Russia has more than 120 000 rivers and about 2 000 000 fresh and salty lakes. Swamps cover more than 20 % of the territory. 

Rivers and lakes belong to the bassins of Barents, Baltic, Black and Azov seas, the Caspian, Karskii, Eastern-Siberia and Pacific hydrographic areas, basins of Ladoga, Baikal lakes, basin of the river Kama. Apart stand water bodies of the Far North, Central Chernoziem, Caucasian and Southern economic regions.

Fresh-water ecosystems are intrazonal. They are characterized by high biodiversity. By several taxons (molluscs, amphibians, birds and others) species richness exceeds zonal ecosystems. The most unique complex of fresh water habitats are swamps. They play a key role in global carbon sequestration, water balance control and biodiversity preservation at vast territories. They are presented in all natural zones. Arctic bogs originates from permafrost processes. The most developed are swampy landscapes in deltas of Lena, Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma in East Siberia. Swamps are very usual habitat type in the forest zone. Taiga zone of the Western Siberia is the richest swamp region in Russia (swamps cover here about 50-75 %). Marshes of the North-West Russia are a component of the Euroasian flying way for such migrating birds as cranes, geese, sandpipers. Bogs in the steppe and forest-steppe zone are unique relic habitats. In Caspii coastal region thery are located on vast deltas of the rivers Volga, Terek, Sulak.  Mountain bogs of the Southern regions (Caucasus, Southern Sayan mountains) are valuable sources of fresh water, peat and centers for biodiversity origination.

Ecological conditions of the fresh water ecosystems and habitats depends on processes in their basins.  Main threats to biodiversity are: forest cutting, farming, animal breeding, pollution, ineffective drainage, composition of atmospheric precipitation.

Priority regions are: Baikal lake basin, Volga basin including small tributaries, all water bodies of the Central-Chernoziem, North Caucasian and Southern economic region, Onega, Ladoga lakes and Neva bay, great rivers deltas, Ob river basin, fresh water habitats of the Far North, lakes of Zabaikalie and Altai, lake Abrau and lake Khanka.

In the Russian Federation use and protection of water resources is regulated by the Water Code and some other laws. The main control body is the Federal Water Resources Agency. Monitoring of water quality is being realized by the Committee on Hydrometeorology. The basin approach for the water resources management has been introducted in 50^th, but it addressed mainly utilization of water and biological (fish) resources. Biodiversity conservation aspects are usually neglected even during implementation of special  programs and projects, devoted to the river basins of Dnepr, Volga, Amur...

Innovation studies on economic assessment of ecosystem services, development of guides and practical work on restoration of wetland ecosystems are implemented by the Russian program Wetlands International.

This section of our portal will integrated various information resources on biodiversity of fresh water ecosystems, utilization of their biological resources and measures undertaken in order to preserve biodiversity.