Environmental Watch on North Caucasus letter to EBRD President Lemierre regarding possible investments in Sochi, Russia

Mr J. Lemierre
President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

EBRD investments in ecologically harmful projects in Sochi

In spring of this year we have learned that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has been considering the possibility of investments in construction of infrastructure in the city of Sochi. In particular, during an EBRD delegation visit to Krasnodar and to Sochi they spoke about the possibility of investments in the modernization of Adler Airport and in other infrastructure objects. It is obvious that these projects are connected with the proposed Olympic Games of 2014 in Sochi. If the games are to take place then they are set to become the most environmentally unfriendly Olympic Games on the entire Olympic Movement record.

Unfortunately, the plans for Sochi to host the Olympics contradict the noble goals of the Olympic Movement, since they combine severe damage to the unique biological diversity of the North-West Caucasus, the destruction of globally significant nature sites, major and violation of Russian environmental legislation. These plans, contrary to the Olympic Charter, do not contribute to "to building a better world". These plans also contradict EBRD Environmental Policy.

The main anti-environmental factor in the planning of the Olympic games in Sochi is the fact that the major part of the burden connected with the construction of the sport complexes, hotels and infrastructure are concentrated on the territory of the Sochi National Part (2nd category IUCN) and in the protected zone of the Caucasus Nature Reserve (1st category IUCN), which is part of the World Heritage Site "Western Caucasus". Therefore, not only Russian legislation will be violated, which forbids similar construction and mass sports activities on the National Parks territories, but also the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, since the construction of many scaled objects (such as Bobsleigh Track, Mountain Olympic Village, Biathlon Complex, accompanying infrastructure for these facilities and accompanying infrastructure for Ski Complex) will be conducted in the Buffer Zone of the World Heritage Site. If this happens, the West Caucasus World Heritage Site will suffer. As a consequence, it will be most likely included into the World Heritage in Danger List. Besides, one more area of federal strictly protected natural area is in danger of economical development - the Sochi State Wildlife Preserve.

Another serious threat for conservation of biological and landscape diversity of the Caucasus eco-region is the development of Imeretinskaya Lowland - Russia's only area where landscapes and biodiversity of the Colchis wetlands still prevail. This is an extremely valuable natural tract, which plays an exceptionally important role for the migration of birds via the Greater Caucasus Range and the Black Sea and carries the status of the important bird area of international significance.

Adler Airport refurbishment is yet another environmental threat. Operation of the existing airport has been linked with excessive noise impact on the residential area in the vicinities of the airport. Due to the airport expansion that exposure and unfavorable effect on the health of the city dwellers is set to grow. In addition, we are very apprehensive about the plans to relocate the channel of Mzymta River which "prohibits" the developers from scheduled expansion of the takeoff runway. The river is a source of drinking water for Sochi and the spawning grounds for important fish species; therefore any mass-scale intervention into its eco-system represented by the river channel relocation is inadmissible.

We urge you to critically evaluate the numerous statements voiced by Russia's governmental officials, who are lobbying for the Games to take place. Unfortunately, the Russian government authorities charged with the task of protecting the environment have taken up a biased position towards the plans to host the Olympic Games in Sochi.

These authorities and the representing officials are dependent on the Russian leadership while active support of Olympic plans offered by the President of Russia and the Government members make them turn a deaf ear on the most gross violations of legislation and immense environmental damage carried by the Olympic Games hosting on the unique natural tracts. Expressing the opinion of the independent conservation community of the North Caucasus, our organization states unequivocally that the statements by the Russian officials that all environmental requirements would be complied with and the Olympic Games in Sochi cause no fundamental environmental damage do not reflect the facts.

Since 2006, a massive campaign has been launched to destroy any Russian legislation that would prevent the realization of the Olympic Games on the territory of Sochi National Park. It is aimed at the elimination of all the provisions that could interfere with the realization of the Olympic plans.

The Olympic ambitions of the Russian authorities undermine the environment protection provision process on the vast areas of Russia, and will no doubt have an unfavorable effect on the environmental protection on a global scale. It will serve to aggravate global environmental crises.

In this connection, Environmental Watch on North Caucasus appeals to EBRD with the request to refuse from investments in consideration of ecologically harmful projects connected with the Sochi Olympics. In particular construction of different infrastructure objects on the territory of Sochi National Park and of Imeretinskaya Lowland, reconstruction of Adler Airport.

With all of this going on, we would welcome the bank's efforts on carrying out investments directed to Sochi ecological condition improvement which is really critical. In particular, it is very important to modernize a terrible domestic waste dump in the Adler City, to build and reconstruct a waste disposal plant, the lack or emergency condition of which presents the factor of enormous pollution of coastal area and of sea water. It impacts extremely negatively at the health resort resources. It is known that the Bank has been considering the possibility of financing a similar project on the southern coast of the Crimea in Ukraine.

It is possible that our concern expressed in this letter is connected with lack of information connected to EBRD investment plans in Sochi. Therefore we ask you to inform us officially what are the plans of the Bank in respect of financing connected with Sochi Olympics hosting plans and with mountain health resort creation.

We also ask you when planning EBRD investments in Sochi to consider the Environmental Watch on North Caucasus as an interested party and to involve it into the process of Bank projects public consultations.
 
Coordinator
Andrey Rudomakha

Vice Coordinator
Dmitry Kaptsov