RF-China Amur coop experience should be used at other rivers-min

KHABAROVSK, September 6 (Itar-Tass) - Experience of cooperation
between Russia and China in the environmental protection in the vast basin
of the Amur River can be extended to other trans-border rivers, Director
of the department of the state policy of management of water resources and
ecology of the RF Natural Resources Ministry Dmitry Kirillov said at the
Amur-2011 international conference that opened in Khabarovsk on Tuesday.
He noted that the conference is focused on issues of monitoring water
bodies, the state of biodiversity, environment impact assessment, water
resources management. "Improving the quality of trans-border waters in the
Amur River basin is "an important achievement in our interaction with
partners from China. Significant progress has been made in the framework
of joint Russian-Chinese commission for the rational use and protection of
trans-border water resources," Kirillov said.
He particularly stressed that the bilateral cooperation is not limited
to water issues only. "Together with the Chinese side we are implementing
measures to conserve the population of Amur tigers. This year, we approved
a joint with China strategy for the development of the border especially
protected areas in the territories of Russia and China. In addition, a
draft agreement between the two governments on the protection of habitats
of birds is in a high degree of readiness."
Director of the Environmental Development Centre of the Ministry of
Environmental Protection of China Tang Dingding gave a detailed account of
the development of partnership relations with Russia, the implementation
of major environmental programs in the basins of the Amur, Songhua
(Sungari) Rivers and other water bodies. So, 1.3 billion US dollars have
been invested in projects for the Songhua River waters purification from
pollutants. Investments in environmental protection projects 2.3 times
exceeded the volume of capital investments over the previous 15 years. The
investment program has been 104.7 percent fulfilled.
The operation 116 industrial and other facilities has been prohibited
in the Heilongjiang province because of the production facilities' failure
to meet the ecology norms. In the Jilin province about 180 such facilities
were closed.
Tang Dingding named the priorities of the "Chinese way of
environmental development." They, above all, include the harmonisation of
the economy and ecology, improvement of the population's living conditions
through the introduction of scientific achievements. "We are ready for
further cooperation with Russia, the expansion of spheres of cooperation
and exchange of experience," he stressed.
Russian and Chinese co-chairs of the sections formed at the conference
outlined a range of issues to be discussed on Wednesday and Thursday
during a cruise of a motor ship on the Amur River on the route from
Khabarovsk to Tongjiang. The subject of the dialogue and discussions
covers a wide range of topical issues - from the assessment of
trans-border monitoring of the Amur River ecosystem, preservation of
biodiversity to the problems of interaction in emergency situations. The
closing plenary session will be held on September 8 in the Chinese city of
Tongjian. The conference participants will familiarise themselves in China
with the work of the environmental protection facilities.
On September 9, a meeting of the Interregional Coordination Committee
for the Sustainable Development of the Amur Basin with the participation
of members of the Russian delegation will be held aboard the Vasily
Poyarkov ship.
The Amur or Heilong River is the world's tenth longest river, forming
the border between the Russian Far East (Outer Manchuria) and
North-eastern China (Inner Manchuria). It rises in the hills of western
Manchuria at the confluence of its two major affluents, the Shilka River
and the Ergune River, at an elevation of 303 metres (994 ft). It flows
east forming the border between China and Russia, and slowly makes a great
arc to the southeast for about 400 kilometres (250 mi), receiving many
tributaries and passing many small towns. At Huma, it is joined by a major
tributary, the Huma River. Afterwards it continues to flow south until
between the cities of Blagoveschensk (Russia) and Heihe (China), it widens
significantly as it is joined by the Zeya River, one of its most important
tributaries.
The Amur arcs to the east and turns southeast again at the confluence
with the Bureya River, then does not receive another significant tributary
for nearly 250 kilometres (160 mi) before its confluence with its largest
tributary, the Songhua River, at Tongjiang. At the confluence with the
Songhua the river turns northeast, now flowing towards Khabarovsk, where
it joins the Ussuri River and ceases to define the Russia-China border.
Now the river spreads out dramatically into a braided character, flowing
north-northeast through a wide valley in eastern Russia, passing Amursk
and Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The valley narrows after about 200 kilometres (120
mi) and the river again flows north onto plains at the confluence with the
Amgun River. Shortly after the Amur turns sharply east and into an estuary
at Nikolayevsk-on-Amur, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) downstream of which it
flows into the Tatar Strait.