Wetlands in Poland and Russia: The Legal Framework for Their Protection and Use

Abstract The authors explore the ecological value of wetlands, the notion that laid the foundation of the Ramsar Convention and boosted the development of national legislation for the protection of these ecosystems in many countries. The authors analyzed the main instruments of wetland protection, set out in the Ramsar Convention, and investigated the effect of the Convention on the development of legislation in Poland and Russia. The authors showed that wetlands can be located both within the boundaries of specially protected natural zones and beyond them, which complicates their legal protection. The development and introduction of a new legal concept of semiprotected areas can be a solution to this problem. Semiprotected areas have a less stringent regime compared to nature reserves or national parks. At the same time, they effectively limit economic and other types of activities posing a threat to wetlands. This design of legal protection provides new opportunities for the rational use of wetland resources.