#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR.The words of Academician Nikolay Laverov “Exploring the Arctic is more difficult than space exploration” became the leitmotif of the 7th international conference – The Arctic: Sustainable Development.
In 2021-2023, Russia leads the Arctic Council. The priority areas of the chairmanship became the key topics of discussion at the conference.
“First of all, this is the integrated development of the Arctic region, social development, improving the welfare of residents, economic development of the region”, said Nikolay Korchunov, senior official of the Arctic Council from the Russian Federation.
The Arctic zone produces more than 80 percent of gas and 17 percent of oil in Russia. The new deposits discovery and the existing enterprises modernization are fundamentally important for the development of the region.
Large investment projects are mainly involved in production. Russia is interested in attracting small and medium businesses to the Arctic. This segment largely provides the services market in the northern regions. An important role in attracting new investments is played by the Arctic Hectare program – the opportunity to get a land plot for use.
Another key development factor is Arctic tourism. Picturesque landscapes, unique flora and fauna – the region has all the conditions for the Russian Arctic tourist brand to become a global one someday.
Today, almost 2.5 million people live in the Arctic zone of Russia. The participants discussed the possibilities of improving the living conditions of northerners and transport infrastructure in permafrost conditions. Particular attention was paid to the support of the indigenous peoples of the North. There are more than 82 thousand of them.
“We have certain preferences for them to engage in their traditional activities, such as fishing and hunting. The small indigenous peoples of the North representatives are provided with unimpeded access to biological resources”, said Alexey Yeremeyev, Chairman of the State Assembly (Il Tumen) of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia).
The Arctic possessions of Russia occupy 18 percent of the territory. This is three million square kilometers of unique nature, which is already facing environmental problems. Therefore, the main principle that was adopted in the further development of the Arctic is to do no harm.
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Text: Ekaterina Maksimova, Photos: Nikolay Shchipko, Olga Polyanskaya and Denis Kozhevnikov
