Conference Report: Moscow and Barnaul (Altai), Russia, July 20-29, 2003

"Society and Environment Interaction under Conditions of Global and Regional Changes"

During the conference which were both in Moscow and in Barnaul about 170 papers were presented, correspondingly about 200 people took part in different parts of the conference.

Calendar of the Conference events:

July 19-20: Session of the IGU-LUCC Commission in Moscow (Chairman: E.Milanova). 40 papers including posters were given.
July 18: Pre-conference trip of the IGU-LUCC Commission to the Gorky Natural and Historic Open-air Museum.

Within the session on geographic education, which was held in Barnaul, two pre-conference excursions on this topic have been carried out:

July 19: Pre-conference trip of Geographical Education Commission to the school educational field centre in Moscow Oblast (Chairman: V. Gorbanev).
July 20-21: Pre-conference trip of the Commission of Geographical Education to Plyos, Ivanov Oblast (Chairman: V. Gorbanev)

July 22: Opening of the Conference in Barnaul
July 22: Plenary session, Welcome reception
July 23-24: Sectional sessions

Sectional session program:

1. Regional effects of global climate change. Chairman: A. Zolotokrylin. 18 papers were presented.
2. Natural and technogenic hydrological changes and their impact on environment components. Chairman: A. Georgiady. 13 papers were presented.
3. Altai-Sayan Mountain Region in the epoch of globalization. Persons in charge: Yu. Badenkov, Bruno Messerli. 22 papers were presented.
4. Cartography, GIS, remote sensing. Persons in charge: V. Tikunov. 10 papers were presented.
5. Geographical education under global and regional changes. Chairman: V. Gorbanev. 20 papers were presented.
6. Health, environment and development. Chairman: S. Malkhazova. 10 papers were presented.
7. Problems of nature management. Chairman: D. Lyuri. 8 papers were presented.
8. Regional economic and socio-political factors of sustainable development. Chairman: P. Baklanov, V. Kolossov. 20 papers were presented.

The conference included two round-table discussions:

Round-table 1: Transboundary areas under globalization: zones of cooperation or barriers. Chairman: Yu. Badenkov.
Round-table 2: Environmental services: Kyoto Protocol and market of carbon quotas - new alternative mechanisms of sustainable development. Chairman: N. Glazovsky.

After the conference all participants took part in Two field trips:

1. Trip to Teletskoe Lake: During the trip, participants visited the capital of the Republic of Altai - Gorno-Altaysk, run along the Chuysk Track, saw the "Altai pearl" - Teletskoye Lake, the Biya and Chulyshman Rivers. The following subjects were discussed during the trip: environment conservation, protection of indigenous peoples, their spiritual and cultural traditions, development of recreation and transport networks, land use dynamics and social changes, choice of development strategy and transboundary cooperation.

2. Trip to Aktru-Kosh-Agach Glaciers: The subjects of the trip were the Quaternary mountain glaciation, formation of moraine, glacial lakes, Alpine landforms, high-mountain zones as well as climatic difference of the western and eastern slopes of the Altai Mountains, phenomenon of Alpine steppe, natural and cultural monuments, prospects of the region. The participants also took part in the discussion on environmental consequences of the project of Hydro power station building on Katun River. The main conclusion is that minuses from the building (distruction of the unique mountain region) will be much more sizable than pluses.