Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Russia)

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Russia). It is the federal executive body responsible for state policy and legal regulation in the sphere of natural resources, environmental protection, and environmental safety. The ministry oversees the use of mineral resources, water resources, forestry, and hydrometeorology, while also managing the system of specially protected natural areas. It was formed in 2008 through a reorganization of the former Ministry of Natural Resources, expanding its environmental mandate.

History

The ministry's origins trace back to Soviet-era bodies like the USSR State Committee for Nature Protection and the Ministry of Geology of the USSR. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Government of Russia established the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Russian Federation in 1991. This was later reorganized into the Ministry of Natural Resources in 1996. A major restructuring in 2008, under a decree by President Dmitry Medvedev, merged environmental functions from the disbanded Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision into the agency, creating the current ministry. This reform aimed to centralize authority over both resource extraction and environmental oversight.

Structure and organization

The ministry is structured with a central apparatus in Moscow and operates through a system of territorial bodies across the federal subjects of Russia. It is headed by a minister, who is a member of the Government of Russia, supported by several deputy ministers. The internal departments are organized thematically, covering areas such as state policy and regulation in the field of water resources, subsoil use, forestry, and environmental protection. The ministry directly controls several key federal services and agencies, which execute its policies and provide state services.

Responsibilities and functions

Its primary functions include developing state policy on the use of mineral resources, managing water fund lands, and administering forest fund lands. The ministry is responsible for state environmental monitoring, maintaining the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation, and regulating environmental impact assessment for economic activities. It also sets quotas for hunting and fishing, manages specially protected natural areas like the Lake Baikal basin and Kronotsky Nature Reserve, and oversees compliance with international environmental agreements such as the Paris Agreement.

Leadership

The minister is appointed by the President of Russia upon the proposal of the Prime Minister of Russia. Since November 2020, the minister has been Alexander Kozlov, who previously served as governor of Amur Oblast. Notable past ministers include Sergey Donskoy, who served from 2012 to 2018, and Yury Trutnev, who served as the first minister of the reorganized body from 2008 to 2012 and later became a Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.

Key agencies and subordinate bodies

The ministry exercises control over several major federal executive bodies. These include the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor), which conducts environmental compliance inspections; the Federal Agency for Water Resources (Rosvodresursy); and the Federal Agency for Mineral Resources (Rosnedra). Other critical subordinate bodies are the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) and the Federal Forestry Agency (Rosleskhoz). The ministry also oversees numerous state institutions, such as the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution.

Environmental policies and initiatives

The ministry develops and implements national projects like the "Ecology" National Project, which aims to improve air quality in major industrial centers, tackle issues with landfills, and preserve biodiversity. It is involved in climate change policy, setting goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The ministry manages significant conservation programs for species like the Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard, often in cooperation with organizations like the World Wildlife Fund. It also regulates industrial pollution through mechanisms like best available techniques and oversees the cleanup of historically contaminated sites such as the Karabash copper smelter area.