Co-operation on nature conservation in Northwest Russia 1997-2010

The Finnish-Russian Development Programme on Sustainable Forest Management and Conservation of Biodiversity in Northwest Russia coordinates the co-operation between Finland and Russia in the fields of forestry and nature conservation. The responsible ministry in the co-operation on nature conservation is the Finnish Ministry of the Environment (MoE). The Finnish Environment Institute SYKE is responsible for the project co-ordination.

Nature conservation projects are carried out in Northwest (NW) Russia in six administrative regions: the Republic of Karelia, the regions of Leningrad, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and Vologda, and the city of St. Petersburg.

In 2006 the long-lasting Finnish-Russian co-operation on nature conservation culminated in the Russian Federation's government decree on establishment of the Kalevala National Park.

Jänisköngäs is the most famous attraction of the Kutsa nature conservation area. © Petri Niikko

Two new project entities were started in 2007:
- Evaluation of the representativeness and gaps of the protected area network in NW Russia (GAP)
- Development of regional protected areas in NW Russia.

The gaps and representativeness of the protected area network in the before-mentioned six NW Russian regions are evaluated in the GAP project. The aim is to make recommendations to develop the protected area network and to develop management tools for sustainable land use planning. Different stakeholders are participating in the implementation of the project in the regions, including regional administrations, scientific institutions and NGOs.

The main Finnish partner in the project Development of regional protected areas in Northwest Russia is Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services. The project objectives are to develop the management of regional protected areas and  their administration, and to provide staff training. In addition to the administrations of the regional protected areas, another Russian partner in the project is the St. Petersburg-based organisation Baltic Fund for Nature.

More information

Ms Riitta Hemmi, project manager, Finnish Environment Institute
P.O.Box 140, 00251 Helsinki, Finland
GSM +358 400 120 431, Fax +358 9 5490 2791
firstname.surname@ymparisto.fi

Ms Anna Kuhmonen, project planner, Finnish Environment Institute
P.O.Box 140, 00251 Helsinki, Finland
GSM +358 400 473 470, Fax +358 9 5490 2791
firstname.surname@ymparisto.fi