St. Petersburg – Republic of Karelia Business Forum took place in Petrozavodsk on 6 September. It was opened by St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov and Head of the Republic of Karelia Artur Parfenchikov. The participants were legislative and executive government officials from the two regions, representatives of the business, scientific and cultural spheres. The forum included some specialized events, such as the round-table session on environmental protection. Olga Bakhmet, Dr. of Biology, RAS Corr. Academician, KarRC RAS Director General was invited by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources of Karelia to speak about the environmental situation in the region.

Karelian scientists implement long-term studies of the region’s aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, its biodiversity, prepare feasibility studies for protected areas to be designated, supervise the annual State Report on the Environment in the Republic of Karelia, work on editions of the Republic of Karelia Red Data Book.

Olga Bakhmet underscored the need to create a unified system for monitoring Karelia’s terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

— The state of the environment in the Republic needs to be monitored on a constant basis. Unfortunately, measurement points in our regions are few. The monitoring grid should cover all districts to be able to assess the situation in general. This task should be handled collaboratively by authorities, science, and business. Karelian Research Centre RAS has an immense experience of implementing monitoring surveys within international, federal, and regional programs. This experience should be taken into account when creating the environmental monitoring system for the republic, — Olga Bakhmet remarked.

The topic of environmental monitoring elicited lively response among people of business, who are interested in collaboration.

Another important environmental initiative is preparation of a federal-level ad hoc program for conservation of lakes Ladoga and Onego, Europe’s largest freshwater reservoirs, which are of strategic and vital significance for Northwest Russia. The program is supposed to encompass the regions in which the lakes are situated. The idea of such a federal program has been circulating around for years.

The Northern Water Problems Institute KarRC RAS is a leading research organization in Northwest Russia implementing multifaceted studies of the White Sea, lakes Onego and Ladoga, lake-river systems and their catchments in Karelia, Kola Peninsula, Vologda, Leningrad and Arkhangelsk Regions.

— Our scientists have been studying the largest lakes of Europe for many years. Karelian Research Centre RAS has all the necessary infrastructure, including research vessels, for such research. Our vessels are used also by colleagues from St. Petersburg and other regions. Most importantly, we have highly qualified specialists thoroughly familiar with the topic. Thus, Karelian scientists are ready to take up the key role in implementing this federal ad hoc program, — KarRC RAS leader stressed.

The St. Petersburg delegation also expressed interest in the scientists’ experience in substantiating the designation of new protected areas.

— It is not just a number of PAs that have been established in Karelia, but a PA network, which serves as the region’s environmental framework. Accordingly, it should be considered in the general Northwest Russia context rather than within our administrative borders. In this sense, we’d be willing to both share experience with our neighbors and to help them in the activities for substantiating and establishing protected areas, — Olga Bakhmet added.

Wrapping up her talk, KarRC RAS Director General informed the session participants that the Karelian Research Centre has been appointed as one of the main implementing organizations in a major nationwide innovation project for creating a unified national system for monitoring climate-active substances.

— This is further evidence that there is demand for the background, expertise and potential of the Karelian Research Centre RAS at the federal level. We, too, are willing to employ them in implementing within- and inter-regional projects, — Director General summed up.