Farid Abdulganiev: "We see that young people reach out for solution of environmental problems. Fostering in the young generation of careful attitude to nature is one of our top-priority tasks". The III St. Petersburg Youth Ecological Forum took place

Today, the Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan, Farid Abdulganiev, participated in the III St. Petersburg Youth Ecological Forum. This unique and large-scale event united students, volunteers, young specialists and scientists, as well as lawyers-to-be in the field of ecology and nature protection activity with the representatives of the regional and federal authorities, business communities, nature protection and surveillance bodies, ecological funds, experts in the field of ecological monitoring and analysts. "We see that young people reach out for solution of environmental problems. Fostering in the young generation of careful attitude to nature is one of our top-priority tasks", acknowledged the Minister Farid Abdulganiev in his report on the experience of Tatarstan. He paid special attention to the mobile application "School eco-patrol" created by order of the President of the Republic of Tatartstan Rustam Minnikhanov, whereby any pupil can help the monitoring authorities and inform on unauthorized landfills. Over 2015-2016 academic year, the Ministry of Ecology of the Republic of Tatarstan received more than 5,000 photo- and video-reports, whereby the response measures have been taken. "We already see the positive results of this contest", emphasized Abdulganiev, - "every year natural objects and places of public recreation become cleaner. It is children who set the right pace even for adults when it comes to behavior outdoors". The Head of the Ministry of Ecology of the Republic of Tatarstan also talked about the ecological movement "BUDETCHISTO". Today it comprises more than 5,000 most active students and representatives of young people who are not indifferent to the ecological problems. The largest ecological session for children and young people was held this July together with the movement of talented children and youth within the framework of the International Educational Forum in the natural and historical place - the ancient city Bilyarsk.

Moreover, the Ministry carries out many ecological and educational events, informed the Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan. For instance, in order to attract attention to the problems of the environment, the Ministry carried out the contest for the best student of the ecological faculty who takes active part in public, ecological and scientific events. The winner of the contest, Dmitry Sidorov, participates these days in the expedition to the North Seas of our country together with manifold champions of the underwater depths - the Tatar Department of the Russian Geographical Society. Moreover, expeditions to the small rivers of the Republic, dozens of Saturday work campaigns on the coastal areas of rivers and campaigns on cleaning of the bottoms of water bodies were organized as well during the Year of water protection areas carried out this year in the Republic of Tatarstan. Another large event - the All-Russian ecological Saturday work campaign "Country of my dream" that for the first time united representatives of the entire nature protection block of the Republic, namely management and fellow workers of the Departments of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resource Usage and the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing for the Republic of Tatarstan, the Nature Protection Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Forestry and the Department for protection and use of the wildlife of the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as the representatives of other concerned authorities. The organizers of the campaign, responsible executives of the "Green Russia" movement are also present at the Forum. In order to motivate the population to report on violations of the nature protection legislation, monetary remuneration has been paid since last year to the citizens who provided operative information on the violations with attachment of a video recording or photos. "It is not just a signal saying that there is a landfill or an illegal quarry, it is operative information on the current facts of violation. In 2016 the remuneration amounted to 1,500 rubles, and the Ministry has received several hundreds of reports this year. In the vast majority of cases, the Rulings have been made regarding the cases of administrative violations, and the remunerations have been paid", informed Farid Abdulganiev. Moreover, the Republican Center of Public Inspectors has been created in Tatarstan; it is equipped with all the necessary devices and it is adequately manned with fellow workers who supervise public inspectors - which means all the necessary working conditions have been created. The result wasn't long in coming - each fifth material drawn up today by public inspectors of the Ministry is based on the documents provided by public inspectors. "A threefold increase in the amount of inspectors, both full-time workers of the Ministry and freelance nature aids, is the result of work carried out with the youth, i.e. pupils, active proponents of public organizations, and students", concluded the Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan, Farid Abdulganiev.  Yury Babak, Executive Manager of the All-Russian Nature Protection Association, acknowledged that owing to the concerted efforts of authorities and public youth movements, the Universiade 2013 carried out in Tatarstan was a high-level event.

Press Service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan