LEAP for Kostomuksha district of Republic of Karelia

Action Plan in the field of environment protection for sustainable development of the town of Kostomuksha for 2008-2012 (LEAP) was developed in pursuance of the Resolution of the Head of Administration of the Kostomuksha municipal district of 25.01.07 N 18 and within the framework of the Agreement on interaction in the development and implementation of the Environmental Action Plan of the town of Kostomuksha signed between the administration of local self-government, organizations, enterprises, entrepreneurs, public movements and other persons concerned. The Plan was approved by the Resolution of the Council of Kostomuksha Municipal District of 18 October 2007 № 143-СО.

Local Action Plan was prepared on the basis of provisions of Russian legislation in the sphere of organization of local self-government (FL № 131-ФЗ “On general principles of organization of local self-government in the Russian Federation” with amendments) and budget legislation (Budget Code of the Russian Federation №145-ФЗ) for the purpose of realization of principles of programme-target management in the field of environment protection and rational use of natural resources as the most important and necessary condition of efficient management of social-economic development.

The LEAP was developed within the framework of the Agreement on interaction in the development and implementation of the Action Plan in the field of environment protection and sustainable development of the Kostomuksha municipal district. Participants of this Agreement are: Administration of the Kostomuksha municipal district, JSC “Karelsky okatysh”, ANO “Russian Regional Environmental Centre”, ANO RDI “Cadastre”, Society of entrepreneurs of Kostomuksha, JSC “Consultant”, FPI State Natural Reserve “Kostomukshsky”, public organization of women-entrepreneurs of Kostomuksha “Raduga”.

Support for the work on the project was provided by Finnish experts: Ms. Eeva Pulkkinen, Mr. Aari Meriruoko, Ms. Kerttu Harkonen. Mr. Hannu Huotari.
The LEAP is aimed at promotion of sustainable development of the Kostomuksha municipal district in the result of improvement of the environment, organization of efficient use of natural resources and, on this basis, increase of investment attractiveness of municipal economy, improvement of living conditions of the population.

It is a complex document of the Kostomuksha municipal district, where on the basis of analysis of priority problems in the field of environment protection and rational use of natural resources the system of specific measures on their solution (with the account of sources of financing, terms of implementation and performers) was formulated with efficiency indicators.

Priority problems were identified with the participation of municipal administration specialists, representatives of industrial enterprises, municipal communal services, environmental, educational organizations, mass media.

Among the main tasks of the LEAP to address priority problems are the following:

decrease of pollution of the territory by municipal and industrial wastes;
improvement of safety and quality of drinking water supply;
increase of efficiency of integrated use of natural resources on sustainable basis;
conservation of natural and cultural heritage;
improvement of management in the field of use of natural resources and environment protection.