Environmental Issues

When Russia submitted their bid to host the Olympics, they promised to provide environmentally friendly venues for the Games. However, the organizers obviously didn't keep their agreement, as the construction harmed the environment in Sochi. In fact, those who tried to bring forward evidence of the environmental problems were exiled from Russia (1). Ironically in 2013, Russia celebrated environmental protection and awareness, while in Sochi, environmental degradation was occurring due to the Olympic construction. A non-profit organisation has been fighting to save the unique Sochi ecosystems because they think the Olympic preparation has been the primary source of ecological deterioration. They have tried alerting the IOC, but despite their efforts, they were unable to stop the destruction of the environment (2).

Here is an overview of the main impacts of the Olympic construction on the environment:

Illegal waste dump in the mountains

Sochi National Park is Russia’s environmental treasure. The pristine and delicate mountain ecosystem, and the largest variety of animal and plant species in all of Russia are a few of the highlights of this region (3). Unfortunately, the Winter Games caused a decrease in the biodiversity in such an enriched environment. This was largely due to deforestation of over 3,000 hectares of park land, the destruction of various habitats, and the loss of wetlands because of the Olympic Village. These events and the construction of a ski resort have also caused landslides, erosion, avalanches and mudslides in the mountains (2). Likewise, Mzymta River has been impacted by the construction of the railway and highway between the Olympic sites (3). Large power plants are being built which will also affect the environment (i.e. Kudepstinskaya thermal power station) (2). Additionally, the mountains were polluted by waste dumps, as a result of the excessive construction. These activities destroyed the habitats and the migration routes of native animals like bears and Alpine ibex (5).

Before (bottom) and After (top)

Not only was the environment disturbed, but human rights weren't respected. The lives of around 2,000 residents of Sochi were completely ruined by the landslides and the construction of the new highway. Houses were demolished with poor or no compensation for their loss, agricultural land (which was a large source of food) disappeared, renting out beachfront property is no longer a source of income, and drinking water was less accessible. Residents who have lived in Sochi for decades were suddenly homeless (4). The locals are emotionally attached to the mountains, the environment and the ecosystems, and the preparation for the Olympics impacted them as well (2).

Toxic waste in Mzymta River

You might be wondering why I’m describing to such an extent the environmental destruction in Sochi. Well, seeing as the location was partially chosen because of its beauty and its terrain, it is so unfortunate that it has been exploited. It seems that Russia was covering up and ignoring the environmental issues in the Sochi area (shores of the Black Sea and the mountains of the Caucasus). Laws designed to protect the environment were either changed or ignored (3). These laws were established to conserve the rare ecosystems in Russia, however, that became secondary to the economic and political benefits of hosting the Olympic Games. Now that the Olympics are over, has the short-term economic stimulation compensated for the long-term damage of an entire environment?

(1) http://time.com/2828/sochi-winter-olympics-environmental-damage/

(2) http://ens-newswire.com/2013/02/11/dark-side-of-the-sochi-winter-olympics-environmental-damage/

(3) http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/speeding_towards_environmental_disaster_in_the_2014_winter_olympics/

(4)http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/rights/Olympics-leaves-sochi-residents-displaced-and-unpaid-part-1

(5) http://www.dw.de/sochi-the-most-extravagant-winter-olympics-ever/a-17411857