Trash Free National Parks: Chikoy

Trash Free National Parks: Chikoy

January 2021 – January 2022

Lake Baikal Foundation has been implementing the Trash Free National Parks program sinсe 2019. As a systematic continuation of the pilot project in the Zabaikalsky National Park (the Republic of Buryatia), the Foundation initiated a scale-up of the practices in the Chikoy National Park (the Zabaikalsky Krai).

The national park and the neighboring Krasny Chikoy settlement are in the buffer zone of the Baikal Natural Area and are crucial for the Baikal ecosystems conservation. This area is inhabited by various animal and plant species listed in regional, federal and international Red Book; four natural monuments are also situated here: Lamsky Gorodok, Lake Shebetuy, Esutaysky Golets, Bystrinsky Golets.

As a part of the Foundation’s program, the main principle of waste treatment is established, namely «Carry In – Carry Out». It implies that the visitors and employees of the national park reduce their «garbage footprint» in national park as much as possible and can separate and recycle solid waste there. For this purpose, seven recycling points, which include mobile recycling bins, instructions for waste separation, information boards with a map of waste collection points, are to be installed in the Chikoy National Park. To ensure the correct assessment of the volume, dynamics, composition of waste and make relevant infrastructure decisions, we adjust the Concept of Sustainable Solid Waste Management for the Zabaikalsky National Park to the specifics of the Chikoy National Park. This Concept was initially developed for the Zabaikalsky National Park in 2019-2020.

For most local people, waste minimization and recycling practices have already turned into ecohabits and rational use of resources is not new to them. Such grassroot responsibility is a solid basis for anchoring ecotourism in the national park. The task of Lake Baikal Foundation is to help to expand and properly build the processes of logistics, environmental education, and promotion of rational consumption through the support of the local community.

Goals:

  • to implement a separate waste collection system for the visitors and employees in the Chikoy National Park;
  • to support the development of the responsible waste treatment system on the neighboring territory (the Krasny Chikoy settlement);
  • to increase the level of environmental culture of the national park’s visitors, employees as well as of the local community in terms of responsible waste treatment.

What effect do we want to achieve?

  • separate waste collection practices and ecohabits of the local community, the Chikoy National Park’s visitors and employees are implemented;
  • environmental education activities for the target audience are united into single concept ensuring the formation of professionals and population community who live and work in accordance with sustainable consumption concept;
  • to strengthen the partnership between business, NGO, specially protected natural area, civil society, thereby locally implementing the global Sustainable Development Goals in terms of responsible consumption, protection of terrestrial and water ecosystems.

Sustainability of the Project:

  • in the long term, Lake Baikal Foundation ensures the maintenance and development of the implemented sustainable practices and the establishment of other sustainable development elements by the Chikoy National Park itself, which is supposed to result in transformation of the tourism in the Baikal Natural Area.

Reports and research:

2020

The Concept of Sustainable Solid Waste Management for the Zabaikalsky National Park (In Russian)

Photo: the Chikoy National Park



Trash Free National Parks