The laboratory was founded in 1990 on the basis of the aerospace research group of the Institute of Geology SB RAS as a part of the Baikal Department for Nature Management (BDNM). In the past years, after BDNM underwent transformation and became a department of the Baikal Institute of Rational Nature Management SB RAS in 1991 and the Baikal Institute of Nature Management SB RAS in 1997, the laboratory remains an important structural sub-division of these Institutes, indulged in the study of the Baikal region�s environmental issues.

At present the staff of the laboratory is comprised of 2 Doctors of sciences, 3 Candidates of sciences, 2 scientific workers without scientific degrees, 5 engineers and 7 post-graduate students. More than a half of the staff (11 members) are young people under the age of 34.

• environmental mapping based on up-to-date geo-information technology;
• the monitoring of the natural and social processes in the Baikal region;
• the creation of geo-information systems for monitoring and nature-management;
• the study of desertification processes in the Baikal region;
• the problems of the Baikal region�s protected areas;

• RFBR: The problems of genesis of salt lakes of Pribaikalye and Zabaikalye (1996 � 1998);
• RFBR: Geo-ecology and underground depositories for toxic wastes (1998 � 2000);
• RFBR: The geo-chronology development scale for the system "nature � society" of the Baikal region with the use of geo-information technology (1997 � 1998);
• RFBR: The theory and practice of the retrospective approach to the cartographic monitoring of lake Baikal watershed landscape dynamics with the use of geo-information technology (1997 � 1998);
• RFHS: The experience of rural nature-management in Siberia under the conditions of private and public landed property (1996 � 1997);
• MPSF: The Winter Methodological University "Social sciences in Russia and NIS";
• TACIS: Distribution of information and improvement of ecological awareness in the Baikal region;
• TACIS: Strengthening of public administration bodies in lake Baikal waterbasin;
• TACIS: Natural resources management in lake Baikal water basin;
• "Eurasia" foundation: Creation of an education-consulting center for tourism development in the Baikal region.

• The assessment of the ecological condition and elaboration of a programme on urgent measures aimed at improvement of the social-ecological situation in the town of Zakamensk.

The collected scientific and cartographic materials, databases on various aspects of the Baikal region nature-management, scientific-methodological development-works of the laboratory make it possible to assess the actual natural resources potential, the ecosystem�s resistance to the anthropogenious impact and to work out an environmentally-sound nature-management policy for the region. We will be glad to cooperate with any scientific institution, indulged in basic and applied study in the fields of up-to-date nature-management and sustainable development issues, in order to carry out joint activities and invest the following research projects:

• The comprehensive study of the geo-ecological situation and anti-desertification procedures in the bordering districts of China, Russia and Mongolia;
• The natural phenomena of the Great Asiatic watershed as the indicators of the global climatic changes;
• The elaboration of a cadastre of the Baikal region�s protected areas with the use of geo-information technology;
• The natural resources complexes, intermountain basin ecosystems and their formation within Zabaikalye and the bordering territories of Mongolia and China.