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News, May 2007.

The initial monitoring of GDA Model Communities Initiatives Program Project complexes
GDA Рroject complex “Selenga River Delta – A Sustainable Development Area by Lake Baikal”  is implemented in Posolskoye Rural Municipality of Kabanskii rayon, Republic of Buryatia.

	Three projects are implemented and the site visit on the 14-17 of  May, 2007 was organized to make initial monitoring of projects’ implementation by FSD and ISC VT (Sasha Bernes) staff. The site visit started from meeting with Administration of Kabanskii rayon
Meeting with Deputy Head of Kabankii rayon E.V.Pegasov

Project GDA-ESRC- 1 ($24,994.62) “Energy-efficiency in Posolskoye Rural Municipality”.

Energy-efficiency project is carrying out in the main school of the Posolskoe community and includes purchasing of materials for windows installation, initial monitoring of schoolchildren health is also underway. The windows will be installed in the school recreation hall (about 70 sq m - used for the schoolchildren common activity meetings, holidays), school dining room and school sport hall. The expected results of EE project are: improvement of microclimate in school, increasing of inside temperature and comfortable condition for pupils and teachers, decreasing of wind draft and  respiratory diseases, 15-18% reduction of heat loss through the building’s enclosure thanks to installed insulating glass units.

In the frame of consortium projects’ implementation the partnerships of projects is developing that helps to achieve synergistic effect of consortium projects: the school (project 1) with support of Baikalskii zapovednik/ Kabanskii zakaznik (project 3) is currently oriented on ecological education and regional tourism infrastructure development. Schoolchildren have special curricula on tourist guides education with study of local 350-years history and culture and then serve as tourists guide service - during site visit the excursions to school ecological- historical museum (Fig.2) and to Posolskoe Save-Transfiguration cloister (monastery) were guided by schoolchildren.

The schoolgirl of Posolskoe school serve as guide for excursion in school ecological museum.

Project GDA-ESRC- 2 ($19,924.84) “Improvement of mass recreation area Lemasovo for community members and tourists”

includes landscaping and improving the environment of Lemasovo recreational area ( 7 ha) with 10 km  of sand beach and warm water in the coastal lakes of Baikal (Posolskii “sor”) separated from main Baikal lake (named locally “sea”) by strip of sand . The project’s implementation was started by development of plan of recreational area management and purchasing materials  for tourist camps installation with bonfire sites and toilets. The next  it is planned to continue  activity on recreational area improvement, cleaning beaches and ecological camp organization in July for 30 high school students who will work as volunteers for Lemasovo area landscaping and improvement. After completing of project and improvement of this recreational zone for wide public the responsibility for saving of new installations (protection and penalties system) will be taken by Municipality according the RF Law 131 and Community Development Plan as well as by public organizations and leaders.

Project GDA-ESRC-3 ($20,000.00) “Selenga River Delta – A Bird Haven”.

This project will include organizing tourist routes in the area of the Great Baikal Trail; and developing ornithological tourism and guiding tours at the ornithological reserve. A “Bird Haven” started the activities of developing ornithological tourism and guiding tourist routes at the ornithological Kabanskii nature protection area - zakaznik (reserve) having international status of Ramsar Estate : 3 tourist routes for 3 targeted tourist groups were elaborated (for bird watchers, for cultural/educational tourism and combined route). From project start the important issue is the  development of partnerships with local population and involvement people (youth) into tourism service to create new jobs and to motivate people for nature protection. The questioning of local people was done in 8 settlements to find out their interests in tourism service development (souvenirs production, B&B, tourist groups guidening, fishering, etc.), currently there were chosen 26 persons and leaflet will be published for tourists’ information on different services which they could get during tourist tours in zakaznik.

The equipment for tourist houses, bird observation towers, information signs along the paths and in the tourist camp started to be purchased. The test tours are planning to be organized the next Q for tourist agencies representatives, representative of Administration, public. The 2 articles on project goals and tasks were published in local newspaper. Since the goal of project is not only ecotourism development, but also nature conservation the Nature Chronicle is started to be prepared with description of nature monuments, landscapes and history of Kabansk region.