Sustainable development of the Soviet Arctic: some possibilities and constraints

Polar Record ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 27 (160) ◽  
pp. 17-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. I. Arikaynen

AbstractThe Soviet Arctic region is defined in administrative terms, and some parameters of sustainable development are defined and discussed. Under state enterprise sincethe 1930s the Arctic has been subject to a ruthless policy of development with little regard for environmental considerations or the needs of either native or migratory workforces. Perestroyka brings promise of better and more effective organization. The Arctic should be regarded as a component of the Soviet national economy, but business and scientific developments must be implemented with due consideration of possible social and ecological consequences. In all developments the limited material and labour resources of theArctic, as well as limited possibility of their employment elsewhere in the country to get the same result, should be bome in mind, and the effectiveness of proposed Arctic projects must be considered in the light of possible alternatives before any are implemented.

Author(s):  
Yuri Yegorov

Arctic region is an important resource for hydrocarbons (oil and gas). Their exploitation is not immediate but will develop fast as soon as oil prices approach $100 per barrel again. In the Arctic, fish stock is an important renewable resource. Contrary to hydrocarbons, it is already overexploited. Future simultaneous exploitation of both resources poses several problems, including externalities and common pool. The academic community still has some time for theoretical investigation of those future problems and working out the corresponding policy measures that are consistent with sustainable development of the region. The Barents Sea is especially important because it has a common pool both in hydrocarbons and fish.


Author(s):  
Vasilii Erokhin

The Arctic possesses about one-quarter of the world's untapped energy resources and abundant deposits of minerals. The region has always been in the focus of geopolitical interests of the USA, Russia, countries of Northern Europe, and Canada. However, with an opening of the previously ice-jammed waterways, new potential sites with vast resources have been identified and explored. Diversified transportation routes are of paramount importance to the economic and energy security of energy importing countries, particularly non-Arctic ones. As the Arctic becomes a focus of interest of many regional and non-regional actors, it is crucial to identify the dangers such a boom may bring. This chapter reviews the history of the Arctic policies of major actors in the region, overviews the contemporary approaches to the development of the Arctic, and discusses how varying interests and policies can be translated into the effective international regulations for the benefit of the entire Arctic region, its people, environment, and sustainable development.


Author(s):  
Sergey Rabkin

The search for a new model of collective security is one of the most important institutional challenges in a multipolar world. Despite the fact that modern processes of regionalization are increasingly determined by cognitive factors, the Arctic region is becoming a macro-region of the world, where the balance of national interest of countries with different economic systems can determine the institutional criteria for future global interaction or confrontation in achieving the goals of sustainable development.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Dahl Rendtorff

Recently, the developments of ethics and politics in the Arctic region have again become an issue for international discussion. One main issue is the problem of climate change and sustainability of the Arctic region. This problem is linked to the issue of exploitation of natural resources in the Arctic region, not at least in Greenland. Indeed, the general issue is how we should define ethics of the environment and sustainability as a general principle for the Arctic region. It is important to discuss what is at stake and how we define the problem in relation to the different participating stakeholders. This paper deals with these problems as a case for global ethics and it proposes a vision of ethical and political responsibility for sustainable development in order to deal with such problems.


Resources ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Yuriy Zhukovskiy ◽  
Pavel Tsvetkov ◽  
Aleksandra Buldysko ◽  
Yana Malkova ◽  
Antonina Stoianova ◽  
...  

The 21st century is characterized not only by large-scale transformations but also by the speed with which they occur. Transformations—political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal-in synergy have always been a catalyst for reactions in society. The field of energy supply, like many others, is extremely susceptible to the external influence of such factors. To a large extent, this applies to remote (especially from the position of energy supply) regions. The authors outline an approach to justifying the development of the Arctic energy infrastructure through an analysis of the demand for the amount of energy consumed and energy sources, taking into account global trends. The methodology is based on scenario modeling of technological demand. It is based on a study of the specific needs of consumers, available technologies, and identified risks. The paper proposes development scenarios and presents a model that takes them into account. Modeling results show that in all scenarios, up to 50% of the energy balance in 2035 will take gas, but the role of carbon-free energy sources will increase. The mathematical model allowed forecasting the demand for energy types by certain types of consumers, which makes it possible to determine the vector of development and stimulation of certain types of resources for energy production in the Arctic. The model enables considering not only the growth but also the decline in demand for certain types of consumers under different scenarios. In addition, authors’ forecasts, through further modernization of the energy sector in the Arctic region, can contribute to the creation of prerequisites that will be stimulating and profitable for the growth of investment in sustainable energy sources to supply consumers. The scientific significance of the work lies in the application of a consistent hybrid modeling approach to forecasting demand for energy resources in the Arctic region. The results of the study are useful in drafting a scenario of regional development, taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as identifying areas of technology and energy infrastructure stimulation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 179-183
Author(s):  
Nadezhda Filippova ◽  
Vladimir Vlasov ◽  
Iosif Spirin ◽  
Yulia Grishaeva ◽  
Tatjana Melnikova

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