UNESKO_ROSTOV_SFU

On 17 July 2010  Southern Federal University established the UNESCO-Cousteau chair. This Chair of Southern Federal University consolidates environmental studies held in different departments: Chair of Ecology and Environmental Management, Chair of Zoology, Chair of Botany, Chair of Soil science and evaluation of land resources, Botanical garden of SFU, , the Research-Educational Center “Ecology and Environmental Management”, Leading research school of  Russian Federation «Ecology of soils», etc.

The head of the Chair is Prof. S.I. Kolesnikov. The Chair’s core team comprises leading scientists of Southern Federal University: 14 Doctors of sciences, 23 Candidates of   sciences. More than 15 post-graduate students and 100 students of  all types of instruction specialize here. Leading researchers in the field of environmental management, the employees of Faculty of Management became the members of the Chair in 2016.

The goal of the work of the Chair – development and involvement of modern ecological technologies to realize Education for Sustainable Development.

The Chair underpins the existence and development of UNESCO’s  goals in Rostov region, it also acts as intermediary between UNESCO and ecological, educational , scientific organizations, public authorities in the Southern Federal District.

Major principle of the work of the Chair is its openness in work, wide and regular public awareness about its activities. This principle is realized through the work of the website https://unescochair.sfedu.ru/.

A number of Chair members are experts and consultants of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of  Natural Resources and Ecology of the Rostov region, members of the Coordinating Council for Environmental protection and use of natural resources of the Rostov region. The employees of the Chair are members of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). The Red Book of the Rostov region was written with the participation of Chair members.

The Chair of UNESCO  participates in the implementation of Goal 15 of Sustainable Development: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Ecosystems of the south of Russia have a unique natural, agricultural, recreational potential and play an important role in ensuring food, economic and ecological security of Russia. These ecosystems are subjected to human-caused stress as a result of intensive development of agriculture and industry, high degree of urbanization and considerable recreational strain in the region. Specially protected natural areas like biosphere reserves and natural parks are concentrated in the region. As a result, ecological, economic and social damages caused by disruption of sustainable functioning of natural and man-made ecosystems are constantly increasing.

Another topical issue is evaluation of modern condition of  biodiversity of steppe and wetland ecosystems of the south of Russia. It is important to evaluate the degree of anthropogenic  transformation of ecosystems and their sustainability potential, to make a projection of possible changes under growing human impact, to give recommendations for optimization of environmental situation and organization of environmental management in the region.

Among  the priority activities of  the Chair one can highlight the following:

• Elaboration of new and development of existing technologies for environmental monitoring
• Inventory of biodiversity, conservation, restoration and monitoring of valuable and rare species.
• Implementation of innovations in ecology, environmental management and protection into practice.
• Monitoring of condition of biosphere territories in the South of Russia.
• Educational activities in ecology, environmental management and nature conservation.
• Advisory and expert activities.
• Participation in drafting of laws and other regulations on ecology, environmental management and nature conservation.
• Elaboration of environmental quality standards
• Training of specialists of different levels in the field of ecology, environmental management and nature conservation.
• Fundamental and applied scientific studies.

The Chair also takes part in achieving Goal 4 of Sustainable Development: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Consolidation of education, science and management in the field of ecology, environmental management and nature conservation  is primarily carried out through lifelong environmental education that includes the following levels:  School Educational Programs; Bachelor Educational Programs; Master Educational Programs; Doctoral Educational Programs; Advanced training Programs (for teachers, university and colleges lecturers, specialists in the field of biology, soil science, agriculture, environment, employees of governmental (public) authorities, etc.).

Active engagement  of  UNESCO-Cousteau ecotechnie chair of Southern Federal University in the issues of ecology, environmental management and nature conservation  and realization of its projects will make it possible  to bring together the efforts of different organizations in ensuring environmental security, rationalization of environmental management, solving social-economic and ecological problems, supporting sustainable development in the region.

Partners: Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO; Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Rostov region; Rostov Nature Reserve; Donskoi Natural Park; Caucasian Biosphere Reserve; State Nature Reserve Utrish; Azov-Black Sea branch of the Federal State Budget Scientific Institution “Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and oceanography”; Institute of Soil Sciences of Moscow State University; V.V.Dokuchayev Soil science institute of Russian Academy of Agrarian Sciences; Southern Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences; Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories, Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences; Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Kuban State Agrarian University; Don State Agrarian University; Astrakhan State University; Azov Scientific Research Institute of the Fishing Industry and others.

International partners: Тechnische Universität Berlin; Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences; RUHR-UNIVERSITÄT BOCHUM; City University of New York; Selçuk University; Tishreen University; Institute of Geography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; Institute of Tropical Ecology, Vietnam-Russian Tropical Centre; Institute of Soil Elm and Agro Chemistry of Azerbaijan), Belarusian State University, Institute for soil science and agrochemistry, international partners, etc.

Budget: Financial support of UNESCO is not required. Center financing will be carried out from funds of Academy of Biology and Biotechnologies, Ecology and nature management department and some other divisions of Southern Federal University. Average funding per year is $20000.