Volgograd) and agricultural developments within the wider catchment.
In order to address the concerns over wetland loss in the lower Volga a strategy and action plan for wetland conservation was developed by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in cooperation with local and national conservation bodies and directed at all parties with an interest in the wetlands concerned (Findlayson, 1992). The themes were: establishment and management of protected areas, sustainable use of biological resources, landuse and water pollution, hydrological regulation and water management, and integrated management structures. Currently, WWF-International is preparing the designation of three large-scale protection areas.