Russia's first Geopark is proposed to be established in north-east region of Bashkiria

UFA, 17 February 2017. /Bashinform News Agency, Gulfiya Akulova/. The Ministry of Ecology of Bashkortostan has proposed to implement the Russia's first pilot project on creating a geopark under the auspices of UNESCO in the northeast region of Bashkiria. The idea to establish in the republic a new kind of protected area was announced during a working meeting of the Head of the Region with the executive secretary of the Russian Federation Commission for UNESCO Affairs Grigory Ordzhonikidze. The initiative was supported by the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Russia.

"In the north-east of the republic there are 31 specially protected natural areas of republican significance, including five state nature reserves and 26 natural monuments. Creation of natural parks with recreational areas of health resorts entails restriction of activities of the latter. Taking into account the presence in the area of geological monuments of nature, we consider it expedient to consider the creation of a Geopark under the auspices of UNESCO ", the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology RB Ildus Yachin offered at a meeting in the Government of the Republic.

Natural objects of Bashkortostan have all chances to gain a Geopark status, the head of the Ecology Ministry RB Ildar Khadyev states. Currently, the Minister takes part in the meeting of the Russian Committee of UNESCO's International Programme for Geoscience and Geoparks in the Krasnodar Territory.