Russia criticized by UN over Olympics construction
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The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) criticized Russia on Tuesday for improper practices in assessing the environmental impact of construction projects for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
A UNEP expert team found that the wildlife assessments made by the Russian government focused on the direct impacts of the various projects but did not take into account the cumulative and indirect effects on the ecosystems of the Sochi region and its populations.
"A comprehensive assessment of the overall impact of the Olympic and tourism projects on the ecosystem should be conducted, in all relevant fields of ecological expertise," said a UNEP report published on Tuesday.
The UN team, which traveled to Russia on Jan. 28-30, also noted that environmental assessments made by the Russian Railway Corporation on the proposed rail and road project were based on out-dated literature.
"The mission observed that more efforts could be devoted to the collection of field data, particularly on key issues such as hydro- ecology and the values and functions of the ecosystems of the valley in general," said the report.
The Olympic sites in Sochi, a Black Sea resort, have caused extensive damage to ecosystems, according to environmental activists.
The UN mission traveled to Sochi in response to a number of protests from some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and at the invitation of the Russian government and the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee.
The UNEP report, which noted a lack of cooperation between NGOs and the government, recommended a holistic monitoring program to field data on the indirect and direct effects of all projects.
Effective practices aimed at biodiversity conservation and management in the Sochi region would make the 2014 Olympics "a unique environmental showcase," said the report.
