The petition requests a removal of the construction project from
the «General plan of development of electric power industry of
Russia till 2020». The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Greenpeace
Russia, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North,
Siberia and Far East (АКМНССиДВ) and other NGOs within the field of
environment and human rights urges the government to reconsider
this general plan.
- Taking into account the social and ecological damage as well
as the financial resources necessary for its realization, this
project can basically not be effective, proclaims a joint letter
signed by the participating NGOs.
"Evenki Hydro Power Station" involves relocation of indigenous
people's villages and about 1 million ha of unique deciduous
forests will be flooded if the dam construction becomes reality.
According to researches of the Russian Academy of Sciences, this
kind of forests also plays the major role in the maintenance of
carbon balance possessing a buffering function that limits the
global warming. Furthermore, construction of enormous complexes of
hydro power in fragile northern ecosystems is always unpredictable
and may cause irreversible changes of all components in the
surrounding eco-system of the building zone and the water
basin.
Additionally, at least one of the three areas of nuclear
explosions that were done at the Lower Tunguska in the 70's will be
flooded if the construction takes place. The project of "Evenki
Hydro Power Station" was developed in 80's but was rejected in the
late 80's by the Gorbachev's government after a serious
environmental and economic assessment, executed in a time of
growing ecological awareness in Russia.
- The revival of this project can only be understood as a return
to the darkest ages of authoritarian
'command-administrative-system' in the former Soviet Union, says
Michail Kreyndlin, Head of the program for protected natural areas
of Greenpeace Russia.
The fourth session of United Nations Council of Human Rights
takes place in Geneva 2-13th February 2009. 4th February the
Minister of Justice, Alexander Konovalov, provided the session with
Russia's «Universal Periodic Review» (self-examination) on human
rights in Russia. Parallel with the Russian contribution
Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and Far
East handed in an independent report. On the basis of this parallel
information from by NGOs, the High Commissioner of Human Rights of
the United Nations Navanethem Pillej urged Russia to ratify the ILO
Convention 169 (Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in
Independent Countries), implement the convention into Russian
legislation and perform better in the field of eliminating racial
discrimination. One of the recommendations further advises the
Russian government not to support the construction of ЭГЭС.