Golden Mountains of Altai

Impacts of a road project across the property

In March 2007 the State Party provided a report on monitoring, risk management and education programmes in the property. The authorities are monitoring threats, which include forest fires, poaching of fish and wildlife, illegal construction adjacent to lakes, and oil pollution. Extensive monitoring programmes are ongoing for the wildlife and vegetation in the property. For the Katunsky Reserve the State Party has extensively promoted the World Heritage values through an education program targeting schools neighbouring the property. The report also covers the following issues:

a) Consideration for transboundary extension

In response to the Committee’s request at its 22nd session (Kyoto, 1998), the State Party is developing a partnership with Mongolia with the aim to develop a transboundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve between Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China. The Ukok Quiet Zone would be the core of this area. The State Party has also created an interdisciplinary planning team of specialists to prepare a management plan for the Ukok Quiet Zone, which is part of the property.

b) Gas pipeline from Russia to China

The State Party report also provides information on the current status of the proposed gas pipeline to China, which would cross the zone of Ukok Quiet Zone Nature Park where economic activities are strictly limited. The Ministry of Nature Resources and its Federal Ecological Inspection Service so far have not received any documentation or correspondence relating to this project even though the Park Administration has sent an request for further information to the company in charge of developing the gas pipeline, a company called Giprospetsgaz, a subsidiary of GAZPROM.

In addition to this information, IUCN has learnt that the State Party has produced a draft gas pipeline report on this region which has been made available to the public. According to the Official Website of the International Coordinating Council "Our Common Home Altai," President Putin has been discussing building a new gas pipeline across the western borderline between Russia and China which will supply China with 60-80 billion cubic meters of gas annually and is to be launched by 2011. The field surveys for the pipeline are due to begin in 2007 and an agreement has already been signed between the Government of the Altai Republic and GAZPROM. The investment proposal made public did not include any information on the Status of the World Heritage property and its protection. There is also a possibility of the access road for the construction of the pipeline becoming a public road.

As required under paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, the State Party should provide information on this project, but so far no information was received

The World Heritage Centre and IUCN request the State Party to clarify the status of this project and the potential impact on the property. The State Party information should include a copy of the documents relating to this development in English, including the Environmental Impact Assessment, together with a map with the exact location of the pipeline in relation to the boundaries of the property and its management zones. IUCN notes that GAZPROM states on its website that it is committed to ensuring that the Altai project will undergo all statutory public and ecological impact assessments and (industry and state) hearings, independent environmental auditing, and that the project will be prepared and executed with maximum transparency in partnership with the scientific and ecological community and mass media. However, IUCN is concerned that the construction works and the potential for leakage or accidents may threaten the outstanding universal value and integrity of the property.

It is noted that building a gas pipeline through this World Heritage property would represent a clear case for inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The Government of the Republic of Altai is actively promoting tourism in the area which should be addressed as a management issue in the management planning documents of the property. IUCN requests that the State Party provide summaries of these documents which should include a strategy for managing increasing tourism pressure and ensuring that tourism is consistent with the natural values of the property.