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TRANSBOUNDARY WATER MANAGEMENTThe nature of the Baikal was held sacred by local people and there are manymonuments in the regionphenomena, characterizing contemporary geological activity, arethe most apparent in this area. The main threats to the Baikal andSelenga basins are climate change, industrial development, increasingpollutants, destruction of habitat, reduction of biodiversity, andinflux and adaptation of alien species.The length of the border between the Russian Federation andMongolia is 3,488 km. In Mongolia, 25 rivers flow in to the Selengaand the main part of the Selenga river basin lies on the frontier withRussia. This part of Mongolia, called the Han-hai, is the core of thecountry’s economy. It plays an important role in addressing socialdevelopment issues and has great potential for economic growth andfavourable conditions for living.The total area of the region is 343.2 km 2 , or 20 per cent of theoverall Mongolian territory. It includes 122 districts (somons) andeight provinces (aimaks) partially or fully. The average populationdensity of Mongolia is 1.8 people per square kilometre; but along theSelenga river basin, it is 4.4 people per square kilometre. In 2011, theoverall population of the Selenga river basin was 2.1 million people,representing 73.6 per cent of the total population of Mongolia. Thenumber of city residents of the region has notably increased.Major industrial cities of the country are located on the shoresof the Selenga tributaries. The largest industries are located inUlaanbaatar, Erdenet and Darkhan. These include the Erdenet, Gobiand Darkhan metallurgical companies, carpet and cashmere woolcompanies, lambskin coat factories and meat processing and packingplants. Such a concentration of people and economic resources leadsto an intensified anthropogenic impact and ecological problems.It is clear that the Selenga river plays an important role in formingthe hydrological, hydrochemical and hydrobiological regimen ofLake Baikal. Its delta is a natural biofilter and indicator of the lake’scondition, and this necessitates a complex scientific assessment ofImage: Evgeni Kozyrevthe condition of its ecosystem. Nonetheless, preservationof the lake is impossible without the joint effortsof both Russia and Mongolia. There is a clear need forjoint support and activities aimed at the preservationof biodiversity and the health of water and land ecosystemsto ensure that the systems can sustain requiredfunctions for future generations.Before detailing current mutual efforts to preservethis valuable resource, it is important to clarify howpast generations of people who have lived in the Baikalregion have perceived the sanctity of the lake andpreserved the natural objects that surround it.Ecological traditions of the Baikal region’s aboriginalpeople developed over time and had their own history.The nature of the Baikal was always acknowledgedin the Central Asian world. For example, accordingto Genghis Khan’s edict, the area around Lake Baikalwas proclaimed a reserve. Any activity causing harmto nature and the gods was outlawed. A prohibition listwas created, which was in essence an ecological codeof that time. Siberian people attributed a soul to nature.They had practiced careful treatment of the Baikal andits adjacent territories for centuries. Developing theidea of man’s reliance on natural powers, indigenouspeople and Russian newcomers deemed that anydisease, including any accidental and minor ailment,was nothing but punishment from the local spirits whoprotected the Baikal. People, in their turn, longed forthe Baikal’s protection, using adjacent unique naturalobjects such as minerals, springs and therapeutic mud.The indigenous populations of the Baikal region adaptedtheir households to the local natural conditions.Humans developed a special attitude towards objectsof a colossal scale that engendered a terrifying superstition.Such objects were seen as sacred, and myths werecreated around them. Lake Baikal is a huge water reservoir,surrounded by high mountain ridges on almostall sides. Therefore, the myths created by people whoinhabited the pre-Baikal area in ancient times werefocused on the spiritualization of water and mountains;a feature that is especially notable in Buryat myths. Thisidea can be traced in a series of cosmogonic myths. Inall cases the action takes place on Lake Baikal or in itswaters. In this regard, water is seen as an original, creativeelement and a medium of conception and creation.Mountains are inseparable from water in myths, andthe two are merged into a twofold invigorating source.It was quite natural that the heroes of ancient Buryatmyths asked their ‘parents’ (the elements that createdthem) for protection and salvation. They formed anoriginal unanimity of water and mountainous powers,which was reflected in the process of giving names tonatural objects. With the development of shamanism,which arose in the ancient historical epochs, human lifewas related to water which, being valued as a sourceof life, was saturated with greater sacral diversity.‘Khaty’ or water spirits appeared, living near the lakeand a concept of ‘water tsars’ was formed. These had acelestial origin and were light and virtuous. There is a[ 82 ]