Nature-like technologies for restoration of damaged ecosystems

Kemerovo hosted the All-Russian Environmental Forum "Development of the sphere of secondary resources handling based on the involvement of production and consumption waste in economic turnover", which discussed the issues of creating a sustainable system of production and consumption waste handling.

It was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Russia, the Interregional Association "Siberian Agreement", the public-law company "Russian Environmental Operator", industrial enterprises and waste recyclers, as well as the scientific and business community of Kuzbass and Russia.

Within the framework of the forum, thematic Strategic Sessions were organized at five sites of the city. One of them - "Topical Issues of Restoration of Disturbed Lands in Kuzbass" - was held at the Kuzbass Polytechnic University. 

At the session, scientists, specialists in subsoil use, and representatives of the environmental prosecutor's office discussed the problems of subsoil management, protection of groundwater from pollution and depletion, and reclamation of damaged lands.

One of the speakers of the section was Yuri Manakov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Head of the Interregional Center of Competences for Post-Mining and Ecology in the Coal Industry of KuzSTU. He spoke about nature-like technologies for restoring disturbed lands in Kuzbass.

For ten years, scientists have been conducting experimental land reclamation of several coal dumps through these technologies. The experience proved to be very successful and effective. For example, at the dump of the Vinogradovsky open-pit mine of the Kuzbass Fuel Company, a grass-seed mixture of feather grass was used to restore steppe ecosystems by mechanized means. In four years, lush vegetation is now sprouting in place of the damaged land resembling a lunar landscape. Today there are about 78 species of grasses. All the natural material used for reclamation is local: either taken from nature reserves or grown in nurseries (trees, shrubs).