Lake Baikal–the world’s oldest and deepest lake
Lake Baikal is the world’s oldest and deepest lake. It lies in southern Siberia, its watershed extending across the Mongolian border. Literally millions of hectares of natural and old-growth forest-covered mountains ring the lake. The lake and its environs make one of the largest World Heritage sites on the planet. Both Russians and the indigenous peoples who have lived here for centuries revere Baikal as a sacred lake. It has been a centre- piece of the environmental movement for decades since the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill was constructed on its southern shore and began to pollute its pure waters. World Heritage status, it is hoped, may finally bring resolution to this contentious problem.
Lake Baikal is a self-contained aquatic ecosystem, home to more than 1,500 endemic species found no where else on earth. Among these unique flora and fauna are the Baikal seal, believed to be a relative of the Arctic ringed seal, and the omul, a fish considered to be a delicacy in the region. Some of the plants and animals can be dated to prehistoric times. Saving the lake means saving its watershed and the protective forests that surround it.Error processing request
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