"Environmental Well-Being" is a federal national project of Russia, in effect since 2025 on the instruction of President Vladimir Putin. It replaced the national project "Ecology" and continues its objectives, expanding them toward making the living environment more comfortable for people.[1] Nizhny Novgorod Region has taken part in the project since its launch and is among the regional leaders in environmental initiatives.[2]

Project Structure

The national project comprises six federal projects: "General Cleanup," "Water of Russia," "Preservation of Biological Diversity and Development of Ecological Tourism," "Forest Conservation," "Circular Economy," and "Clean Air."[1] At the federal level, the project is overseen by the relevant commission of the State Council; in November 2025, an expert council on ecology began work under it.[3]

In support of the national project's objectives, the All-Russian Environmental Public Movement "Ecosystem" operates; it was created on the president's instruction in May 2023. The movement is active in 88 regions and brings together more than 40,000 volunteers across seven areas: environmental education, social ecology, environmental volunteering, forest and climate, circular economy, science and business, and international cooperation.[4]

Implementation in Nizhny Novgorod Region

Based on the results of 2024, Nizhny Novgorod Region ranked among the leaders of the "Green Rating" for the implementation of environmental projects. Vladislav Atmakhov, chairman of the Legislative Assembly's committee on ecology and natural resources, stated the region's intention to promptly join the new national project.[2]

Under the federal project "Forest Conservation," the region holds the annual All-Russian campaign "Save the Forest," the largest reforestation project in Russia. In 2026, the campaign took place in Nizhny Novgorod Region for the eighth time: young forests were created across 96 hectares in the region's forestry districts, with more than 380,000 conifer seedlings planted. Since the campaign began in 2019, more than 10,000 residents of the region have taken part. The campaign's nationwide goal is to plant 70 million trees every year.[1][5]

Under the federal project "General Cleanup" in 2026, regional authorities were preparing applications to include four sites of accumulated environmental damage, among them the acid tar storage ponds in Balakhna Okrug and the pond on Moscow Highway in Nizhny Novgorod. For the latter site, State Budgetary Institution of Nizhny Novgorod Region "Ecology of the Region" was developing design and working documentation valued at about 80 million rubles.[4]

In October 2026, Nizhny Novgorod Region hosted an all-Russian forum of public environmental inspectors: 100 delegates from 33 regions learned practical tools of environmental oversight — identifying violations, drafting complaints, and working with supervisory bodies. The forum was organized by the "Ecosystem" movement with the support of the Presidential Nature Foundation and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Nizhny Novgorod Region. The program included sessions on the environmental special-forces unit, a master class at the Rescuer Training Center, and an excursion to the Nizhny Novgorod Aeration Station.[4]

Sources

  1. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — More than 380 thousand conifer seedlings planted in Nizhny Novgorod Region, Nizhny Novgorod News
  2. NNTV — Nizhny Novgorod Region named among the leaders in implementing environmental projects — Nizhny Novgorod State Regional Television and Radio Company NNTV
  3. TASS
  4. Vremya N — Nizhny Novgorod Region becomes a venue for training public environmental inspectors from 33 regions of Russia
  5. Nizhegorodskaya Pravda — More than 380 thousand conifer seedlings planted in Nizhny Novgorod Region as part of the all-Russian campaign "Save the Forest"
  6. Kommersant (Volga Region) — Photos from life: how Nizhny Novgorod ecologists fight for a clean environment (archive)
Materials from articles used (2)

Balakhna Okrug, Amendments to the General Plan to eliminate the acid tar pond on Moscow Highway (2026)