coal sectors.
Prepared by: Cand.Sc (Law) O.N. Kuznetsova
Head of Work Group, Cand.Sc (Biology) V.A. Orlov,
BD Conservation Project Consultant
Environment‐ and natural resources‐oriented Russian laws are not coded in
relation to BD conservation and sustainable use.
That is why, in practice, the BD conservation activities including business
initiatives in the sector conventionally consist in the organization and development of
the protected areas system on various levels and in various categories, fauna and flora
protection, primarily, when it comes to rare and endangered species of animals, plants
and mushrooms.
Moreover, the regulations and decisions of the BD Convention developed after
the Convention adoption, the international and industry corporate BD conservation
requirements and standards for the energy sector form the necessary framework
conditions and methodological basis for BD conservation principles in the oil and coal
industry, as well as hydropower, highlighting the broader socio‐economic context of the
challenge.
The basis for the integration of this Project component into the general BD
conservation policy and practices in Russia is the Russian National Biodiversity Strategy
(2001) as amended based on the BD Convention Strategic Plan for 2011‐2020 and the
BD conservation and sustainable use tasks undertaken in Aichi in 2010.
In this regard, this Project component is important for the creation of national
and regional institutional base, not only for minimization of direct loads on the BD, but
also for reduction of indirect adverse factors caused by the energy sector and for
elimination of the basic causes of BD loss.
Given the above, in 2014 the work on this Project component had three main
directions:
1. Support, implementation and quality coordination of regional legislative
initiatives aimed at enhancement of the conventional territorial forms of BD
conservation on demo areas, moreover, keeping in mind the prospects for federal
legislation reforms in this field, building of framework legal regulations within the
corresponding CIS Model Law.
2. In view of the importance of the ongoing process of review and update of the
National BD Conservation Strategy and action plan and the urgency of developing the
31
approaches for creation of a sustainable regional BD conservation and sustainable use
policy and practice on demo areas, support was provided to the development of a
regional component of the above Strategy and related regional long‐term planning
documents were scheduled for development in two pilot regions (Sakhalin Oblast and
Volgograd Oblast).
3. Owing to the need in development and implementation of new innovative
approaches to BD conservation and sustainable use, especially in the energy sector, a
methodical basis for the ecosystem service economy was built, including in terms of cost
estimation for ecosystem services in the practice of Russian energy sector companies.
Based on the demo area experience for all the Project components the real potential
of the regions was taken into consideration when developing a system‐forming unit, as
well as the model regions' understanding of the significance of the activities within this
component.
The specific contents of the above activities in terms of the Project tasks and results
are as follows:
The following instruments were produced:
1) The concept of the standard format of the Regional state policy basics and
Action Plan in BD conservation and sustainable use was sent as decided by the Russian
Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology in an official letter to the WWF for use in the
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, as well as the fifth National Report (as a
follow‐up of the BD Convention).
2) The concept of the BD conservation action plan for the Sakhalin Oblast (second
stage commissioned, prepared by: the Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics, Far
Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences).
3) the draft CIS Model Law “On Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration”‐ was
approved on October 23, 2014 by the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Agrarian
Policy, Natural Resources and Ecology and handed over to relevant committees of the
Parliaments of the CIS countries. The law as amended after the review is pending
approval by the second quarter 2015.
4) the draft of Methodology for Calculation of the Damage inflicted to the
Kemerovo Oblast Red Book animals, plants, and their habitats due to violations of the
law on environment protection and nature management and the draft resolution of
Board of the Kemerovo Oblast Administration on approval of this Methodology were
enclosed with an official letter to the Department of Natural Resources and
Environment of the Kemerovo Oblast; the document is pending approval by the public
authorities of the Kemerovo Oblast.
5) the Draft Law of the Astrakhan Oblast “On Particular Issues of Legal Regulation
of Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation in the Astrakhan Oblast” was
presented at the meeting of the working group focused on the improvement of
32
environmental laws, created by the Decree of the Government of the Astrakhan Oblast
d.d. 12.04.2013 No. 163‐Pr adopted by the Astrakhan Oblast Duma on 11.11.2014 and
signed by the Governor of the Astrakhan Oblast.
6) The draft law of the Amur Oblast "On protected areas of the Amur Oblast" ‐
the amendments were submitted to the Legislative Assembly of the Amur Oblast and
adopted by the said Assembly (included in the text of the law) to 90%. The Law 417‐OZ
d.d. 07.10.2014 was adopted and is in effect.
An important aspect in creation of the framework BD conservation legislation is
the Project of support of preparation and adoption of the CIS Model Law “On
Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration”. In this law, the national and foreign BD
conservation and restoration legislation base is analyzed and on this basis, the text of
the draft model law chapters was written. This law forms the approaches to the creation
of the BD conservation and restoration legislation base, including in the Russian
Federation.
The first version of the draft law was approved in October 2014 at the meeting of
the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Agrarian Policy, Natural Resources and Ecology
and forwarded to the relevant committees of the CIS countries' parliaments. In 2015‐
2016, the second and third version of the draft law will be prepared and will undergo
expert evaluation by the relevant committees of the CIS countries' parliaments. The law
as amended after the review is pending adoption by the fourth quarter 2016.
Adoption of this Law will have the following results:
1) a legal basis for the development and adoption of a special BD conservation
law in Russia based on the CIS model law will be created;
2) the laws prescribe obligations on funding and implementation of BD
conservation activities for energy companies;
3) liability of energy companies for non‐performance of BD conservation
activities or a refusal to fund them will stimulate the companies to conform to the
regulations.
Fig.2. Discussion of the CIS Model Law “On Biodiversity Conservation”,
Saint‐Petersburg, October 23, 2012; Cholpon‐Ata.
33
The main Project target is to support the development and implementation of
regional BD conservation action plans. Regional BD conservation action plans must be
aligned with the key activities, ways and methods of their implementation, responsible
parties, control over the activities and the BD condition before and after these
initiatives, as well as the financing sources and patterns.
In the pilot mode, the Plan is developed within the Project for the Sakhalin
Oblast. Currently, the survey "The Concept of the Biodiversity Conservation Action for
the Sakhalin Oblast" is in progress, the development of the Plan Concept involved all the
interested persons of the Sakhalin Oblast. In 2015, this work will resume.
In 2015, preparation of the BD Conservation and Sustainable Use Action Plan for
the Volgograd Oblast was scheduled the integration of the BD conservation and
sustainable use component into the Socio‐Economic Development Strategy of the
Volgograd Oblast and its main branches. A special emphasis in the Plan will be made on
the Lower Volga region. A preliminary discussion of the draft Concept and its objectives
took place in the end of 2013 at the work meeting of the Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment of the Volgograd Oblast with the participation of the Ministry
employees, as well as officers and employees of the regional PAs, and business
representatives. In December 2014, a meeting on the draft Concept discussion and
coordination was held.
Implementation of the regional BD conservation plans will expand the area of the
restored territories that deteriorated due to energy companies' activities. Regional plans
are long‐term strategic documents intended for a specific BD conservation result, that is
why the Plans contribute to the achievement of all Project Structure Result indicators.
Throughout the reporting period, the work with the regional environmental
legislation of coal mining regions included the preparation of the draft Methodology for
Calculation of the Damage inflicted to the Kemerovo Oblast Red Book animals, plants,
and their habitats due to violations of the law on environment protection and nature
management and the draft resolution of Board of the Kemerovo Oblast Administration
on approval of this Methodology.
The Methodology allows to:
1) raise the degree of the energy companies' responsibility for damage inflicted
on the Kemerovo Oblast Red Book flora and fauna species if there are habitats affected
by the activities of these companies;
2) select the public entity responsible for control over the compensation
activities (remedial in kind or a monetary compensation);
3) set forth the procedure for remedial or compensation measures.
Besides, the inclusion of the Methodology in the laws of the Kemerovo Oblast
can have a preventive influence, enabling to avoid inflicting damage on the Kemerovo
34
Oblast Red Book animals and plants. Energy companies, aware of the applicability of this
Methodology to their business will avoid inflicting damage.
Fig. 3. Kemerovo Oblast Red Book flora and fauna species (yellow water lily, hybrid peony, and osprey).
The demonstration platform of the Project's oil component in Astrakhan Oblast
hosted the activities on preparation of the Draft Law of the Astrakhan Oblast “On
Particular Issues of Legal Regulation of Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation in the Astrakhan Oblast” (adopted, entering into effect on 01.01.2015).
This law was the first time at the regional legislation level to formalize the
'biodiversity' concept and to underline the necessity in keeping the Register of plants,
animals and other species inhabiting a particular area by means performing BD
monitoring.
Every year, by September 1 of the year following the reporting year, local
government of municipal districts (urban districts) submit registers of plants, animals
and other species to the relevant public entity.
By November 1 of the year following the reporting year, public entity produces a
consolidated register of plants, animals and other species inhabiting the Astrakhan
Oblast, and publishes it on the official website in the Internet. The Consolidated Register
of Plants, Animals and Other Species must be used as a reference when estimating the
damage inflicted on the environment.
Thus, an information base will be created to provide data on the habitat of
specific fauna and flora species. Based on this information, decisions can be taken in
respect of restoration activities, provision and refusal to provide land for use, and other
governance decisions.
The demonstration platform of the Project's hydropower component in the Amur
Oblast hosted the activities on support of the adoption of a regional PA law, which was
important in terms of creation of regional significance PAs as the compensation
measure in the construction of hydroelectric power station in the Amur Oblast. Owing
to the changes in the federal legislation, amendments were needed in regional laws,
35
which was crucial for further development of the regional significance PA network. At
the same time, PA creation upon the construction of the Lower Bureyskaya HPP is one
of the central compensatory initiatives, that is why, the Project was part in the
finalization of the draft regional PA law in the Amur Oblast and required its urgent
adoption.
The Law 417‐OZ of the Amur Oblast "On protected areas of the Amur Oblast" was
adopted on 07.10.2014 and is in effect.
The contribution of the Project lies in the viable proposals and commentary on
the law. In particular, the proposals were about:
1) correction of the draft law preamble, which was complemented with the main
purpose of its adoption ‐ the conservation of biological diversity as the key feature of
the environment, which is essential for life on the planet;
2) corrections of the regulations on the change of boundaries, the recovery of
regional and local significance PAs ‐ including for minimization of the flooded areas
during HPP construction.
Hence, the list of grounds for changing the PA boundaries in the Amur Oblast, on
the one hand, will not allow an unreasonable PA shrinkage, including for expansion of
the BD adverse HPP areas, on the other hand ‐ should efficient governance decisions be
needed ‐ to merge several PAs into one enhancing the protection regime. A stricter PAs
protection mode will help to minimize harmful impacts on biodiversity by hydropower
facilities.
Parallel to the work with the regional legislation, in 2014 the Project initiated a
public discussion of legal regulation of reclamation of affected and contaminated lands
at the federal level. In particular, work was done on the draft Order of the Ministry of
Nature of Russia "On Approval of the Recommendations for the Development of Land
Reclamation Projects", which has provisions for BD conservation for coal mining and
other energy companies. The draft Order was published by the Russian Ministry of
Natural Resources and Ecology on the official portal of legal information
regulation.gov.ru as developed by the Ministry for public discussion.
The Project initiated a discussion and after the consideration of the draft order at
meetings in the public entities, it was decided to transform the instrument into the draft
resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation "On the procedure for
determining the requirements for land and area reclamation". The Project prepared
proposals for the draft resolution, the work will resume in 2015.
36
Outcomes of Component 2 "Demonstrate the principle "Prevent ‐ Reduce ‐ Restore ‐ Offset" in the oil and gas
sector"
Prepared by: Cand.Sc. (Tech.), V.L. Vasilevskiy,
Head of Work Group, M.Y. Markarova,
Cand.Sc. (Biology) Project Consultant on BD conservation
in oil and gas industry
During the reporting period, extensive work was done for preparation of the first
version one of the “Compendium of Biodiversity Conservation Innovative Solutions for
the Oil Sector” (by FRECOM). Due to the large volumes of work the initial deadline of
preparation of the Compendium scheduled for October 2014, were moved to February
2015.
The Compendium includes practical proposals, situational and innovative BD
conservation solutions; demonstration of examples of minimization of the negative
impacts on biodiversity due to the new technologies; the practices cost‐benefit analysis
and BD conservation technologies.
The requirements of the effective contract provide for work on the structural
organization and filling of the chapters and units of the Compendium according to the
best BD conservation practices in the oil and gas industry. On the side of the Project, in
order to address the challenges of this initiative materials on land reclamation and oil
waste disposal technologies were developed and handed over to the Contractor (M.Y.
Markarova), and an overview of previously not‐translated international guidelines,
methodologies, standards, and descriptions of advanced practices (case studies) on
biodiversity conservation for the oil and gas industry (P.A. Makeyenko).
During the meetings of the expert group on the oil component, the contents of
the Compendium and the contents of each section were analyzed and discussed. The
result of the work on the Compendium in 2014 was version one of the Compendium
presented to the Project in the form of the second and third stage reports.
The Compendium of State‐of‐the‐art Solutions was presented throughout the
year on various discussion platforms, and the Compendium materials were presented at
the International Conference "Biodiversity and Business: Approaches and Solutions",
hosted by the Russian Ministry of Nature on October 2‐3, 2014; at the research and
practice workshop "Regional Aspects of Biodiversity Conservation in Energy Projects" in
Yuzhno‐Sakhalinsk (November 25‐26, 2014). After finalization of the materials, the
contractor scheduled the preparation of the printed and online versions of the
Compendium and its broad discussion with the publication on the Project's site.
37
In 2014, the background biodiversity assessment on the Kumzhinskoye field was
completed (2013‐2014), similar activities will be carried out on the Korovinskoye field in
2015. The result is the development and integration in the activities of oil companies of
systems of continuous monitoring of flora, vegetation, fauna and ornithofauna
biodiversity after exploration works and in PAs. Both deposits are located near the
Nenetski State Nature Reserve. The total area of operated land is 313 400 ha, the
water area is 181,900 ha. Here are the main ranges of regional endangered indicator
species, the Biodiversity Conservation Systems are implemented in PAs on the total
area of about 500 thousand ha.
Monitoring of the efficiency of various land reclamation techniques was initiated
with a view to conserve BD at oil and gas fields in the Republic of Komi and NAO The
focus is made on a comprehensive analysis of the results of hydrocarbon‐contaminated
land reclamation in areas of previously completed and ongoing reclamation in 2014‐
2016. The main result is the methodological guidelines on the criteria for selection of
the most efficient BD conservation technologies for land reclamation in the North and
proposals for oil companies in relation to OSR programs and land reclamation
monitoring from the perspective of BD conservation in the terrestrial ecosystems of the
North.
The results of field survey (by Institute for Computation Technologies of the
Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science) obtained in 2014 made it possible at
this stage to find the most efficient BD conservation and restoration technologies for
technical and biological reclamation of oil‐contaminated lands.
Among the technical reclamation methods, the most viable for BD conservation is
the identification of areas without water drainage and dredging techniques, among the
integrated methods aeration and bioprocessing stand out.
38
b1 b2
The area of recultivated areas and areas potentially covered by land reclamation was 2,700 ha
in 2014.
Assistance provided in developing the project cost estimate documentation for
elimination of natural challenged zones with a view to restore the environment and
renew BD on damaged and oil‐polluted areas (Sokolovskiye oil pits in the Privolzhski
district of the Astrakhan Oblast, prepared by the Astrakhan State Technical University).
In the Astrakhan Oblast, the current condition of the areas that accumulated
environmental damage of the past years was assessed in the area of oil waste disposal
in the Lower Volga region, the historical heritage are Sokolovskiye oil pits. In the course
of work waste accumulation areas were assessed, as well as the adjacent areas and the
impact on aquatic ecosystems of the Volga and Kizan rivers, whose shores have been
housing these facilities for more than 100 years.
The Project actively participates in the activities in the region and provides
advisory and coaching.
Fig. 5. Fragment of the bank slope adjacent to the
water edge of Kizan‐river with visible oil
contamination.
Fig. 6. Fragment of a recurrently flooded oil pit
section under a layer of sand.
Fig 4. b1‐ area before reclamation, b2 ‐ after reclamation by aeration and
bioprocessing in NAO.
39
Fig. 7. Fragment of the crumbling shore near
Sokolovskiye oil pits' sludge collector.
Fig. 8. At a workshop on the response to
environmental pollution in the Volga and Kizan‐
river due to Sokolovskiye oil pits different options
on sludge processing methods were discussed.
The result of this work in the beginning of 2015 will be the new proposals on
sludge disposal technology and land reclamation, as well as monitoring programs for the
follow‐up preparation of design and budget documentation for the liquidation of the 10
ha facility.
2.3 "BD impact assessment and monitoring procedures are an integral part of a
system of eco‐monitoring in coal mining companies." helped to develop and present to
SN‐Invest an environmental monitoring program for areas of exploration in the past
years in the area of NAO. The materials will be used later for are background
assessment and further organization of monitoring for background and affected
ecosystems and the condition of indicator species populations. Based on the project
experience preliminary recommendations were prepared for monitoring of the avifauna
BD assessment, species monitoring of flora (indicator species in the areas affected by
human‐induced damage and background areas were identified), the ecosystem
monitoring has started and will be further developed including the assessment of the
terrestrial ecosystems' soil, and water and bottom sediments in aquatic ecosystems.
Field monitoring of small and large stream flows was carried out in order to
evaluate the impact of oil production in NAO on fish reserves and industrial fishing. In
2014, the first stage of the work was conducted ‐ collecting of BD data in industry‐
significant water bodies in the areas of hydrocarbon production and transportation of in
the NAO and the Republic of Komi. Work was started on identification of indicator
hydrobiont species and evaluation of their condition, research of aquatic ecosystems
diversity with due attention to the adverse impact of oil production, for development of
methods for large and small water streams monitoring in oil field exploration and
40
operation. The work was scheduled for three years (2014‐2016). The result will be the
integration into oil companies' activities of BD conservation and restoration tools,
including the compensation measures.
Fig. 9. Sampling areas in the river Bolshaya
Makarikha.
Fig. 10. Hydrobiological and ichthyological sampling
areas in the Pechora estuary.
Fig. 11. Test drag seine fishing in various parts of the Usa river in 2014.
The efficiency of oil waste disposal technologies was assessed in terms of BD
conservation in the terrestrial ecosystems of the NAO and the Republic of Komi ion
LUKOIL license sites in the Usinsk district (on the Usinsk and Vozeyskoe fields), as well as
on the NAO Kharyaga and South Khylchuyu fields.
In 2014, demonstration areas were selected for different ways to recycle sludge,
their detailed description was made along with the assessment of the impact on the
adjacent areas. In the end of the first stage, after the oil waste properties assessment
before and after their recycling by different methods, the preliminary opinion will be
prepared on the most viable recycling ways, as well as the proposals as to the contents
of the monitoring program for oil waste recycling plants.
41
Fig. 12. Demo area for liquid sludge accumulation
and storage.
Fig. 13. Area for solid oil sludge accumulation after
their primary cleaning.
Works will continue in 2015‐2016.
Fig. 14. Area recovered after oil waste disposal.
42
Outcomes of Component 3 Demonstrate the principle "Prevent ‐ Reduce ‐ Restore ‐ Offset" in the hydropower
sector
Prepared by: A.B. Alibekov,
Head of working team, N.B. Lopantseva,
regional coordinator
During the reporting period, “Compendium of Biodiversity Conservation
Innovative Solutions for the Hydropower Sector», including the document layout for its
further publication, were prepared. The Compendium is a practical tool including over
50 BD conservation procedures in the hydropower sector. The employees of the
hydropower R&D centres and the managing hydroelectric power company took part in
the creation of the Compendium and came up with suggestions about the description
and publication of several successful Russian practices of BD conservation.
RusHydro wrote an opinion letter about the Compendium where it gave a
positive evaluation of the results and expressed its readiness to promote the
distribution of the Compendium among the employees of the hydropower company.
As to the results of the Project in the field of expanding the areas used by power
companies or the areas previously involved in economic activities, which are being
restored with a special attention paid to the main areas of endangered species of the
region in the demonstration areas, work is being done to create the PA “Bureyski Nature
Park” in accordance with the current legislation and international standards; in addition,
work was initiated to establish a scientific basis for the complex of concrete measures to
restore biodiversity in the Kashirin shallow channel and Lake Proklyatoye. The latter was
done in cooperation with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of Volgograd
Region in addition to the work undertaken by the Ministry to clear and restore the
Kashirin channel. The 1st stage of works was prepared and submitted within the Project.
Work on the development of design and budget estimates is in progress and will be
completed in accordance with the concluded agreement in February 2015.
Implementation of these measures provided by the plan‐2014 is aimed at the stabilization and restoration of the key species population in the demonstration area of the Lower Volga in a certain area of the Kashirin channel and Lake Proklyatoye. Realization of design and budget estimates and execution of works on BD restoration are planned for 2015.
‐ Degraded aquatic and semi‐aquatic ecosystems of the Sotovo and
Suzanne districts in the Volga‐Akthuba Floodplain Nature Park were restored using co‐
43
financing by the Coca‐Cola/UNDP grant programme “Every Drop Matters”. The total
restored area of aquatic and semi‐aquatic landscapes is 1200 ha;
‐ 1,000 ha were restored using the Ministry’s funds as part of joint work
with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Volgograd Oblast aimed at
cleaning the water and restoring the river regime in order to enhance, stabilise and
restore the key species populations in the Lower Volga demo area at the Kashirin creek
and Proklyatoye lake stretch;
The total degraded area restored in the reporting period is about 2,200 ha,
which is equivalent to 28.2 % of the planned performance intended for the restoration
by 2017.
Fig. 15. Planting stock for the
restoration of vegetation at Lake
Sazanye.
Fig. 16. Works on the liquidation of the unauthorized dam on Lake Sazanye aimed at improving the hydrological regime of the lake.
Fig. 17. Cleaning of the Kashirin channel.
As a result of the Amur Oblast being included in the demonstration areas of the
Project, additional organizational arrangements had to be made. In this respect, the
following results have been achieved:
Indicator species were identified and agreed upon with stakeholders
according to the zones of influence of the Lower Bureyskaya and Lower
Zeyskaya HPPs – the sable, the Manchurian deer, and the mandarin duck.
The description of the new demonstration area “Amur Oblast” was made;
Fig. 18. The view of the future reservoir of the Lower‐Bureya hydropower station
44
Fig. 19. Indicator species in the Amur Oblast
Steps for “Measures for offsetting negative impact from the construction
of the Lower Bureyskaya HPP on the plantation and animal world covered by the
reservoir flood zone” are being taken. This work is aimed at protecting the indicator
species found in the zone from the adverse impact of the Lower Bureyskaya HPP
construction project.
Fig. 20. One of the planned outcomes
Support is provided to the authorities of the Amur Oblast in the
development of the substantiation documents needed for the execution of the
compensating operations for flora and fauna during the realization of the Lower
Bureyskaya HPP project. As part of the support measures, together with Lower
Bureyskaya HPP, draft performance specifications for the flora and fauna compensation
operations documents was prepared, as part of the measures to be taken during the
preparation of the Lower Bureyskaya HPP reservoir. In accordance with the Liability
Distribution Matrix, work on the development of design and budget estimates is to be
done within the Project and is to be carried out by regional authorities using the funds
provided by the federal budget to prepare the area for flooding with the reservoir;
The Liability Distribution Matrix for flora and fauna conservative and
compensation measures within the implementation of the Lower Bureyskaya HPP
construction project was agreed upon and signed;
45
Fig. 21. Liability Distribution Matrix
The work of the interdepartmental committee for BD conservation and
PAs in the Amur Oblast resumed. The representatives of the Project are included in the
IDC and they had a meeting about the compensation measures to be taken during the
realization of the Lower Bureyskaya HPP construction project;
Upon the initiative of the Project, the resolution of the Governor of the
Amur Oblast “On changes in the Resolution of the Head of the Oblast Administration
d.d. July 14, 2002 No. 18” was prepared (a new composition of the interdepartmental
committee for BD conservation and PAs in the Amur Oblast). Resolution No. 286 was
signed on October 20, 2014. A.B. Alibekov and I.V. Kovalchuk are members of the
committee;
A draft Resolution of the Governor of the Amur Oblast on the approval of
the new composition of the working team on compensation measures, with I.V.
Kovalchuk as its member, was prepared. The draft was published on the website of the
Government of the Amur Oblast in "Draft Normative Legal Acts” section on October 24,
2014.
Fig. 22. Committee for BD conservation and PAs in the Amur Oblast at work
As part of the measures to include assessment and monitoring procedures in the
system of environmental management in hydropower companies, the following was
done:
46
The basic indicators for the assessment of aquatic and semi‐aquatic
ecosystems of the Lower Volga under anthropogenic stress were selected. The regional
public environmental bodies approved the results. It should be noted that the work has
be done with a long delay. The delay in the works was caused by the fact that this work
was connected with other activities carried out under the FTP “Development of the
water management compound of the Russian Federation”: “Development of indicators
and criteria for the evaluation of aquatic and semi‐aquatic ecosystems and the possible
safe loads on the water regime according to ecological indicators”, which was accepted
by the client in November 2014. The evaluation indicators make it possible to monitor
the history of BD changes and allow taking timely management decisions in order to
improve them. As part of the work, specifications of the development of guidelines and
the approbation of evaluation indicators in the Lower Volga have been prepared;
Fig. 23. Inhabitants of the floodplain Fig. 24. Selection of reference water bodies
The contract on BD monitoring measures in the areas affected by the
hydropower station being designed, built, and used in the Amur Oblast is pending
conclusion;
Participation in the development of an updated version of RusHydro
Environmental Strategy was ensured, which is confirmed by the minutes of a series of
meetings. As part of the environmental strategy actualization, a large amount of work
has been carried out to analyze international experience and substantiate the need to
consider the BD conservation challenges in the hydropower company environmental
strategy. Following the results, the updated version of RusHydro Environmental Strategy
takes into account the BD conservation challenges. The environmental strategy is
pending approval;
The comparative analysis of the current evaluation techniques, which
consider the problems of sustainable development and BD conservation, was carried
out, and the most preferable technique was chosen;
An expert board for approval of the Evaluation techniques for assessment
of hydropower projects conformity with the sustainable development criteria was
elected (an example of their activity is an unofficial evaluation of the Lower Bureyskaya
47
and Lower Zeyskaya HPPs). To support this initiative, more than 30 meetings with
regional stakeholders were held;
Fig. 25. Work of the expert board in the Amur Oblast with testing and approval of international techniques
Extensive work was done to integrate the BD conservation principles in the
context of sustainable development. Three stages were completed, including the
organization and approbation of the Evaluation techniques for assessment of
hydropower projects conformity with the sustainable development criteria. As part of
this work, an expert board of 10 competent experts was organized for expert evaluation
of the Lower‐Bureyskaya and Lower‐Zeyskaya HPP projects using the Evaluation
techniques. The approbation process included a visit to the construction site and the
examination of the flood zone of the future reservoir. In addition, an access was given to
the archive, operational, and design documents of the hydropower stations. The work
will be continued in 2015;
Over 20 expert opinions on the prospects of application of the Evaluation
techniques for the conformity assessment of hydropower projects in Russia were
consolidated being a tool for an integrated assessment of hydropower engineering and
taking into account the BD conservation requirements;
A trilateral joint letter of RusHydro, WWF‐Russia and the Project was
prepared, agreed upon and sent to the public authorities for the implementation of the
Evaluation techniques based on the results of the approbation;
The Methodological recommendations for sustainable development in the
hydropower industry at all stages of the life cycle (4 parts), including the requirements
for the BD conservation, were prepared.
According to the performance indicator of the Project, related to the reduction of
ecosystem areas to be flooded for hydropower stations and geo‐information systems:
48
Draft ToR for the actualization of hydropower potential data for the Amur
Oblast river basins, taking into account the BD conservation policy, were developed
including a GIS‐model for selection of prospective construction sites for hydropower
structures with the view to minimize the damage done to biodiversity.
At the same time, following the analysis of initial data and potential
regional execution competences, it does not seem possible to develop a high‐quality
environmental vulnerability map for the demonstration sites of the Project’s
hydropower component. Moreover, the specific nature of the hydropower industry is
large areas for flooding and changes. Given the 50 potential hydro‐system sites and the
lack of funds, in order to develop the corresponding high‐quality vulnerability map it
may be needed to carry out field operations on the area as large as the constituent
entity of the Russian Federation, which makes this work impossible.
As to the adoption of corporate standards for hydropower engineering on
globally significant BD conservation, work is being done to improve the corporate
standard of the RusHydro Standard “Hydropower stations. Fishways and fish protection
structures. Requirements for the design and use”. This work is supported by the
RusHydro Methodology and Standardization Department.
One of the most difficult measures to be taken under the Project is the support of
the construction of small HPPs. This is due to the fact that as of today at the Project
hydropower demonstration sites there are no construction projects for small
hydropower facilities, which makes any Project activities in this area virtually impossible.
49
Outcomes of Component 4
Demonstrate the principle "Prevent ‐ Reduce ‐ Restore ‐ Offset" in the coal sector
Prepared by: Y.A. Manakov, Doctor Sc. (Biology),
Head of working group
The greatest achievement of Component 4 in 2014 was the conclusion of four
triangular Agreements on cooperation in BD conservation between the Project,
Department of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Kemerovo Oblast Administration
and Kuzbass coal companies. The Companies, which have become partners to the
Project of UNDP/GEF ‐ Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian
Federation are Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya Company, SUEK‐Kuzbass, SDS‐Ugol and Yuzhny
Kuzbass. As for now all companies have contracts for carrying out of research activities
in regard to conservation of BD on the following topics:
Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya Company – Mining and ecological monitoring of
vegetation communities and analysis of BD dynamics at the level of mining
production impact at Karakan Ridge in order to advance the measures aimed at
plant world recovery and conservation; ‐ Publication of themed wall calendars for
2014 and 2015 with promotional materials on BD conservation at Karakan Ridge;
SUEK‐Kuzbass – Monitoring of natural environment condition and biological
diversity near the construction and operation of “SUEK‐Kuzbass” A.D. Ruban Main
Mine;
SDS‐Ugol – Monitoring of natural environment condition and BD in the vicinity of
“Istokskiy Section” open‐pit mining;
“Yuzhny Kuzbass” – Method development for measuring of self‐recovery degree
for disturbed soils using integrated index for “Yuzhny Kuzbass” enterprises;
The project of Agreement with “SUEK‐Khakassia” is pending approval, within the
Project the Agreement carries out activity on: “Development of methods for
reclamation of rock spoil heaps under Khakassia conditions”. Subsequent to the
results of this work publishing of methodological recommendations for design
institutes, regional authorities and coal companies is planned.
During the report period a series of demonstration measures, aimed at support
of the abovementioned works, funded by coal companies, was taken.
Demo‐project № 1
50
Preparation of project of first edition “Compendium of Biodiversity Conservation
Innovative Solutions for the Coal Sector”
Term 2014‐2015
Commencement of works – July 24, 2014
Completion of works – February 15, 2015
The following operations were carried out:
1. The Compendium sections were prepared in accordance with the structure and
content.
2. Collaboration invitations were sent to research establishments and coal
companies.
3. Best practices for BD conservation in coal mining have been analyzed.
4. The Compendium passed through three discussions at the meetings of the
Working Group on coal component.
One last stage is left until completion of the project works, at this stage the
Compendium layout will be presented.
The Compendium was prepared in close cooperation with the coal component
working group, three special meetings have been held in the city of Kemerovo,
intermediate stages were discussed, proposals on the Compendium adaptations and its
further use by coal companies were made.
Demo‐project № 2
Preparation of the Plan for demonstration project on development of technology for
landscape restoration, with maximum restoration of previous relief, plant cover as
well as indicator species populations.
Term – 2014‐2016
Commencement of works – July 16, 2014
Coal company – Project partner ‐ “Kuzbasskaya Toplivnaya Company” (the city of
Kemerovo)
In 2014, a testing range was created on the outside dump of Vinogradovskiy
strip‐mining field for research and development of methods for restoration of meadow‐
steppe vegetation industrial habitats.
51
Fig. 26. Dump and designed heap for the testing range.
The following operations were carried out:
1. In order to develop the method for restoration of the meadow‐steppe vegetation
communities a Research program involving a testing range was developed.
2. Mine engineering works on dump surface layout were conducted.
3. 12 test sites have been created by potentially fertile and fertile soil layer.
4. At three reference sites of meadow‐steppe vegetation, samples of grass and
seeds were taken in different maturity periods.
5. Grass and seeds were planted at test sites as planned by the Program.
Demo‐project №3
Monitoring of natural environment condition and BD near “SDS‐Ugol” surface mines.
Term 2014‐2016
Commencement of works – July 16, 2014
Coal company – Project partner – “SDS‐Ugol” (the city of Kemerovo)
The following operations were carried out:
• current methods for geo‐ecologic evaluation and approaches to integrated area
maps in regular and mining areas were analyzed;
52
• applied methodological approaches, criteria and factors used to evaluate geo‐
ecologic state of mining areas were substantiated;
• natural and climatic conditions and anthropogenic factors, having an impact on
ecological setting formation in the Kemerovo Oblast were analyzed;
• based on GIS‐technologies a series of evaluation maps showing the natural
environment changes due to coal mining were developed.
Natural environment and anthropogenic influence on landscape of Novokuznetsk
district of the Kemerovo Oblast were described. Characteristics of landscapes and area
landscape structure of Novokuznetsk district were presented. Special features of the
natural and anthropogenic system of the area under exploration were analyzed and
described in details at the example of the Taldinsky and Bunguro‐Chumyshsky coal
fields. Economic use of soil was estimated based on field research, statistical data
analysis and interpretation of Quick Bird HR satellite images using GIS‐technologies.
Fig. 27. Natural and anthropogenic system of Ananyino dump. A lake at the dump.
53
Fig. 28. Waterlogged orifice of the stream – right feeder of the river Chernovoy Naryk with a dump.
Demo‐project № 4
Improvement of information and methodological support for completion of geo‐
ecologic tasks in the mining region
Term 2014‐2016
Commencement of works – September 15, 2014
Coal company – Project partner – “SDS‐Ugol” (the city of Kemerovo)
The work is based on IT solutions by Kemerovo branch of SB RAS ICT. In order to
increase the efficiency of monitoring in the area of coal enterprises operation, an
integrated information computer system (IICS) was developed for a dynamic evaluation
of the environmental condition of the area. The results of the work and the monitoring
were described in the book Monitoring, Evaluation and Prediction of Natural
Environment Condition Based on Modern Information Technologies.
54
Fig. 29. The book on methodological basis of environmental monitoring within coal mining areas, published by the Project in 2013.
A service agreement was concluded. The report on the first stage will be
presented in March, 2015.
Further demonstration activities are in progress.
Creation of regional PA aimed at for the conservation of unique “Bachatskiye Fells
plant biocenoses so as to protect the steppe areas inhabited by small indigenous
groups“. 2014‐2115.
The activity on creation of PA – regional zakaznik “Bachatskiye Fells” is
underway. Field studies aimed at flora and fauna structure determination and
grounding of area allocation to PA status were conducted. Boundaries of future zakaznik
were adjusted. Land allocation was agreed upon with the Administration of Belovo City
District and Administration of Belovo Municipal District, where the zakaznik will be
created for conservation of the Kuznetsk Depression native steppes. An outline map
indicating owners of land sites for Public hearings was developed.
55
Fig. 30. Native steppe biocenoses of Kuznetsk Depression, requiring state protection measures
The delay in creation of PA “Bachatskiye Fells” in term is related to the fact that the area
of future zakaznik is owned by different persons, which has complicated PA boundaries
alignment.
1: “Impact monitoring of BD trends in the regional zakaznik “Karakan Ridge”.
Currently within zakaznik “Karakansky” works on long‐term biological monitoring
of vegetation biocenoses state are being performed. One of the aims of the work is to
detect bioindicators and specific plant reactions to man‐induced pollution. Special
attention should be paid to the changes in such physiological factor as the concentration
and function of wild plants’ chlorophyll and an additional parameter – microbiological
evaluation of soil.
56
Fig. 31. Vegetation monitoring under the conditions of man‐induced impact of mining production
Delays in the activities are due to the evaluation method for the said parameters
and training to use the equipment. The work was completed during the field season
2014.
2. Examination of applicability of enrichment and coal conversion wastes (reclamation
substances) for biological reclamation of strip‐mining areas.
As part of this project, it was proposed to buy phyto‐incubators for all‐year experiments
on industrial substrates (reclamation substances) and plant reactions. This is important
for acceleration of the study on the feasibility of industrial substrate use for biological
reclamation and development of agricultural technology for use of this type of
substrate.
The work depended on decision of the coal company (certificate owner for reclamation
substance) on commencement of research with provision of area to conduct the
experiment. The Agreement is to be concluded within 2015.
3. Conservation of regeneration ecosystems on affected lands, which successfully
passed self‐recovery stage.
Currently, the issue of BD conservation on industrially affected lands, having
successfully passed the self‐recovery stage due to long‐term development under
57
favourable environmental conditions and similar to zonal ecosystems has become
urgent for Kemerovo Oblast as well as for other regions engaged in mining industry.
There are no legal arrangements for a return of such areas from enterprises. It was
proposed to develop methods for evaluation of natural recovery success rate and to
range areas according to their adaptability for reclamation. A coal company – Project’s
partner “Yuzhny Kuzbass” has shown interest in this initiative and a draft agreement and
the expense budget were agreed upon.
Fig. 32. Old dump with formed zonal ecosystems.
The part of the Project is in the development of the surface mines GIS area,
where measures will be taken to increase the scientific and technical level.
The most difficult in terms of implementation is the measure from the Project
work plan for 2014 on arrangement of training and field site for observation of rare
waterfowl of ornithological zakaznik “Trekhozerka” for environmental education and
monitoring (after official PA creation).
58
Fig 33. Regional zakaznik “Trekhozerka” (Republic of Khakassia ).
The measure was not implemented as the number of birds in the zakaznik is
unstable and depends on functioning of the channel, feeding the lake of Trekhozerka
with water.
The Project’s plan of 2014 measures for creation of infrastructure to organize
tourist activities in zakaznik “Trekhozerka” with the focus on “Bird Watching”. It was
supposed that favourable location of zakaznik, a great amount of migrating birds in
spring and in autumn and nesting of rare birds within the area would give an
opportunity to constantly monitor the indicator bird species and environmentally
educate the inhabitants.
Board on PA of the Republic of Khakassia has prepared a scientific evidence and
Work Program for organization of zakaznik “Trekhozerka” within the area. But in spring
2014 lake stage decreased to critical level, coastline moved to the centre and
approached the islands, where birds’ nesting takes place. As a result conditions for
foxes’ entry to the islands emerged, and herons, shelducks, sandpipers moved to other
water ponds. The cause of the abrupt drop of the lake level is siltation of the water
stream feeding Trehkozerka from other more full‐flowing lakes. To solve this problem it
is necessary to allocate money from the Republic budget for water stream recovery.
However, the main reason for termination of works on this project is refusal of
other coal companies in Khakassia to fund the infrastructure construction in
Trekhozerka.
59
Report on the Progress of Works with the Project Indicator Species
Prepared by: Igor Kostin, Candidate of Biology
Deputy National Project director
Kemerovo Oblast
Steppe ecosystems have been selected as indicator species for the Kemerovo Oblast.
Steppe and meadow steppe plant communities are the best indicator because this
indicator helps focus on conserving the most vulnerable ecosystems in coal mining areas
as open‐cast coal mining extends and accelerates. Autochthonous ecosystems of the
Kuznetskaya basin, in particular the diversity of plant communities have reduced to a
tragically low level over the many years of operation of land resources. Unless urgent
steps are made, a significant part of the ecosystems can be lost irreversibly in the near
future.
The largest areas hosting the most diverse steppe ecosystems are the Karakan
Ridge and the Bachatskiye Fells. In 2012, the landscape complex of the Karakan Ridge
received the status of a regional nature zakaznik. The Bachatskiye Fells site is a stony
steppe site, extremely rich in composition, where plants occur that cannot be found
anywhere else in the Kemerovo Oblast. This area is in particular danger as it is located in
immediate proximity to the operating coal mines. The Kemerovo Oblast administration
has been giving full attention to conservation of these areas; the Bachatskiye Fells
nature site has been included on the proposed PA list. The establishment of the
Bachatskiye Fells botany zakaznik is included in the Project’s plan for 2014. Still, despite
all the efforts, no preparations for PA establishment started as it turned out that the
area of the Bachatskiye Fells belonged to various owners such as the city, the district
and private persons. It took a long time to obtain approvals and clarifications. A number
of clarification meeting were conducted with the executive authorities of the entities
and private owners. Kemerovo Oblast’s involvement in the Project and the oblast
administration's liability before the global community for BD conservation in its territory
are always used as very strong arguments for the activities to conserve BD in the area in
question. Regional Coordinator Y.A. Manakov made a presentation in the Urban Area
Development Board (the town of Belovo) on the Project’s tasks in the demo area and
the necessity to take a positive decision with regard to the establishment of the
Bachatskiye Fells PA. Works aiming to establish the PA will continue in 2015.
Khakas Republic
Two bird species, sheld duck and grey heron, have been selected as the indicator
species for the area. The selection of the species is explained by the fact that the Action
Plan for 2014 stipulated that the wetlands zakaznik Trekhozerki should build
60
infrastructure for tourists with a special focus on ornithology, and the Project was to
assist with the establishment and operation of the zakaznik. According to the plan, the
location of the zakaznik, large numbers of migratory birds in spring and autumn, and
rare birds nesting in the area would help organise consistent monitoring surveys of the
indicator bird species, and carry out environment awareness raising and education of
the local population.
The PA Department of the Khakas Republic prepared a scientific substantiation
and work programme for the Trekhozerki zakaznik. But, in the spring of 2014 the water
level in the lakes dropped to critical marks, and the coast line moved to the centre
nearing the islands where birds nested. As a result, herons, ducks, and curlews migrated
to other places. The reason for the sharp drop in the water level was the siltation of the
canal feeding water from other lakes to Trekhozerka. Funds from the republican budget
should be allocated for canal bed repair to solve this problem, but no funds have been
allocated so far. In view of this, the Project cannot continue supporting the
establishment of the zakaznik, at least until the problem with the water level is solved
and the numbers and diversity of species of migratory birds are sufficient. The East
Beyski coal mine is located quite far away, does not impact the lakes in any way, and
therefore cannot be involved as a financial donor to solve the zakaznik restoration
problem; other coal mining companies in Khakassia have taken the same stance. The
Khakas government virtually does not cooperate with the Project, so coal mining
companies have been stonewalling on the decisions that they previously used to
approve.
The indicator bird species sheld duck and grey heron, which in terms of ecology
are more closely dependent on the lakes, fail to reflect the coal mining sector’s real
impact on BD because the companies doing open‐pit mining do not impact remote
water ecosystems; hence, the indicator species population depends on other factors.
So, new indicators need to be identified first whose population directly depends on the
operations of the coal mining companies in Khakassia.
Data about the currently approved indicator species are collected from the
statistics of field surveys performed by the Committee for Conservation of Nature under
the Khakas Government.
Sakhalin Oblast
Grey whale, Steller’s sea‐eagle and the Sakhalin taimen have been selected as
indicator species for the Sakhalin demo site. Project works on the indicator species in
connection with their populations draw on the materials provided by the partner
company Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Ltd. In 2014, monitoring research was
done to study and count the species. Sakhalin Energy, together with Exxon Neftegaz Ltd.
surveyed the grey whale under the Integrated Grey Whale Monitoring Programme off
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the north‐eastern coast of Sakhalin. Preliminary figures indicate that the population of
the indicator species in the research area is stable.
The Project focused in particular on the Sakhalin Taimen because this species has
been demonstrating negative trends in the Far East region. In order to assess the
population trends, ensure conservation of the Sakhalin taimen and consolidate the
efforts of the stakeholders, the following steps were made:
‐ Interdepartmental meeting of experts from the fishery industry, research
organisations and regulatory bodies held to work out recommendations on conservation
of the Sakhalin taimen The meeting’s records were distributed to the meeting
participants, brought to the attention of BD conservation officers in oil and gas
companies, and will be taken into account in the Project’s future work in this area on
Sakhalin.
‐ The outcomes and plans to continue the Sakhalin taimen conservation
programme of Gazprom Extraction Shelf Yuzhno‐Sakhalinsk in respect of the Kirinskoye
Gas Condensate Field operating area in the North‐East of Sakhalin discussed in a
meeting held in Yuzhno‐Sakhalinsk on 24 November, 2014. According to the plan, in
2015 Gazprom Extraction Shelf Yuzhno‐Sakhalinsk will be involved in joint work with the
Project and will assist the Project in realising this Programme.
A Concept of the Action Plan to conserve BD in the Sakhalin Oblast drafted; inter
alia, this includes actions related to conservation and maintenance of indicator species,
The Concept documents were discussed in an extraordinary meeting of the BD Working
Expert Group at the Ecology Board at the Sakhalin Oblast governor’s administration; the
meeting was attended by representatives of executive authorities, research
organisations, NGOs, and oil and gas companies. Upon refining and discussing it one
more time, working group members will present the Concept next year in the Ecology
Board and then submit it to the Sakhalin Oblast authorities for review and approval.
The Sakhalin oil and gas companies took part in working out the “Guidelines on
Monitoring of Large Cetaceans in Course of Economic Operations on the Shelf of the
Seas in the Russian Far East”.
The Project plans to work together with Gazprom Extraction Shelf Yuzhno‐
Sakhalinsk on the Sakhalin taimen; monitoring research of this species will be conducted
in the oil extraction area in the north of the island. The company allocates several
million roubles annually for the Programme, including education activities and anti‐
poaching missions; the Project can discuss participation in monitoring.
The Project will continue the works in respect of other indicator species, namely,
prepare the mammals monitoring guidelines in respect of the grey whale and, as
regards both the two other species and the grey whale, continue joint work with
Sakhalin Energy, which is monitors the indicator species. At the same time, the Project’s
62
partner Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, Ltd., will, together with the Project,
continue annual monitoring of these species’ populations in its operating areas.
No data on the indicator species’ population have been received yet; final reports
on the work in 2014 will be submitted later. No negative trends in the indicator species
populations were established in the areas under monitoring in according to the data for
2013. The census methodology and survey areas are the same.
On the whole, the sites selected are quite good to monitor, among other things
because they serve as ecosystem status indicators; it is also important that these
species’ habitats tend to localise around North Sakhalin and the oil field development
areas. The Sakhalin taimen raises questions because the growing oil and gas production
in Sakhalin is not the main source of threats to this species at the moment, and so this
species is to a certain extent an indirect indicator of the impact that oil and gas
production has on the ecosystems and biodiversity. At the same time, if a pipeline
network is developed in the region, threats for this species’ spawning and wintering
sites will arise again.
As regards the grey whale, it should be included on the indicator species list
without any doubt as this animal community is classified as endangered, and its feeding
areas are located precisely in the areas where oil and gas are explored and extracted.
This species migrates over long distances, so there is a risk that during its the whale can
be exposed to threats that could impact its population regardless the situation in the
seas off the coast of Sakhalin.
As regards the Steller’s sea eagle, selecting this species as an indicator is fully
justified for the Project both in biological terms (a predator at the top of the trophic
pyramid) and because it is precisely the species that can suffer from active development
of previously uninhabited areas of north Sakhalin, and oil and gas companies can and do
undertake active measures to reduce their impact precisely on this species.
Lower Volga
Data provided about the indicator species on the Lower Volga demo site reflect
the outcomes of the surveys conducted in 2014:
1. Carp: 2,692 individuals / ha in the summer of 2014 (provided by the Lower
Volga Fisheries and Water Management company)
2. White‐tailed eagle: 200‐230 couples in the entire floodplain (according to the
census of 1 June, 2014; data provided by the Lower Volga protected areas; indicator at
plan level).
3. Restoration of degraded water and near‐water ecosystems: according the plan,
by Project completion time, at least 7.8 thousand ha are to be restored; as per 1
December, 2014, 2200 ha had been restored (the Sotovo and Sazanye forests restored
under the co‐financing grant of UNDP/Coca‐Cola grant “Every Drop Matters”; 1,000 ha
63
as part of hydro‐regime restoration at the Kashirin creek for purposes of BD
improvement; the data provided by the Volga‐Akthuba Floodplain Nature Park; 28.2% of
the plan figures restored.
The Project activities in the Lower Volga area aim to improve the hydro‐regime,
which is bound to influence the state of the indicator species in one way or another.
They serve the purpose of BD conservation and are consistent with the Concept of the
Federal Target Programme “Development of the Water Management Complex of the
Russian Federation in 2012‐2020” approved by Government Decree No. 1316, dated 28
July 2011, and the Federal Target Programme “Development of the Water Management
Complex of the Russian Federation in 2012‐2020” adopted by RF Government Decree
No. 350, dated 19 April 2012.
Works in the Lower Volga areas are conducted in close contacts with the Ministry
of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Volgograd Oblast, Nature
Management and Environment Protection Service of the Astrakhan Oblast, the N.N.
Zubov State Oceanography Institute and the co‐contractors working under the Federal
Target Programme to provide research‐based substantiation for measures ensuring
reasonable management of water resources, conservation of the unique system of the
Volga‐Akthuba floodplain, and as part of the plan to restore degraded sites together
with the contractors of the UNDP/Coca‐Cola grant “Every Drop Matters”: The Volgograd
State University for Sociology and Teacher Training, Volga‐Akthuba Floodplain Nature
Park, municipalities and local population.
The main activities that indirectly affected the population and well‐being of the
indicator species, include:
‐ Demonstrate a set of measures for BD restoration on the water bodies of the
demo sites;
‐ Introduce estimated figure to evaluate water and near‐water ecosystems on the
Lower Volga exposed to human‐induced loads;
‐ Assist in establishing a legal framework for BD protection in the region;
The Project undertook the following activities to fulfil the above action plan:
‐ Prepared the regions’ proposals on the rules for use of water recourses of the
Lower Volga basin reservoirs and regulations for operation and improvement of the
Lower Volga basin reservoirs.
‐ Participated in meetings discussing the progress of works by the Zubov
Oceanography Institute throughout the reporting year. The latest meeting, held on 3
and 4 December, reviewed and discussed the Concept for the Level of Water Supply in
the Floodplain, including the issues of conservation biodiversity and nature complexes in
general;
‐ A Framework for Application of Estimated Indicators to Improve Ecology in the
Lower Volga region prepared;
64
Works in order to provide research‐based substantiation for a set of BD
restoration measures on the Kashirin creek and Proklyatoye lake commenced (Stage 1).
The creek was cleaned at the expense of the Ministry of Natural Resources in order to
improve its local hydro‐regime; this will have a positive effect on BD restoration;
‐ A draft concept of the Volgograd Oblast action plan for BD conservation and
sustainable use prepared.
Northern Caspian
The data on the indicator species were collected in 2013 (provided by Lukoil,
OAO).The information is presented below; by the time PIR‐2015 is prepared, it will be
updated.
1. Dalmatian pelican: 0.88 individuals per 100 ha;
2. Bald‐coot: 8.5 individuals per ha;
3. Caspian seal: 0.4 individuals/ sq/km;
4: Gobies ‐ 63 individuals / 1 hour of sweeping.
As regards indirect impact on the state of indicator species, we can state that the
main Project plan activity that will promote BD conservation in the North Caspian is the
establishing of a local PA as a measure offsetting oil extraction operations. To
implement this activity, the Project provided financial support for development and
adoption of the Law of the Astrakhan Oblast No. 77/2014‐OZ, dtd. 19 November 2014
“On Particular Issues of Legal Regulation of Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation in the Astrakhan Oblast”, which came into force on 1 January, 2015.
Activities pertaining to PA establishing will commence after the law comes into force on
1 January, 2015.
Nenets Autonomous Okrug
The Nenets Autonomous Okrug provides the following data for 2014 about the demo
site:
1. Nelma (Stenodus leucichthys nelma): the percentage of nelma in the overall catch is
at least 15%. Information source:
‐ informal polling of the local communities;
The Northern Branch of the N.M. Knipovich Polar Research Institute of Fisheries and
Oceanography);
2. Peregrine falcon (Fаlcо реrеgrinus, Тunstall): the population does not reduce.
Information source:
65
Research Department of the Nenets State Nature Reserve
Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (data on Peschanoozerskoye
deposit provided by junior researcher Pyotr Glazov).
3. Bewick’s swan (Cygnus bewickii Yarrell) ‐ population remains stable.
Information source:
Research Department of the Nenets State Nature Reserve
Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (data on Peschanoozerskoye
deposit provided by junior researcher Pyotr Glazov).
4: White‐tailed sea eagle (Наliaeetus albicilla, L) ‐ population remains at the same level.
Information source:
Research Department of the Nenets State Nature Reserve
Data will be checked and complemented for the PIR‐2015.
In 2014 works were performed that indirectly affected the population and well‐
being of the indicator species:
1. Research was performed and final report prepared under the project
“Background BD assessment of nature complexes; prepare and introduce a
system of monitoring of ecosystems damaged by exploration work on
Kumzhinskoye deposit in the previous years.”;
2. Programmes for monitoring the main ecosystem parameters of the
Kumzhinskoye deposit and neighbouring protected areas prepared;
3. Research performed and final processing of field work results under way for the
project “Monitoring of small and large stream flows in order to evaluate the
impact of oil production in NAO and the Republic of Komi on fish reserves and
commercial fishing” (by the Northern Branch of the N.M. Knipovich Polar
Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography);
4. Object‐based databases for NAO and geobotanic zoning maps based on remote
sensing data are currently under way; these are to serve as the basis for
vulnerability maps, including maps of man‐induced damage.
The above activities aim to preserve stable trends in the indicator species’
population, identify factors impacting population and minimize them. In 2014, the
activities performed in the NAO were to a significant degree related to information
search, and processing by indicator species. The regional coordinator expressed doubts
on the choice of nelma as an indicator species because it has a special status in the Red
Books of RF and NAO, and due to difficulties in catching it, census looks problematic. At
the same time, nelma is caught as by‐catch in industrial fishing, which is reflected in
approaches to the census of this species described in the prodoc.
Other indicator species: peregrine falcon, Bewick’s swan, white‐tailed eagle suit
the Project’s purposes quite well. These species are counted annually using standard
methodologies, and the materials are arranged in a system.
66
Amur Oblast
According to expert estimates of the researchers working in the Bureyski and
Arkharinski districts (research departments of zakazniks, experts from the Department
for Wildlife Protection), the data on the populations’ development trends are as follows:
‐ Mandarin duck: population stable with a growing trend;
‐ Siberian stag: population stable; a set of bioengineering activities, and
regulation of the populations of the wolf and, possibly, the bear is required for
increasing it.
‐ Sable: population consistently high for this area. Restrictive measures in respect
of harvesting quotas planned and are being implemented.
How good was the choice and how easy are the chosen species to work with:
There are feasible opportunities and methods to improve the feeding, protection and
nesting conditions for the mandarin duck and Siberian stag; it is more complicated with
the sable, but on the whole this species is of interest as an indicator species (in terms of
monitoring the entire chain of interconnections: the climate, feeding base, changes in
plantation types etc.). The details of parameters will need specification in course of
monitoring.
Project activities, which indirectly impact the well‐being of the indicator species,
include in particular:
‐ Bioengineering activities aimed at improving the feeding conditions of the
Siberian stag and other hoofed animals;
‐ Improvement of nesting conditions for the oriental white stork and mandarin
duck.
The ToR “Measures for offsetting negative impact from the construction of the
Lower Bureyskaya HPP on the plantation and animal world covered by the reservoir
flood zone” prepared in the reporting period.
Under the ToR, in 2015 measures will be taken to create the conditions for the
mandarin duck after water level in the Lower Bureyskaya HPP reservoir rises. To make
observations over trends and state of the populations, including the populations of the
indicator species, the Plan‐2015 provides for the activity “Develop an On‐line Interactive
Impact Map (Geoportal) of the Lower Bureyskaya HPP and Lower Zeyskaya HPP which
Includes Data of Long‐Term Monitoring and Can Be Updated” The map is a GIS‐
intergraded system of thematic layers (types of phytobiocenoses, habitats of animals,
soils etc.) with monitoring reference points and graphic presentation of monitoring
results.
Recommended