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DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS OF THE ENVIRONMENTALSTATUS OF THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACILITY UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME NPA-ARCTIC PROJECT DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS OF THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC (Advanced Summary) Moscow Scientific World 2011 УДК 91.553.574 ББК 21 Д44 Editor-in-Chief: B.A. Morgunov Д44 Diagnostic analysis of the environmental status of the Russian Arctic (Advanced Summary). – Moscow, Scientific World, 2011. – 172 р. ISBN 978-5-91522-256-5 This diagnostic analysis of the environmental status of the Russian Arctic was performed as part of the implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Project «Russian Federation: Support to the National Program of Action for Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment» by: A.A. Danilov, A.V. Evseev, V.V. Gordeev, Yu.V. Kochemasov, Yu.S. Lukyanov, V.N. Lystsov, T.I. Moiseenko, O.A. Murashko, I.A. Nemirovskaya, S.A. Patin, A.A. Shekhovtsov, O.N. Shishova, V.I. Solomatin, Yu.P. Sotskov, V.V. Strakhov, A.A. Tishkov, Yu.A. Treger. The advanced summary was prepared by A.M. Bagin, B.P. Melnikov, and S.B. Tambiev. English editor: G. Hough Cover photos were supplied by S.B. Tambiev This publication is not an official document of the Russian Government. Electronic and full versions of the Diagnostic Analysis of Environmental Status of the Russian Arctic are published at http://npa-arctic.ru ISBN 978-5-91522-256-5 © NPA-Arctic Project, 2011 © Mineconomrazvitiya of Russia, 2011 © Scientific World, 2011 CONTENTS Introduction ................................................................................ 6 Chapter 1. Physical and geographical characteristics of the Russian Arctic .............................................. 12 1.1. Key geographical characteristics of the Russian Arctic ..................................................... 12 1.2. Hydrometeorology background .......................... 14 1.3. Hydrochemistry background ............................. 20 1.4. Terrain ................................................................ 22 Chapter 2. Economic and geographic properties of the Russian Arctic, republic of Komi and Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous dstrict (Yugra) ...................................................................... 26 2.1. General characteristics ...................................... 26 2.2. Territorial development ..................................... 28 Chapter 3. Current geoenvironmental status of the Russian Arctic and anthropogenic impact on the arctic ecosystems .......................................... 36 3.1. Geoenvironmental approach ............................... 36 3.2. Geoenvironmental status of the coastal belt ...... 36 3.3. Coastal belt dynamic properties ........................ 38 3.4. Anthropogenic impact on natural landscapes .... 40 3.5. Anthropogenic impact effect ............................. 42 Chapter 4. Environmental pollution of the Russian Arctic, republic of Komi and Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous district (Yugra) .................................. 47 4 Contents 4.1 General information ........................................... 47 4.2 Sources of pollution and migration ways ........... 48 4.3. Effect of hydrometeorological factors ............... 49 4.4. Main types of pollutants .................................... 50 4.5 Water quality in the Russian Arctic .................... 73 4.6 Environmental status in the regional context ..... 75 Chapter 5. Environmental status of the native habitat of the indigenous population of the Russian Arctic ......................................................... 86 Chapter 6. Biological diversity of the Russian Arctic ............ 90 6.1 Arctic biota species diversity .............................. 90 6.2 Threats to biological diversity and Arctic Sea biological resources ................... 91 6.3 Main factors affecting the condition of biological diversity of land territory .............. 101 6.4 Estimation of the main biome stability of the Russian Arctic .......................................... 102 6.5 Potential threats and risks ................................... 104 6.6 Main anthropogenic influencing factors ............. 107 6.7 Main trends of anthropogenic transformation .................................................... 109 Chapter 7. Climatic changes and their socioeconomic effects on arctic regions .......................................... 112 Chapter 8. Specially protected natural reservations of the Russian Arctic and subarctic regions ......... 120 Chapter 9. Root cause failure analysis of the Russian Arctic environmental problems and concerned parties estimation review .................................................... 123 9.1 General provisions .............................................. 123 9.2 Identification of foreground environmental problems ............................................................. 126 Contents 5 9.3 Hot spot prioritizing for environmental problems analysis ............................................... 126 9.4 Key factors of environmental problems identification ....................................................... 134 9.5 Factors effect level ranking ................................ 135 9.6 Industrial causes of environmental problems ..... 139 9.7 Root causes of environmental problems ............ 140 9.8 Concerned parties estimation review ................. 141 Chapter 10. Final provisions of the diagnostic analysis and priority environmental protection objectives ............................................................... 143 10.1 General environmental assessment ................ 143 10.2 Industrial development as the main factor of environmental issues ................................... 144 10.3 Environmental pollution and deterioration of surface and ground water quality of the coastal areas of the Russian Arctic ................. 146 10.4 Land degradation and land-use impairments .................................................... 153 10.5 Biodiversity change and depletion of biological resources ................................... 156 10.6 Deteriorating living conditions of the indigenous population of the Russian Arctic and disruption of traditional land use of small populations of indigenous peoples of the North .................................................... 158 10.7 Adverse effects and threats of global climate change ................................................ 160 10.8. Priority areas of environmental protection .... 162 INTRODUCTION The environmental status of the Arctic and, particularly, the Arctic Region of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Russian Arctic) is still under study and is of growing concern due to developing hot spots where the level of natural ecosystems degradation is extremely criti- cal and the pollution level is much higher than permissible. Another cause for concern lies in qualitative changes of the environmental background. All these require the development and immediate action intended not only to mitigate the existing environmental damage but also to prevent poten- tial risks for Arctic ecosystems related to increasing business and other activities in this region, especially activities of extractive industries. Such actions shall be supported by both the opinion of scientists and experts (based on long-term but often fragmented results of industrial, academic and specific studies related to environmental components) and systematic assessment of the revealed cause and effect relations between the actual environmental status, current anthropogenic impact and environmental policy implemented in the Arctic. This comprehensive approach to envi- ronmental assessment of the Russian Arctic is secured by applying the di- agnostic analysis methods used to assess the transboundary waters, past environmental damage and other environmental issues. One of the key goals of the diagnostic analysis of the current situation and potential environmental changes of the Russian Arctic (hereinafter re- ferred to as DA) based on natural changes of climatic conditions and con- sidering the current results of domestic and foreign studies of the Arctic is the substantiation of a well-balanced environmental policy providing for environmentally-friendly strategic decisions related to the future industrial development of the Arctic and its resources as well as the preservation of a favorable environment for sustainable social and economic development. Complex environmental studies of different parts of the Arctic Region have been performed for more than 50 years and in the Russian Arctic for more than 80 years. The range of studies was constantly extended from geographic, geodetic, mapping, hydrographic and weather studies (used Introduction 7 to ensure the experimental sailing of icebreaking and transport vessels in arctic conditions and then to maintain the Northern Sea Route (Russian studies) and North-West Passage through the Arctic Archipelago (Western European and North American polar explorers’ studies)) to biological, en- vironmental, zoological and microbiological studies related to Arctic eco- systems. Scientific studies of seas, insular and coastal Arctic areas were extend- ed as a result of the industrial development of some parts of the Russian Arctic. Scientists determined fundamental results on pollutant content in different natural habitats, wildlife and plants species, marine, aquatic and marsh ecosystems of the Russian Arctic. They documented facts of local and background pollution
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