Professor Yuri P. Badenkov was born in 1937 in Moscow. He was educated as a geologist in the Moscow University (1954-1958) and Leningrad (St Petersburg) University (1958-1960). After graduation, he worked for 10 years in the University of Friendship, Moscow, as a researcher in the geochemistry of Central Asia and as a lecturer. In 1970 he obtained a PhD in geochemistry. From 1970 to 1980, he worked as Head of Geochemistry Laboratory in the Pacific Institute of Geography of the Far East Research Centre of the USSR Academy of Science, Vladivostok. In this period he conducted field research on Kamchatka and Chukotka, the Sakhalin Islands, Sikhote-Alin mountains. He was head of two research expeditions to Pacific islands and atolls (Cook, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon, etc.) under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program. Dr. Badenkov is a member of the Pacific Research Association on the environmental issues.

Since 1980, Dr. Badenkov has been working in the Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, as Deputy Director and Head of Mountain Laboratory. At present, he is leader of the research project "Mountain Geoecology and Sustainable Development". Since 1983, he has been co-ordinating the UNESCO MAB Project 6 "Mountain Ecosystems" in the USSR/Russia. In 1989 he became Vice-President of the International Mountain Society. He was a member of the international "Mountain Agenda 21" group, which initiated inclusion of the Mountain Chapter 13 into the Agenda 21 by the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro (UNCED), 1992.

During his scientific career, Dr. Badenkov was studying various mountain regions of the world: Central Asia, Caucasus, Altai, and Far East. He made several visits to the European Alps, Himalayas, Karakorum, Atlas, Drakensberg, Rocky Mountains, Andes, etc. In the last decades, his research focused on the problem of sustainable mountain development. In 1996/97 he led the group of experts that prepared the National Report on the Mountain Regions of Russia: the State and the Development Problems. In 1996-1999 he was a member of the Organisation Commission for the new University of Central Asia (initiated by HH Aga Khan and Presidents of Tajikistan, Kazakstan and Kirgizstan).

From 1998 until the present, he has been engaged in research in Altai transboundary development and conservation issues. He is UNDP/GEF Altai-Sayan eco-region project expert for Transboundary diagnostic analysis. Dr. Badenkov has published over 300 research papers.

Dr. Badenkov is currently acting as Focal Point for the International mountain partnership programme in Russia and Leader of Partnership project "Mountain regions of Russia: present state and development issues in the globalisation epoch".