Information systemInformation system

on protected areas of Russiaon protected areas of Russia

Ekaterina Tsybikova¹, Maxim Dubinin²Ekaterina Tsybikova¹, Maxim Dubinin²¹ Transparent World, Russia; ¹ Transparent World, Russia;

² University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA² University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

ESRI International User Conference, San-Diego, ESRI International User Conference, San-Diego, 20072007

Russia:Russia: 17070949 km217070949 km2Forest zone: Forest zone: 57.1% 57.1% country areacountry areaNatural forest area, 2000:Natural forest area, 2000: 8340520 8340520 km2km2

International acknowledgement of International acknowledgement of Russia’s protected areas (PA) system:Russia’s protected areas (PA) system:

- 9 UNESCO Natural World Heritage sites- 9 UNESCO Natural World Heritage sites- 36 biosphere reserves- 36 biosphere reserves- - 35 35 Ramsar sitesRamsar sites- - 4 4 strict nature reserves have Diplomas of European strict nature reserves have Diplomas of European CouncilCouncil- 4 transboundary PA- 4 transboundary PA

More than 85% of Russia’s animals and plants are More than 85% of Russia’s animals and plants are protected by existing system of country’s PAprotected by existing system of country’s PA

Main categories of Main categories of Russian protected Russian protected

areasareasProbable IUCN Probable IUCN

categoriescategoriesAmounAmountt

Strict nature reserves Strict nature reserves (zapovedniks)(zapovedniks) II 101101

National parksNational parks IIII 3399

Federal-level wildlife refuges Federal-level wildlife refuges (zakazniks)(zakazniks) Ib, IV, (IV)*Ib, IV, (IV)* 6969

Nature parksNature parks IIII   

NaturNaturee monuments monuments III, IV, (III)*III, IV, (III)*   

Botanical gardens, arboretumsBotanical gardens, arboretums --   

Nature resorts (healing Nature resorts (healing landscapes)landscapes) --   

in total:in total:14000 objects14000 objects (a. 1(a. 122% Russia% Russia’s ’s area)area)

* - values estimated by su* - values estimated by summming up all the territory of ming up all the territory of protectedprotected areasareas

ProblemProblem

LackLack of adequate accessible spatial and descriptive of adequate accessible spatial and descriptive information about protected areas of Russia, information about protected areas of Russia,

results in results in poor decision makingpoor decision making and and low public awarenesslow public awareness

Information Information systemsystem

GISGIS WebWeb

SpatialSpatial ( (geographicgeographic) ) datadata

AttributiveAttributive ((descriptivedescriptive) )

datadata

(ISEU, BCC, WRI, Transparent (ISEU, BCC, WRI, Transparent World)World)

History:History: Atlas of Russia’s Intact Forest Atlas of Russia’s Intact Forest Landscapes Landscapes

((http://www.forest.ru/eng/publications/intact/http://www.forest.ru/eng/publications/intact/))

Data Data sourcessources- primary legislation primary legislation

(governmental acts, bills and other papers)(governmental acts, bills and other papers)

- protected areas official documents- protected areas official documents- additional informationadditional information (spatial and spatial and attributive)attributive)

Mapping.Mapping. Strict Nature Reserves, National Parks Strict Nature Reserves, National Parks and Federal-Level Wildlife Refuges of Russia and Federal-Level Wildlife Refuges of Russia (2005)(2005)

MappingMapping

Zapovedniks Zapovedniks Total Total zapovedniks’ zapovedniks’ area area = 70% of = 70% of federal-level PA areafederal-level PA area

Biosphere reservesBiosphere reserves

Ramsar sitesRamsar sites

Guide to national parks of Russia

ApplicationApplication

- create protected area GIS- create protected area GIS

- presentation and education materials- presentation and education materials

- include in decision support system to help deal - include in decision support system to help deal with conflicts occurring on protected areawith conflicts occurring on protected area

““map in action” – examples of map in action” – examples of effective land-use decision-makingeffective land-use decision-making

- Megatron-NVK - Megatron-NVK

- PetroResource- PetroResource

- The Kovikta Project- The Kovikta Project

Monitoring of state-issued license permits: Monitoring of state-issued license permits: Megatron-NVK, North Caspian region, 2005Megatron-NVK, North Caspian region, 2005

Socio-Socio-ecological ecological mapping:mapping: Kovikta Kovikta

gas pipelinegas pipeline

Web-based Information system Web-based Information system

http://http://oopt.infooopt.info

ContentsContents::

- news- news- history of nature history of nature protectionprotection- publicationspublications- conferences proceedingsconferences proceedings- descriptions of PAdescriptions of PA- descriptions of Ramsar descriptions of Ramsar sitessites

Description of each protected Description of each protected area:area:

- general information- general information- historyhistory- geographic featuresgeographic features- flora and faunaflora and fauna- research activitiesresearch activities

Data now available and plannedData now available and planned

- biosphere reserves zoning (core, buffer, transition zone, - biosphere reserves zoning (core, buffer, transition zone, biosphere polygon)biosphere polygon)

- zapovedniks’ and national parks’ buffers- zapovedniks’ and national parks’ buffers

- Ramsar sites- Ramsar sites

- Birdlife International sites- Birdlife International sites

- regional protected areas- regional protected areas

ConclusionConclusion

- Spatial data can be used for decision support and conflict - Spatial data can be used for decision support and conflict solvingsolving

- GIS is an effective tool, but lots of efforts should be spent to - GIS is an effective tool, but lots of efforts should be spent to make data really workmake data really work

- in case of inactivity of state authorities, environmental NGOs - in case of inactivity of state authorities, environmental NGOs using GIS can facilitate proper decision makingusing GIS can facilitate proper decision making

Thank you!Thank you!

Ekaterina TsybikovaEkaterina Tsybikova Transparent World, Russia, e-mail: Transparent World, Russia, e-mail:

tsybikova@biodiversity.rutsybikova@biodiversity.ru

Maxim DubininMaxim Dubinin University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison,

USAUSA

sim@biodiversity.rusim@biodiversity.ru