RUSSIA PROTECTED AREAS - A SURVEY AND IDENTIFICATION OF DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS

Natural habitat preservation, i.e. the creation and management of Prot ected Natural Areas (PNAs), is one of the most important forms of biod iversity conservation. The most widespread types of PNAs in Russia are Zakazniks (State Nature Refuges) and Natural Monuments, but unlike Za povedniks (State Nature Reserves) these types of Russian PNAs are litt le-known to foreign ecologists. Thus the main attention of this articl e is given to the problems of Zakazniks and Natural Monuments while ot her types of Russian PNAs are mentioned briefly. In many regions of Ru ssia, Zakazniks and Natural Monuments are considered to be the core co mponents for the regional protection of biodiversity. Non-Governmental Organizations play an important role in the creation and management o f PNAs. The recent sudden change of circumstances in Russia have given rise to many problems which threaten the existence of Zakazniks and N atural Monuments. Possible means of saving these PNAs include: (i) pro moting the interest of local people in protecting biodiversity; and (i i) supporting local authorities, and public initiatives and regional p rogrammes in the creation of local PNA networks.