The Role of Scientists in Developing Sustainable Land Use in the Lake Baikal Region

It is a pleasure and a privilege to be here today with my distinguished colleagues from around the world. This workshop is potentially the most important international gathering since the 1992 UNCED Conference in Rio. I say that because we are gathered not just to talk about the Rio Conference and how to implement its many recommendations, but to review, evaluate, and determine how to refine a program that actually implements the most important recommendation from Rio: developing and implementing ecologically sustainable economic development programs that preserve our global environment and biodiversity while improving the quality of life of the region’s people.