Uniting the World’s Great Lakes - The Environment Report

A summer storm approaches a nomadic dwelling in the Mongolian countryside.
Photo by Mark Edlund.
Listen to songs from a Tuvan throat singer: 1 | 2
To learn more about the Totem People's Preservation Project, go to www.totempeople.org
The Baikal Rift Zone extends from Russia to northern Mongolia and contains two large, ancient lake systems: Lake Baikal and Lake Hovsgol (pictured above). Both lakes are characterized by their huge size and depth: Lake Baikal alone contains over 20 percent of the world's fresh water and is over one mile deep. They are also some of the cleanest lakes on the earth: however, both lakes face threats from mining, tourism, and industry.
Photo by Mark Edlund.

Forty percent of the world’s fresh water is contained in our Great Lakes and in Lake Baikal. That other great lake – on the border of Russia and Mongolia – faces many of the environmental concerns that trouble our lakes. A recent delegation from Asia traveled to theUnited States to compare problems and solutions. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Brian Mann reports: