Russia To Invest $13 Billion for Environment Protection

Russia's President Vladimir Putin stated that his country will increase funds for environmental protection with an injection of US$13 billion over the next three years.

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"Investment for the national project in ecology will increase by 50 percent in 2021. And, over the next three years, US$1.3 billion will be allocated from the federal budget to protect the environment," he said.

These resources will be used for infrastructure development, solid-waste processing, air pollution reduction, reforestation, and cleaning of rivers and lakes.

Putin also stressed that his government will continue working to eradicate garbage dumps in urban areas and clean up spaces with severe "accumulated" ecological damage.

"Ecological well-being means health and longevity. It is a mandatory condition to guarantee comfortable and modern human life," the Russian president said.

Putin called for guaranteeing a "balanced, harmonious and comprehensive development of Russia", which he defined as "equal conditions for citizens, regardless of where they live and work."

At the same time, he demanded support for the development program of rural areas, which is currently at a disadvantage compared to the one focused on large urban centers.

Russia has faced several ecological disasters that have forced the authorities to take action. The most recent was the spill of some 21,000 tons of diesel fuel that occurred at a thermoelectric plant in Norilsk, in the Arctic Circle.