Forests as objects of protection of the World Heritage System (on the example of the central ecological zone of the Baikal natural territory)

The important role of forests for the conservation of biodiversity and maintaining the stability of other ecosystems is stated. The relevance of the problems of forest protection at World Heritage sites is substantiated for reasons of the need to ensure sustainable socio-economic development of territories. The consistency of the hypothesis of the existence of a significant potential of the world Heritage protection system for strengthening the legal protection regimes of forests in Russia and other countries is systematically argued. Proposals are formulated on the need to develop a categorical position of the World Heritage Committee on the use and protection of forests. Expert events conducted under the auspices of the world Heritage protection system bodies should be a necessary step towards its development. The expediency of holding such events in the Russian Federation on the territory of the World Heritage site «Lake Baikal» is substantiated. It is stated that it is necessary to develop a consolidated position on commercial timber harvesting and sanitary logging at World Heritage sites. The ways to improve forest protection by various means are proposed, among which the need to develop methodological recommendations at the international level on sustainable forest management practices at World Heritage sites, as well as specialized methodological guidelines on environmental impact assessment in the implementation of various types of forest management is highlighted.

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