SFM Strengthening Protected Area System of the Komi Republic to Conserve Virgin Forest Biodiversity in the Pechora River Headwaters Region

The taiga ecosystems of the eastern part of the Republic of Komi represent the last examples of extensive virgin forests in Europe, and the largest expanse of relatively unfragmented forests on the continent. Their location on the western slopes of the Ural Mountains means that they are ecologically unique, as both European and Siberian flora and fauna are co-located. The Virgin Komi Forests were placed on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list for their value as one of the most important natural sites in the boreal forest region. A primary tool to conserve the globally significant biodiversity of this region is the protected area system of the Republic of which two large and contiguous protected areas are the cornerstone - Yugyd Va National Park and the Pechora-Ilych State Nature Reserve. However, the sustainability of benefits secured through the protected area system is undermined due to a number of barriers. These relate especially to systemic and institutional capacity weaknesses, and to the absence of a sustainable financing system. The goal of the proposed GEF-funded intervention, consistent with GEF Strategic Priority BD1, is the conservation of the globally significant biodiversity of the Republic of Komi. The project objective is to achieve the social, financial and institutional sustainability of the protected areas system of the Republic of Komi by demonstrating effective conservation practice and resource use in two protected areas of the Upper Pechora Basin and their buffer zones. Good practices and lessons learned will be disseminated throughout the Komi Republic and the Russian Federation. 25 Feb 2008 The objective of the project is a representative and effectively managed network of protected areas ensures conservation of pristine boreal forest and taiga ecosystems in the Komi Republic.