RU

At any time, a global environmental catastrophe may occur at Lake Baikal.

A potential mudflow could bring as much debris to Lake Baikal (lignin sludge), remaining from the activities of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Plant, as the Plant would have dumped over the course of 700 years. All it takes is 3 days of rain pouring down from the spurs of the Chamar-Daban mountain range.

At a minimum, the damage caused would include:
– the waters and all the living organisms of the Southern Baikal basin would be contaminated; 
– the fish, multiple endemics and all the plants and micro-organisms which keep the deep waters of Lake Baikal clean would die. This, in turn, would have a horrific effect on the entire lake, which is already suffering from wildfires, waste disposal from plants, residents and tourists, and which is already showing maximum permissible levels of toxins;
– the waters of the Angara River and the Irkutsk reservoir would be polluted and unsuitable for drinking for all the residents of the Irkutsk Oblast (approx. 2.5 million people).

Lake Baikal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Russians call it the blue well of the planet. The importance of Lake Baikal for the planet's ecosystem can hardly be overestimated. It is the largest source of fresh water on the planet. Since everything is interconnected, such a disaster would affect all the ecosystems on Earth.

But it doesn't end there. Imagine the rage of Mother Earth, and what it will take to restore the broken balance...

Russian authorities have been discussing the issue for several years now, but no actual measures have been put into place to avoid a disaster. The federal government has passed the issue down to local authorities, but the latter, along with other organisations in charge, drag out the project for mudflow protection and tackling waste from the former plant. But we have no time to spare.

How can we avoid a catastrophe? I believe it's entirely possible if each and every one of us is aware of the problem if the global community and UNESCO get involved and demand that Russian authorities take the necessary steps to prevent a disaster. If Lake Baikal, such a vital source of life, gets contaminated – everyone will suffer the consequences.

We demand that the Russian government:

1. Finally take responsibility and put into place real measures to prevent a catastrophe as soon as possible. 
2. Take the Baikal Pulp and Paper Plant waste management project back to the federal level, eliminate all red tape and the countless approvals by interested bodies and organisations. 
3. Make sure that Russian citizens, especially those living in the area of the potential disaster, and the entire global community stay informed about the reality of the situation and the actions being taken to avoid a tragedy.