Sochi 2014 Proposes Plans For Sustainable Development Of Olympic Mountainside Settlements

As part of the UN global initiative, "Agenda for the XXI Century", the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, the Russian Regional Environmental Centre and the Administration of the city of Sochi have developed proposals for sustainable development of mountainside villages in the zone of Olympic and Paralympic construction.

The groundwork of the plan was laid out using, among other factors, data from a survey of over 600 residents from the villages of Esto-Sadok, Galitsyno and Chereshnya.

International experience shows the Olympic and Paralympic Games, if prepared and conducted in compliance with the principles of sustainable development, can dramatically change the development of the host city for the better.

Approximately 80% of cities in which the Games were held after 1972 are now among the 200 most popular cities in the world. The Games in 1992 helped Barcelona to become one of the world's major tourist centres. In just 10 years after the Barcelona Games, the number of tourists doubled, and the average duration of their stay in the city increased by 110%.

Programmes for sustainable development of villages are suggested as being the solution to social, economic and environmental issues and allow for an increase in civil activity of the residents. Implementing the plans will be a good example of how global sports events such as the Sochi Games can create a positive change in a particular region.

The development of the village of Esto-Sadok will take place in tandem with Krasnaya Polyana. It is suggested a centre of sports tourism is created. Many sports and eco-tourism programs (mountain biking, shooting sports, hiking and horse-riding) can be supplemented by visits to cultural and ethnographic sites (e.g. the hunting lodge of Nicholas II, or the dolmens - ancient burial places, dating back 3-5,000 years in the BC era, among others).

The Galitsyno village could go on to become the "heart" of recreation and tourism, specializing in ethno-cultural, education, and sports tourism. This is largely due to the sizeable number of sites with cultural and historical value located in the vicinity of Galitsyno, The Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, the Trinity Georgian convent, and the natural monument from the Paleolithic era - Akhshtyr cave.

The settlement of Chereshnya places great emphasis on agricultural development. A survey of local opinion has resulted in a proposal to build a plant processing fruit and vegetables, as well as initiatives to organize the greenhouses in the region, leading to the development of organic production and gastronomic tourism.

Sustainable development is a process based on the combination of economic growth, social development and environmental protection. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present, while not jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

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Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games