Contact: Thor B. Arlov <thor.arlov@adm.ntnu.no>
Project proposal: Nenets in the Petroleum Age: Challenges for a Sustainable Development in the European Arctic
Date: October 1998
A multi-disciplinary network of scientists under participation of Russian specialists has elaborated a project proposal in 1997 with respect to consequences of industrial development in the north-west of the Russian Federation, particularly the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The application for funding to the Norwegian Research Council (East Europe Programme) was not successful. The group is working at a new proposal.
Planned objectives are to investigate the conflict between technical/economic priorities and environmental/social considerations, especially with respect to petroleum development, the role of foreign actors in resource exploitation, tensions between ethnic groups, as well as short- and long-term effects of petroleum exploitation on a future sustainable development. A baseline study would deal with the natural environment, socio-economic indicators, political-legal status and the public health situation. Consequently, probable development scenarios would be identified, leading to the evaluation of various strategies for sustainable exploitation and management of natural resources including mitigation methods.
The project proposal refers to the IASC-supported research programme LOIRA (Land-Ocean Interactions in the Russian Arctic). The co-ordinator of this programme, Elena N. Andreeva, is also meant to participate in the proposed project.