As Russia continues to intensify its industrial development efforts, it relies on vast natural riches of Siberia to support economic growth and retain political stability. Kremlin-owned companies and favored oligarchs profit from enormous Siberian oil and gas deposits, gold and aluminum mines, and wood from the taiga. Lake Baikal, the biggest lake on Earth, a natural wonder and a World Heritage Site located in Eastern Siberia, has been experiencing industrial, commercial, environmental, and social pressures for decades. But today's battles over the future of the lake are more intense than ever. Who makes decisions affecting the world's largest reservoir of fresh water, and how? Who stands to benefit from the industrial development of the Baikal region? What are the alternatives, and will the lake's unique ecosystem survive?
Elena Agarkova, J.D., just spent two years in Siberia, on Lake Baikal, on a grant from Institute of Current World Affairs, researching management of Siberian natural resources and the relationship between Siberia's natural riches and its people. Previously, Agarkova was a legal fellow at the University of Washington's School of Law, at the Berman Environmental Law Clinic. Agarkova was born in Moscow, and has volunteered for environmental non-profits in the Lake Baikal region of Siberia. She holds a law degree from Georgetown.
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