Mazai Rescue Operation

In April 2017, a unique operation to prevent the death of wild animals was executed in the Nizhne-Bureyskaya HPP reservoir flood zone with the assistance of RusHydro and the UNDP/GEF-Ministry of Nature project "Biodiversity Conservation Objectives in Policies and Programs of the Russian Energy Sector Development".

The filling of the Nizhne-Bureyskaya HPP reservoir began on March 28. To prevent the death of wild animals, a protection and rescue operation "Mazai", was organized. Hunting specialists, employees of the Bureysky Nature Park and volunteers, with the assistance of power engineers, monitored the reservoir, scared away animals from the flooded area, caught and transported animals that were on isolated islands to safe places. Such ecological action was held in Russia for the first time.

Mazai Operation is part of a comprehensive effort to preserve biodiversity during construction of Nizhne-Bureyskaya HPP, carried out by RusHydro as part of the environmental policy of the company. Back in 2014, the Amur Region, Nizhne-Bureyskaya HPP and the UN Development Program/Global Environment Facility and Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia Project "Biodiversity Conservation Objectives in Policies and Programs of the Russian Energy Sector Development" signed the agreement stipulating cooperation among the parties to preserve biodiversity during construction of the plant.

Under this agreement, the assessment of the Nizhne-Bureyskaya HPP construction project's compliance with sustainability criteria was performed, and its findings formed the basis of a comprehensive action program entitled Bureysky Compromise. Under this program, the Bureysky Nature Park was formed with the assistance of hydro power engineers in the zone of influence of the Nizhne-Bureyskaya HPP reservoir. In order to divert wild animals from the future flood zone, feeding grounds for ungulates were organized, and artificial nest boxes for the rare mandarin duck were placed. An unprecedented operation was carried out to transfer rare plants from the flood zone.

The experience of this project was presented at international and Russian conferences, seminars and roundtables devoted to environmental protection activities and the sustainable development of the hydropower industry.