Yesterday, at the 43rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, without discussion, a decision was made on the inadmissibility of building natural sites "Western Caucasus" and "Golden Mountains of Altai" in Russia. However, environmentalists call these measures not tough enough. They hope that in 2020 UNESCO will present Russia with more serious requirements for the conservation of natural sites. Next year, an international organization is to assess the threat to Russia's five "most problematic" natural areas, for which Russian officials and companies have their own plans.
The meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has been held in Baku since the beginning of the week. Yesterday, an international organization issued decisions on several Russian World Heritage Sites. In particular, UNESCO welcomed the Russian side's confirmation that the planned Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline (formerly the Altai project) would bypass the Golden Mountains of Altai facility (see Kommersant on March 4). However, this time the committee recalled its position: any decision to pass the gas pipeline through a protected area will be the basis for transferring it to the World Heritage List in Danger. In this regard, the organization asked to provide documents that would confirm the alternative route.
UNESCO also “noted with concern” that the Russian authorities did not provide information on the Maly Kalychak gold deposit in Gorny Altai, and asked for this to be corrected by February 1, 2020.
In its decision, the committee recalls that mining is incompatible with World Heritage status.
As Kommersant previously reported, the Ministry of Natural Resources announced that the license for gold mining near Lake Teletskoye had been suspended. However, according to the state register of subsoil plots and licenses, the contract for the use of the Maly Kalychak field is valid until 2027.
Also, UNESCO made a decision on the object "Western Caucasus". Recall that at last year's session, the international organization expressed concern about the plans of Russian companies to build mountain tourism infrastructure on the territory of the Sochi National Park and the Sochi Reserve. As Kommersant reported, Gazprom was exploring the possibility of laying ski slopes near the World Natural Heritage site (see Kommersant dated June 5, 2018). However, the Russian authorities reported: there are no plans to develop tourism infrastructure near the protected area of international importance.
This year, the committee urged Russia to send again confirmation that the companies had abandoned these plans for good. In addition, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee again recommended that the construction of a road to the site of the Biosphere Science Center be abandoned. Activists of the Environmental Watch for the North Caucasus, as well as Novaya Gazeta and Radio Liberty, have previously stated that the science center, whose construction began in 2002, is the Lunnaya Polyana ski resort, which was allegedly built for the recreation of President Vladimir Putin . As Kommersant wrote earlier, last fall, the construction of the road to Lunnaya Polyana resumed again.
“We welcomed the decision of the committee, but also drew attention to the facts that are not taken into account either in the decision of UNESCO or in the report of the Russian side,” Valery Shmunk, head of the Russian Caucasus branch of WWF Russia, told Kommersant. Moonglade” from the south, another section of the road is being built, which actually runs into the boundaries of the World Heritage Site.”
According to him, such construction may entail "hard to predict consequences", in particular, the road will interrupt the migratory routes of animals and violate the integrity of the World Heritage site.
Environmentalists call the committee's decision this session "not tough enough." “Last year it was said that if Russia does not provide an unequivocal answer about the lack of plans for the construction of tourist facilities, then the Western Caucasus will be transferred to the list of world heritage under threat,” says Greenpeace Russia expert Mikhail Kreindlin. “But this year the decision was accepted without discussion, and it was rather weak. Although the construction of this road is a direct violation of the decisions of two sessions of the committee.” However, Mr. Kreindlin draws attention to the fact that in 2020 UNESCO will make decisions on the most “problematic Russian objects”. We are talking about the objects "Western Caucasus", "Golden Mountains of Altai", "Virgin forests of Komi", "Volcanoes of Kamchatka" and "Lake Baikal". Kommersant about the various plans of Russian officials and companies for these protected areas. Ecologists hope that the international organization will make a "more serious decision" next year.
The length (GKH) in this section is about 440 km. The highest peak of the Western Caucasus is (4046 m).
To the east of the Kardyvach mountain junction, the state border of the Russian Federation passes: first with Abkhazia, and then with Georgia. The adjacent territory is a border zone, which requires a pass to visit.
Districts
Approximately half of the Western Caucasus (215 km) from Anapa to the Lagonaki plateau is covered with forests. The belt of subalpine meadows appears here only on the tops of the highest mountains. In this part of the Western Caucasus in Goryachiy Klyuch area often conduct children's (school) hiking trips. To the west of the railway, which crosses and connects Tuapse with the flat regions of the Krasnodar Territory, the peaks do not exceed 1000 m in height. The highest are Tkhab (921), Pochepsuha (910), Agoy (994).
Sources
Tourist Encyclopedia. 2014 .
See what "Western Caucasus" is in other dictionaries:
Western Caucasus- Western Caucasus. Dombay. Peak of Belalakaya, 3861 m ... Wikipedia
WESTERN CAUCASUS- WESTERN CAUCASUS, part of the Greater Caucasus mountain system, to the west of Elbrus. Altitude up to 4046 m (Dombay Ulgen). In the axial part of the ridges are the Main, or Vodorazdelny, and Lateral. Glaciers. Cuestas are developed on the northern slope, on the southern karst. ... ... Russian history
Western Caucasus- part of the mountain system of the Greater Caucasus (See Greater Caucasus) west of the city of Elbrus. The highest point of Dombay Ulgen (4046 m). In the axial part, the ridges are Main, or Vodorazdelny (from crystalline rocks), and Lateral (mainly from sedimentary ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Western Caucasus- Western Caucasus, part of the Greater Caucasus mountain system, west of Elbrus. Altitude up to 4046 m (Mount Dombay Ulgen). In the axial part - the ridges of the Main, or Vodorazdelny, and Lateral. Glaciers. On the northern slope of Z.K., cuestas are developed, on ... ... Dictionary "Geography of Russia"
The Caucasus is one of the largest mountain systems in the world. It occupies a huge area, and its peaks are the highest in our country - Elbrus, belonging to the Central Caucasus system, even surpasses the European Mont Blanc. The Western Caucasus is part of the Greater Caucasus and also has interesting characteristics.
Location and composition
The mountains of the Western Caucasus are part of the vast system of the Greater Caucasus, which stretches for more than 1 thousand km. In width, this mountainous country can exceed 150 km. The highest mountains of the system are located in the central part of the Caucasus. The mountains of the Western Caucasus lag behind in height, but they are distinguished by a high diversity of flora, fauna, and impressive views.
In addition to the western Caucasus, the Greater Caucasus is also divided into a central part and an eastern one. The territory of the Caucasus is located on a huge continental uplift, which exceeds the height of all the surrounding plains. The slopes of the mountains are composed of rocks of different ages, from the most ancient to the youngest. Ancient rocks come out where it depends on the geological processes of folding, mainly in the inner regions of the Caucasus. The outer slopes are composed of younger rocks.
The northwestern Caucasus received its present form as a result of modern geological processes. Glaciers play an important role in this, covering a significant area and feeding most of the local rivers.
In addition, glaciers contributed to the formation of modern landscapes - thanks to them, such types of formations as trough valleys, cirques, cirques, moraines appeared in many. Some of them are still filled with glaciers, while others below may contain glacial lakes with clear water.
Features of the Western Caucasus
The mountains of the Western Caucasus are part of such Russian regions as the republics of Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, as well as the Krasnodar Territory. On the territory of this mountain system there are several nature protection zones designed to protect rare and endangered species of animals and plants that are found only there, or preserved from ancient times.
The western part of the northern Caucasus is distinguished by an abundance of nival-glacial landscape types created by the passage of glaciers. Often in the valleys of this origin, there are lakes with crystal clear water. All rivers originating in these mountains are distinguished by great purity and transparency of water, since the amount of solid runoff is minimal.
The Western Caucasus is distinguished not only by the habitat there of many species of rare animals and plants, the very nature of this mountain system is striking in its grandeur and beauty. In these places you can see snow-capped mountains, gigantic trees, fast mountain rivers with impressive waterfalls.
The status of a World Heritage Site was given to the hard-to-reach highlands, practically untouched by human activity, which once served for royal and grand-prince hunting, and now have the status of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve. The mountain-forest massif, which in addition to the reserve includes several smaller specially protected natural areas, with a total area of about 300 thousand hectares, lies in the western part of the Greater Caucasus in the upper reaches of the Kuban tributaries - the Malaya Laba and Belaya rivers.
The area, which stands out for its pronounced altitudinal zones (broad-leaved forests, coniferous forests, crooked forests, mountain meadows, nival belt), is recognized as one of the most extensive mountain forest reserves in Europe. Forests occupy at least 60% of the area here. These are beech, oak, maple, hornbeam, chestnut, fir, spruce and other species. In total, more than 3 thousand species have been noted in the local flora, of which half are vascular plants, and every third of them is defined as endemic, and every tenth - as a relic of previous eras. About 250 species of birds have been recorded in the protected area, including rare predators nesting here - golden eagle, bearded vulture, osprey, griffon vulture, etc. Among about 80 species of mammals, such largest ones as bison, Caucasian red deer, West Caucasian tur, Caucasian subspecies of brown bear stand out , wolf.
The local bison herd, numbering several hundred heads, is of particular value. It is known that earlier this massive wild bull was widely distributed in Europe and the Caucasus, but then it was completely exterminated: in the early 1920s. the last free-living individuals were shot. Only the adoption of emergency measures, and above all the establishment of the Caucasian Reserve in 1924, made it possible to revive the almost extinct animal. True, the genetic purity of the mountainous Caucasian subspecies has now been lost and the basis of the modern herd is made up of hybrids - the Bialowieza-Caucasian bison and bison.
In general, more than 6 thousand species of plants and animals have been recorded on the territory, which makes it a unique center of biodiversity not only on the scale of the Caucasus, but of the whole of Europe. At the same time, many species are recognized as rare and endangered and are listed in the Red Book of Russia, and some - in the International Red Book.
More than a dozen three-thousanders are concentrated in the reserve and its environs. Here you can see a lot of bizarre rocks and deep gorges, unique forms of weathering, waterfalls (up to 250 m high), alpine lakes. These are various karst formations in limestone - caves, wells and cavities with underground rivers, lakes and waterfalls (including a 15-kilometer dungeon under Mount Fisht). These are also dozens of mountain glaciers, trough valleys, cirques, tarns, moraines.
The exceptional landscape and biological diversity of the Caucasian Reserve and its environs allows us to assert that this area is highly representative of a much larger area - for the entire Greater Caucasus.
Reserve " Western Caucasus”covers an area of almost 175 square kilometers in the western part of the Greater Caucasus Range in the upper reaches of the Belaya and Malaya Laba rivers, where the conditional natural and climatic border of the Eurasian continent passes.
The central zone (almost 280 thousand hectares) is formed by the territories of Karachay-Cherkessia, Krasnodar Territory and Adygea. They are adjoined by the alpine landscapes of Bolshoy Thach, the upper reaches of the Pshekha and Pshekhashkha rivers, the Buiny Ridge, and the upper reaches of the Tsitse. The landscape structure of the Western Caucasus is created by several parallel mountain ranges stretching from the northwest to the southeast. The elevation difference varies from 250 meters to 3600 meters above sea level. The highest peaks: Akaragvarta, Tsakhoa, Chugush.
There are about 80 small glaciers, 130 mountain lakes of various sizes, age and origin (the largest Inpsi, Kardyvach, Bezmolvia) within the limits of the Western Caucasus Reserve. The rivers of the northern part of the reserve flow into the channel of the Kuban and exit into the Sea of Azov (Bolshaya Laba, Belaya, Malaya Laba, Zakan, Damhurst). The rivers of the southern slopes of the Western Caucasus flow straight into the Black Sea (Mzymta, Khosta, Sochi, Shakhe).
The territories of the Western Caucasus are located at the junction of temperate and humid subtropical climatic zones. The climate of the southern foothills and the coastal zone of the Black Sea has a subtropical character, and cold air masses coming from the north are delayed by mountain peaks, falling out of precipitation in mountain gorges. The air temperature depends on the height above sea level and drops by half a degree Celsius for every 100 meters you rise.
The vegetation cover, as well as the type of soil, passes from one to another when going uphill (descent). The foothill part of the Sochi National Park, stretching from Psou to the Ashe River, is characterized by an abundance of oak and hornbeam groves, chestnut. The uppermost zone of the Sochi Park (from 500 to 1500 meters) is formed by fir, spruce and beech forests. At an altitude of 2 thousand meters, the spruce forest is replaced by subalpine vegetation of a pine forest. Another 300 meters of height form open spaces of rhododendron thickets, birch and willow groves of subalpine meadows. The realm of alpine meadows stretches up to 3 thousand meters. The closer to the ice caps of the mountain peaks, the poorer the vegetation, the lower the temperature and the thicker the air.
The flora of the reserve counts more than one and a half thousand species of plants, 17 of which originate from these places (hog parsnip). A third of the flora and fauna of the Western Caucasus belongs to endemics and relics (endangered). In the forests of the subalpine zone, several types of tree-like vines grow (ivy, wild grapes, honeysuckle, nightshade and others).
The fauna of the Western Caucasus is extremely diverse. Among the local inhabitants there are many listed in the Red Books. The most numerous group of the population of the reserve are rodents and small animal species (badgers, noks, otters). Slightly less common are artiodactyls (bison, deer, roe deer, chamois, tours, wild boars). The limits of the Western Caucasus and the Sochi Park in particular serve as an important transit point on the way of migrating migratory birds. The waters of mountain rivers are inhabited by more than two dozen species of river trout.
