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Climate change represents one of the most pressing societal and scientific challenges of our time. While much of the current research on climate change focuses on future prediction, some of the strongest signals of warming can already be seen in Arctic and alpine areas, where temperatures are rising faster than the global average, and in the oceans, where the combination of rising temperatures and acidification due to increased CO2 concentrations has had catastrophic consequences for sensitive marine organisms inhabiting coral reefs. The scientific papers highlighted as part of this anniversary issue represent some of the most impactful advances in our understanding of the consequences of anthropogenic climate change. Here, we reflect on the legacy of these papers from the biotic perspective.

The peculiarities of the radial growth of pine in the conditions of air pollution in the Arctic zone are considered. The results of measurements of the width of annual rings of pine growing at different distances from the emission source are presented. The variability of annual radial growth of pine trees varies in a wide range: from moderate to very high. Age changes in the width of annual rings of pine are corresponding to the regularities of the curve of the "large growth". The average annual radial growth begins to decrease in plants older than 70 years. The dependence of the average annual radial growth of pine on age is approximated by an exponential equation. The accuracy of the approximation (coefficient of determination) is very high. Comparative analysis of the width of the annual rings and the value of gross emissions of the APPM in the year of formation of the annual layer did not show a clear synchronicity or asynchrony in the dynamics of these indicators for all plots. In most cases, the relationship between the total annual emissions of the APPM into the atmosphere and the width of the annual rings of pine was insignificant. The analysis of dendrochronology did not reveal a significant influence of atmospheric emissions of the Arkhangelsk pulp and paper mill on the growth of pine. The correlation coefficients between total annual atmospheric emissions and radial annual increments did not show a relationship between them, both when comparing these parameters year-on-year and with a delay of one year. For the period from 2001 to 2018 significant direct or delayed negative effect of emissions from Arkhangelsk pulp and paper mill in the atmosphere in the investigated areas of pine forests have not been identified.

Polar stakeholders include both Arctic and Antarctic stakeholders. However, while including both, the White Paper focuses more on the Arctic, as it is inhabited, and hence higher on the European agenda. This white paper is targeted to support researchers and aims to serve as both as an eye-opener and as a tool for planning the next research projects and funding calls for funders. This White paper includes set of recommendations and way forward for achieving successful stakeholder engagement for including the society and its challenges into the research.

This paper was removed from publication at the author’s request, August 30, 2021. Copyright © 2021 by ASME

This erratum corrects errors that appeared in the paper “Modeling of an Oscillating Wave Surge Converter With Dielectric Elastomer Power Take-Off” which was published in Proceedings of the ASME 2014 33rd International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering, Volume 9A: Ocean Renewable Energy, V09AT09A034, June 2014, OMAE2014-23559, doi: 10.1115/OMAE2014-23559.

In addition to the traditional so-called Arctic states, non-Artic states and some other international organisations are now showing a growing interest in this area. China, for example, has achieved some progress, since becoming an Arctic Council permanent observer, through participation in resource development in the region and strengthening its bilateral relations with the Arctic states. The present study examines China’s Arctic policy and its implications for the governance of the Arctic Ocean. It also provides an insight into the existing relevant international legal instruments and examines China’s interest in the participation, governance, and resource protection activities in the Arctic Ocean region, to successfully implement Chinese Arctic policy. To this end, the study examines the connection between the “white paper” and “China’s Arctic Policy”, in the context of executing the “Belt and Road Initiative”, in particular the “Arctic Silk Road”. The study concludes that China intends to perform a dynamic role in governing the Arctic Ocean, as a less challenging but cooperative partner in this region.

Environmental changes are affecting the Arctic at an unprecedented rate, but limited scientific knowledge exists on their impacts on species such as walruses (Odobenus rosmarus). Inuit Traditional and Local Ecological Knowledge (Inuit TEK/LEK) held by Inuit walrus harvesters could shed light on walrus ecology and related environmental changes. Our main objective was to study spatial and temporal changes in Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) distribution in Nunavik (northern Québec, Canada) using Inuit TEK/LEK. To do so, we documented the knowledge and observations of 33 local hunters and Elders as part of a larger project on Atlantic walruses in Nunavik. We first gathered information on changes in Inuit land use patterns and harvesting practices through time and space, which was a crucial step to avoid potential biases in interpreting local observations on walrus distribution. We found that walrus hunters are now covering smaller hunting areas over shorter time periods, reducing in space and time their observations of Atlantic walruses around Nunavik. While clearly taking these limitations into account, we learned from interviews that some areas abandoned by Atlantic walruses in the past were now being re-occupied. Importantly, Atlantic walruses, which migrate following the melting ice, are now traveling along the eastern coast of Nunavik one month earlier, suggesting that Atlantic walrus migration has changed due to variations in sea-ice coverage around Nunavik. Our study not only highlighted important changes in Atlantic walrus distribution and migration in Nunavik, but also sheds light on the importance of documenting temporal and spatial changes in Inuit land use patterns and harvesting practices to understand the ecology of Arctic species using Inuit Knowledge. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00300-021-02920-6.

The large part of the Russian Federation locates in arctic and subarctic climatic zones, which determine the specificity of design, construction and operation of sewage systems of these regions. Nowadays, the most part of small Arctic towns has no wastewater treatment facilities, while the available biological treatment facilities do not work properly. An alternative way is physicochemical treatment, which is more resistant to severe climate and volley wastewater discharge than biological treatment. The paper presents the research results of total change the biological into physicochemical treatment. The main stages of such a treatment include coagulation, filtration, oxidation and two-stage filtration (mechanical and absorption). The experiments show a 90.8% decrease in the concentration of chemical oxygen and a 74% and 82.5% decrease in nitrates and ammonium.

The European Union (EU) regulations require the pilots of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to register and pass a basic theory exam from 2021. Therefore, it is essential to systematically gather information for pilots for utilizing UAS in a safe and meaningful manner especially in Nordic weather conditions. This book chapter describes the Nordic challenges for UAS operations. These can be categorized into two main categories: technological and operational. Based on the extensive literature review and practical experience of the authors, both categories of challenges especially with relevance to the severe Arctic weather conditions are presented. The relevant weather conditions include changing the density of the air, dust and solid particles clouds, extreme light conditions, freezing rain, heavy and gusty wind, heavy clouds, ice fog, rain, mist and fog combinations, rapid temperature changes, snow, storm and hailstorm, temperature crossing 0 C several times within 24 hours, wind shear and whirlwind. Many technical and operational challenges (e.g., weather-related phenomena) are overlapping on both categories and can be mitigated partly by technological advances and partly by operational preparedness. Finally, the future challenges and needs in UAS research are also discussed.

The Arctic is among the world’s regions most affected by ongoing and increasing cultural, socio-economic, environmental and climatic changes. Over the last two decades, scholars, policymakers, extractive industries, local, regional and national governments, intergovernmental forums, and non-governmental organizations have turned their attention to the Arctic, its peoples and resources, and to challenges and benefits of impending transformations. The International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP) has now transpired three times, most recently in April 2015 with ICARP III. Arctic sustainability is an issue of increasing concern within the Arctic and beyond it, including in ICARP endeavors. This paper reports some of the key findings of a white paper prepared by an international and interdisciplinary team as part of the ICARP-III process, with support from the International Arctic Science Committee Social and Human Sciences Working Group, the International Arctic Social Sciences Associat...

Background Persons in Arctic regions disproportionately experience depression. Knowledge gaps remain regarding factors associated with depression among adolescents in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, where child and adolescent mental health hospitalizations are nearly 2.5 times the national rate. This study assesses correlates of depression among adolescents in the NWT. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey with adolescents aged 13–18 in 17 NWT communities. We assessed associations between socio-demographic characteristics, dating violence, food insecurity and depression, measured with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. We conducted ordered logistic regressions to assess associations with no, mild, or moderate/severe depression scores. Results Participants (n = 399; mean age: 14.3, s.d.: 1.3) were mostly Indigenous (79%) and 45% reported food insecurity. Nearly half (47%) reported minimal/no depression symptoms, 25% mild symptoms and 28% moderate/severe symptoms. In multivariate analyses, participants who were cisgender women compared to other genders, sexually diverse v. heterosexual, and food insecure had double the odds of more severe depression symptoms. Among those dating, dating violence was associated with double the odds of moderate/severe depression symptoms. Conclusions Findings support tailored interventions to address material (food insecurity), relational (dating violence) and symbolic (gender and sexual orientation norms) contextual factors associated with depression among adolescents in the NWT.

Background The "Flora of Russia" project on iNaturalist brought together professional scientists and amateur naturalists from all over the country. Over 10,000 people were involved in the data collection. New information Within 20 months, the participants accumulated 750,143 photo observations of 6,857 species of the Russian flora. This constitutes the largest dataset of open spatial data on the country’s biodiversity and a leading source of data on the current state of the national flora. About 87% of all project data, i.e. 652,285 observations, are available under free licences (CC0, CC-BY, CC-BY-NC) and can be freely used in scientific, educational and environmental activities.

Background: During the last decades, social and life-style changes in Greenland have led to an increase in the incidence of several non-communicable diseases. Our aim is to present the cancer incidence and mortality in Greenland and compare the results with the other Nordic countries. Methods: The data stems from The Danish Cancer Registry and The Danish Register of Causes of Death. Comparable data on cancer incidence and mortality in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Greenland are available through collaboration between Nordic Cancer Registries (NORDCAN). We included all individuals residing in Greenland and diagnosed with or died of a cancer from 1983 to 2014. Findings: The total number of cancer cases in Greenland for the study period was 4716 and there were 3231 cancer deaths. Respiratory and gastrointestinal cancers had the highest incidence as well as mortality in Greenland for the entire time period and for both sexes. Compared to the other Nordic countries, Greenland had significantly higher incidence and mortality rates for several cancers. Cancer of the lip, oral cavity, and pharynx, respiratory cancer, and cancer of unknown sites had the highest incidence rate ratios (2.3–3.9) and mortality rate ratios (2.7–9.9) for both sexes. The time trend from 1983 to 2014 showed a significant increase in cancer incidence in Greenland with nearly the same incidence level as the other Nordic countries. While the cancer mortality decreased in the other Nordic countries during the time period studied, there was no change in the cancer-specific mortality in Greenland. Interpretations: The trends in cancer incidence and mortality in Greenland compared to the other Nordic countries have not been reported earlier. These data underline a need to focus on cancer-specific mortality in Greenland and prevention of high-incidence cancers related to well-established risk factors. Keywords: Cancer incidence, Cancer mortality, Greenland, Inuit, Arctic, Cancer, Carcinoma, Nordic countries, Epidemiology

The role of environmental reservoirs in H. pylori transmission remains uncertain due to technical difficulties in detecting living organisms in sources outside the stomach. Residents of some Canadian Arctic communities worry that contamination of the natural environment is responsible for the high prevalence of H. pylori infection in the region. This analysis aims to estimate associations between exposure to potential environmental sources of biological contamination and prevalence of H. pylori infection in Arctic Canada. Using data from 3 community-driven H. pylori projects in the Northwest and Yukon Territories, we estimated effects of environmental exposures on H. pylori prevalence, using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from multilevel logistic regression models to adjust for household and community effects. Investigated exposures include: untreated drinking water; livestock; dogs; cats; mice or mouse droppings in the home; cleaning fish or game. Our analysis did not identify environmental exposures associated clearly with increased H. pylori prevalence, except any exposure to mice or mouse droppings (OR = 4.6, CI = 1.2–18), reported by 11% of participants. Our multilevel models showed H. pylori clustering within households, but environmental exposures accounted for little of this clustering; instead, much of it was accounted for by household composition (especially: having infected household members; number of children). Like the scientific literature on this topic, our results do not clearly implicate or rule out environmental reservoirs of H. pylori; thus, the topic remains a priority for future research. Meanwhile, H. pylori prevention research should seek strategies for reducing direct transmission from person to person.

Dietary transition in the Arctic is associated with decreased quality of diet, which is of particular concern for women of childbearing age due to the potential impact of maternal nutrition status on the next generation. The study assessed dietary intake and adequacy among Inuit women of childbearing age living in three communities in Nunavut, Canada. A culturally-appropriate quantitative food-frequency questionnaire was administered to 106 Inuit women aged 19-44 years. Sources of key foods, energy and nutrient intakes were determined; dietary adequacy was determined by comparing nutrient intakes with recommendations. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was >70%, and many consumed inadequate dietary fibre, folate, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin A, D, E, and K. Non-nutrient-dense foods were primary sources of fat, carbohydrate and sugar intakes and contributed >30% of energy. Traditional foods accounted for 21% of energy and >50% of protein and iron intakes. Strategies to improve weight status and nutrient intake are needed among Inuit women in this important life stage.

Nowadays, the LNG market is a derivative of the traditional gas market and has certain advantages over pipeline gas supplies. Many countries, including the Russian Federation, are trying to consolidate their positions in the relatively new and growing LNG market. In the paper, Sino-Russia Energy strategy perspectives until 2030 are being analyzed in detail. The authors analyze the Arctic LNG case as the most crucial for both countries’ collaboration. The Arctic is considered as the new strategic frontier of China. China is a critical Arctic stakeholder as it is written in the newly released white paper China’s Arctic Policy. The authors use Python 3.4. modeling for testing the influence of economic, social and environmental factors on Sino-Russia energy collaboration. The methodology consists of foresight analysis, including principal component isolation (further- PCA) method and SARIMA analysis. Research results show that the values of the components in Russia and China industries are drastically different. However, some components would be significantly developed due to Russia’s existing trends by 2030. Indeed, it can be concluded that the dissimilarity between Russia and China’ oil and gas industries would increase by 2030, as indicated by the first, second and fourth components. China’s oil and gas industry has a stable trend for development.Keywords: Sino-Russia Energy Cooperation, Energy Strategy 2030, Innovation Strategy, Arctic LNG, Principal Component Isolation analysisJEL Classifications: F42, F43, F47, L51DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.11316

The article considers possibilities for increasing competitiveness of Russian industrial enterprises during the development of resource effective industrial policy. The authors discuss the meaning and interpretation of “sustainable development” and “competitiveness” used in national and international scientific publications. The article traces current trends in the external environment that can contribute to organization's competitive advantages or cause the stability loss. The most significant changes include: the strengthening of industrial policy at national and international levels; broadening the understanding of essence and geographic scope of regulation based on the principles of best available techniques; promoting resource efficient and low-carbon technologies and formulating new international marketing segment for such technologies; establishing approaches for circular economy and links to resource efficient and low-carbon development; developing responsible investment system supporting activities related to meeting sustainable development goals.The authors analyse the basic principles of Environment Social Governance (ESG) and Business Charter for Sustainable Development and demonstrate their impact on the development of new competition rules.The paper presents results of case studies carried out in pulp and paper production and mining industry: environmental and technological modernizationprojects of JSC “Kovdor Mining and Benefication Plant” and JSC “Mondi Syktyvkar” and compares these projects with theESG investment principles. The procedure for excluding Russian installations from the list of environmental “hot spots” of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region is analysed and project assessment results meeting requirements of Best Available Techniques and responsible investment are considered. The paper concludes with the statement that in order to increase the level of international competitiveness of Russian industries it is necessary to take into account sustainable development principles and ESG principles while developing environmental and technological modernization programmes of Russian enterprises.

This paper presents an overview of current electricity generation and consumption patterns in the Arctic. Based on published data and new data collection this paper provides an overview of the installed capacity per energy source. A more detailed view of electricity systems is also presented, showing how different types of resources can be used and combined within Arctic communities. The paper briefly discusses which aspects of transmission systems are of special interest under the harsh climatic conditions of the Arctic. A description is given of the various electricity generation technologies that have been proven to be effective for use in Arctic environment, and those that are currently in use, including diesel, hydropower, photovoltaic, and wind power, in addition to discussion of different back-up options. Furthermore, for a more holistic view concerning such energy systems the socio-economic dimension is addressed with a focus on energy security, through an investigation of energy availability and affordability in the Arctic. The availability of energy in the harsh Arctic environments can be crucial for survival and affordability, and can have a huge impact among low-income communities.

Object and purpose of research. This paper discusses conceptual ships with nuclear power plants to formulate some of their initial design requirements and limitations. Materials and methods. Analysis of available Russian and foreign publications, Class rules, reactor parameters and installation requirements. Main results. The study analyses main evolution stages, peculiarities and prospects of nuclear ships, formulating the recommendations on reactor compartment arrangement aboard a nuclear ship and giving the calculation expressions for its required volume. Conclusion. The paper formulates initial limitations for the arrangement of reactor compartment (containment) for nuclear carrier ships, comparing modern reactors of various capacity and pointing out, based on the analysis of various studies, the most promising types of ships for nuclear propulsion.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate tourists’ representations of the Arctic through the lens of the photo-sharing social network Instagram. The study focuses on the particular tourist experience of crossing the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland, as in tourism, it represents the “official” entry to the Arctic. The study also aims at drawing assumptions about the future experiences of crossing the Arctic Circle, with the development of new technologies such as augmented and virtual realities.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered with netnography methodologies on the Instagram social network. The first stage was the observational part and consisted of “lurking” at specific hashtags and locations, both referring to the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi. Data were gathered in December 2018 and consisted of images and descriptions of Instagram posts published by users between June 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018, so data collection encompassed both summer and winter seasons. The second stage was the analysis part and involved interpretive understanding, and especially phenomenological sociology.FindingsResults show that three dominant representations of the Arctic emerge when tourists cross the Arctic Circle. The region is either seen as a frozen fairytale wonderland due to the close proximity of the Christmas industry, as a far and northern destination participating in the realization of the self, and as a territory where summer weather conditions are not necessarily synonymous with the Arctic. In addition, the study acknowledges the future challenges of conceptualizing “Arctic tourism” due to the development of virtual reality technologies that could provide immersive Arctic experiences outside the region.Originality/valueThe paper investigates connections between social media studies and tourist experiences in the Arctic context. It also questions the future of Arctic tourist experiences with the development of new technologies enhancing experiences and, thus, potentially threatening the exceptionalism of the Arctic and what makes the region a unique tourism destination.

Currently, the dominant energy source for electricity generation in the Arctic is diesel, which is well proven for Arctic conditions. However, diesel is expensive in the Arctic, often due to long and complicated fuel transportation routes, and so inhabitants of Arctic communities can face high electricity costs. This paper investigates whether renewable energy resources can be harvested in a feasible and cost-competitive manner. The paper highlights which renewable energy resources are generally available in the Arctic and analyzes how renewable resources, such as hydropower, wind, and photovoltaics, can be used. Furthermore, we present three specific case studies to provide in-depth insight. A simulation with different energy generation scenarios using different renewable energy sources and penetration levels was performed for each case. The results indicate that renewables can be a cost-competitive option and that the optimal mix of renewables varies for different communities. Stakeholders and experts from the case study communities were also interviewed and their responses indicated a general acceptance of renewables.

Infrastructure systems, such as wind farms, are prone to various human-induced and natural disruptions such as extreme weather conditions. There is growing concern among decision makers about the ability of wind farms to withstand and regain their performance when facing disruptions, in terms of resilience-enhanced strategies. This paper proposes a probabilistic model to calculate the resilience of wind farms facing disruptive weather conditions. In this study, the resilience of wind farms is considered to be a function of their reliability, maintainability, supportability, and organizational resilience. The relationships between these resilience variables can be structured using Bayesian network models. The use of Bayesian networks allows for analyzing different resilience scenarios. Moreover, Bayesian networks can be used to quantify resilience, which is demonstrated in this paper with a case study of a wind farm in Arctic Norway. The results of the case study show that the wind farm is highly resilient under normal operating conditions, and slightly degraded under Arctic operating conditions. Moreover, the case study introduced the calculation of wind farm resilience under Arctic black swan conditions. A black swan scenario is an unknowable unknown scenario that can affect a system with low probability and very high extreme consequences. The results of the analysis show that the resilience of the wind farm is significantly degraded when operating under Arctic black swan conditions. In addition, a backward propagation of the Bayesian network illustrates the percentage of improvement required in each resilience factor in order to attain a certain level of resilience of the wind farm under Arctic black swan conditions.

Sea ice poses hazards to ships and offshore structures which create challenges for designers. Designers have to take into account the ice actions resulting from the various ice conditions, interactions and operational scenarios which may occur during the lifetime of structures. In this paper the methodologies used in ship and offshore structure standards, such as the Finnish Swedish Ice Class Rules, International Association of Classification Societies Polar Class rules and ISO 19906, are considered with respect to Limit State Design principles and design air temperature definitions. The paper presents an overview of the design approach used in these standards and especially the criteria for the structural limit used. Case study examples based on ship measurements in the Baltic, as well as design air temperature data from the Russian Arctic, are used to highlight the different approaches and their implementation. The analysis shows clearly that explicit design ice action and structural limit are required for the rational basis in the future development of Limit State definitions in standards accounting for ice actions.

Arctic climates provide unique challenges for designers of HVAC, plumbing, and thermal energy systems. The importance of considering the operation outside air temperatures, system reliability, and building resiliency cannot be understated. The paper describes best practice examples of robust and reliable systems with the emphasis on their redundancy, durability, and functionality. The paper also discusses the most common heating and ventilation system approaches used in arctic climate with the emphasis on the importance of a maintenance program that allows building operators to successfully troubleshoot and maintain buildings in the arctic. More detailed discussion of concepts presented in this paper can be found in the Guide [1] where these concepts are illustrated by best practice examples from U.S. military bases in Alaska and Søndre Strømfjord, the international airport of Greenland that previously was used as a U.S. military base. The paper results from experts’ discussions during the Consultation Forum “Thermal Energy Systems Resilience in Cold/Arctic Climates” [2] and research conducted under the IEA EBC Annex 73, the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) Project “Technologies Integration to Achieve Resilient, Low-Energy Military Installations” and U.S. Army Program project 633734T1500 under Military Engineering Technology Demonstration. The paper is complementary to the ASHRAE Cold Climate Design Guide [3] with a focus on resilience of thermal energy systems.

The Norwegian Arctic is rich in wind resources. The development of wind power in this region can boost green energy and also promote local economies. In wind power engineering, it is a tremendous advantage to base projects on a sound understanding of the intrinsic properties of wind resources in an area. Wind speed volatility, a phenomenon that strongly affects wind power generation, has not received sufficient research attention. In this paper, a framework for studying short-term wind speed volatility with statistical analysis and probabilistic modeling is constructed for an existing wind farm in Northern Norway. It is found that unlike the characteristics of wind power volatility, wind speed volatility cannot be described by the normal distribution. The reason is that even though the probability distribution of wind speed volatility is centrally symmetric, it is much more centrally concentrated and has thicker tails. After comparing three distributions corresponding to different sampling periods, this paper suggests utilizing the t distribution, with average modeling RMSE less than 0.006 and R2 exceeding 0.995 and with the best modeling scenario of temporal resolution, the 30 mins has an RMSE of 0.0051 and an R2 of 0.997, to more accurately and effectively explore the fluctuating characteristics of wind speed.

Currently, the Russian oil and gas industry is characterized by significant reserves depletion and the late stage of development of most fields. At the same time, new fields that are brought into industrial development, in the majority of cases, have hard-to-recover reserves. Furthermore, most prospective oil and gas deposits are located in the Arctic and its offshore territories and their development is much more complicated due to regional peculiarities. This substantiates the necessity of a special approach to the development of the oil and gas potential of the Arctic, based on innovation. The goal of the paper is to reveal the role of innovation activity in the sustainable development of the oil and gas potential in the Arctic and its offshore zone. The paper briefly presents the main urgent factors of Arctic development, which highlight the necessity of innovation for its sustainability. Then, it introduces the methods used for the research: the Innovation Policy Road mapping (IPRM) method in accordance with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concept for clarifying how innovations will lead to sustainable development. In terms of results, this paper presents an innovation policy roadmap for the sustainable development of oil and gas resources of the Russian Arctic and its shelf zone and identifies the role of innovation within this development.

In 2019, the Arctic experienced its second warmest year on record, continuing a six-year trend of record-breaking Arctic surface temperatures (Lindsey 2019). Such unprecedented observations have become the new normal in the Arctic and provide new insights into the implications of global climate change. A warming Arctic, however, also presents new opportunities for Arctic commercial development. Such development is in fact quickly evolving from a mere possibility to an on-the-ground reality. Despite the speed of and increasing prospect of Arctic commercialization, however, there has been little to no movement on the part of the United States to enact policies and regulations accounting for it. Recognizing this gap in U.S. policy, the main objective of this paper is to articulate a possible path towards sustainable Arctic commercialization—one that recognizes and addresses current realities and future potential challenges. To this end, this paper synthesizes a two-pronged policy proposal—referred to as Responsible and Informed Arctic Commercialization (RIAC). RIAC targets the paucity of U.S. Arctic knowledge and regulatory capacity with a clearly articulated framework for implementation. The first prong of the policy addresses the quality of U.S. Arctic domain awareness. The second prong assesses the status of relevant sections of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations with respect to the unique conditions of the Arctic. The actions encompassed by RIAC’s two-pronged structure offer a clear path for the United States to rectify the weaknesses in its current Arctic policy and make sustainable and safe Arctic commercial development possible.

This review provides a synopsis of the main findings of individual papers in the special issue Terrestrial Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing Arctic. The special issue was developed to inform the State of the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Report developed by the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), Arctic Council working group. Salient points about the status and trends of Arctic biodiversity and biodiversity monitoring are organized by taxonomic groups: (1) vegetation, (2) invertebrates, (3) mammals, and (4) birds. This is followed by a discussion about commonalities across the collection of papers, for example, that heterogeneity was a predominant pattern of change particularly when assessing global trends for Arctic terrestrial biodiversity. Finally, the need for a comprehensive, integrated, ecosystem-based monitoring program, coupled with targeted research projects deciphering causal patterns, is discussed.

The article examines the reasons leading to the increase in the price of fuel and energy resources consumed in the Arctic regions of the Yakutia. The paper studies the conditions for the development of coal deposits in the region. It is shown the lack of open cast mines that meet modern criteria for efficient use of small-scale open mining by quality and logistic accessibility. This article determines that with the minimum level of clogging of the hard coal mined and the stabilization of its quality over time, it is possible to efficiently recycle the fuel without other precombustion measures. In the case of development of brown coal deposits, additional enrichment is required after extraction to improve the level of consumables. The paper stresses that development of local small-scale deposits of coal is important direction to improve energetic safety of arctic regions. It is necessary to select the coal mines most suitable for open-cast mining, as close to consumers and also with the best quality indicators. The use of the specified measures of technological and economic management, administrative regulation and improvement of mechanisms of «northern delivery» make it possible to facilitate the creation and operation of new coal mines in the Arctic zone of Yakutia. In turn, this reduce coal delivery periods, its quantity and quality losses in the supply chain, and improve local fuel and energy complexes.

There are huge reserves of hydrocarbons in the Arctic region. However, owing to the harsh climate, darkness, problems with communication, long distances, lack of infrastructure and other challenges, offshore operations related to hydrocarbon extraction are more difficult and more expensive. Nowadays, gas extracted from the Arctic shelf, is transported mainly by pipelines and liquid natural gas (LNG) carriers. Both methods are quite expensive. In this paper we consider the application of innovative compressed natural gas (CNG) technology to transport gas extracted from the hydrocarbon fields in the Arctic. The technology is not widely commercially used yet. The calculations show that the gas transportation costs using CNG carriers are lower than those using LNG carriers and pipelines for smaller gas fields and distances from the source to consumer up to 4000 km. The paper would be interesting for practitioners from the oil and gas and shipbuilding industry, policymakers and scholars.

The Arctic has historically been a strategically important region for Russia, from before the Cold War to the recent efforts in increasing shipping along the Northern Sea Route. Russia holds the largest share of petroleum resources in the Arctic, the governance model for which has been changing over the past few decades based on the current political priorities, external events, and geophysical changes in the region. Following the conflict in Ukraine, the European Union and the United States adopted sanctions limiting the cooperation between Russian and western companies for Arctic offshore petroleum development. This paper analyses the transformation in national governance of natural resources in the Russian Arctic, focusing on offshore oil and gas. It provides a historical background of the governance model to facilitate the analysis of the effects of western sanctions on the current resource development and its regulation. Through the analysis of legal and policy documents, this paper provides an outlook for future developments in the Russian Arctic offshore resource governance.

This paper emphasises on degradation of wood in cultural heritage structures at Svalbard. Nowhere else does global heating occur faster. Negative impacts of climate change will increase the strain on wooden structures and can daily be observed at Svalbard. The severe changes affect the degradation rate of wooden constructions, including cultural heritage. Certain microclimates, also in Polar areas, are favourable to fungal growth and decay. The probable enhancing effects climate change have on fungal degradation in wooden structures are however alarming. The paper displays findings of measurements from four different case study projects at Svalbard between 2009 and 2019. The results have been analysed separately, compiled and discussed in context, and towards relevant literature. We claim that impacts of climate change may not be generalized in order to predict effects in building materials. Further, that with extended knowledge on how climate change affects natural development of fungal decay, negative impacts may be reduced. Lessons learned from high Arctic areas might add longevity and sustainability to wooden cultural heritage constructions, also in different areas and environments. The paper is part of two of the authors' PhD work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Projections of the future size, composition and distribution of the populations of the Arctic states and regions are useful for policymakers for planning purposes. This paper presents and analyses the most recent population projections undertaken for the Arctic states and regions. Global population growth is projected to continue rising, from the current total of 7.4 billion to 10 billion in 2055. The population of the Arctic, as defined here, is predicted to change little, with a projected population increase of just 1%. However, there will be considerable variation in growth rates among the Arctic regions. Among the Arctic regions of Alaska, Yukon, Nunavut, Iceland, Troms, Khanty-Mansiy okrug and Chukotka, substantial population increases are projected, amounting to more than 10% over the projection period specified for each. Nordland, Finnmark, Pohjoil-Pohjanmaa (North Ostrobothnia) and Nenets autonomous okrug are projected to experience a more modest rate of growth of between 5% and 10%. The population of the Northwest Territories, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Västerbotten, Norrbotten, Lappi, Yamal-Nenets okrug, Yakutia and Kamchatka oblast are projected to remain roughly the same, neither growing nor declining by more than 5%. Kainuu in Finland, Karelia, Komi, Arkhangel'sk, Murmansk, and Magadan in Russia are projected to undergo reductions in population of more than 5% each. Common trends identified for nearly all Arctic regions in the future are aging populations, more balanced gender ratios between men and women, increased concentrations of population within larger urban settlements, and the depopulation of smaller settlements. Research for this article is part of a project entitled Polar Peoples: Past, Present, and Future. This is supported by a grant from the U. S. National Science Foundation, Arctic Social Sciences Program (award number PLR-1418272). I would like to thank Olivia Napper, graduate student in the Department of Geography at George Washington University, for creating the maps in this paper and for other research assistance. This project also received funding from the Nunataryuk project which was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 773421.

This paper describes a new satellite simulator for the CLARA-A2 climate data record (CDR). This simulator takes into account the variable skill in cloud detection in the CLARA-A2 CDR by using a different approach to other similar satellite simulators to emulate the ability to detect clouds. In particular, the paper describes three methods to filter out clouds from climate models undetectable by observations. The first method is comparable to the current simulators in the Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) Observation Simulator Package (COSP), since it relies on a single visible cloud optical depth at 550 nm (τc) threshold applied globally to delineate cloudy and cloud-free conditions. Methods two and three apply long/lat-gridded values separated by daytime and nighttime conditions. Method two uses gridded varying τc as opposed to method one, which uses just a τc threshold, and method three uses a cloud probability of detection (POD) depending on the model τc. The gridded POD values are from the CLARA-A2 validation study by Karlsson and Håkansson (2018). Methods two and three replicate the relative ease or difficulty for cloud retrievals depending on the region and illumination. They increase the cloud sensitivity where the cloud retrievals are relatively straightforward, such as over midlatitude oceans, and they decrease the sensitivity where cloud retrievals are notoriously tricky, such as where thick clouds may be inseparable from cold snow-covered surfaces, as well as in areas with an abundance of broken and small-scale cumulus clouds such as the atmospheric subsidence regions over the ocean. The simulator, together with the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) simulator of the COSP, is used to assess Arctic clouds in the EC-Earth climate model compared to the CLARA-A2 and ISCCP H-Series (ISCCP-H) CDRs. Compared to CLARA-A2, EC-Earth generally underestimates cloudiness in the Arctic. However, compared to ISCCP and its simulator, the opposite conclusion is reached. Based on EC-Earth, this paper shows that the simulated cloud mask of CLARA-A2, using method three, is more representative of the CDR than method one used for the ISCCP simulator. The simulator substantially improves the simulation of the CLARA-A2-detected clouds, especially in the polar regions, by accounting for the variable cloud detection skill over the year. The approach to cloud simulation based on the POD of clouds depending on their τc, location, and illumination is the preferred one as it reduces cloudiness over a range of cloud optical depths. Climate model comparisons with satellite-derived information can be significantly improved by this approach, mainly by reducing the risk of misinterpreting problems with satellite retrievals as cloudiness features. Since previous studies found that the CLARA-A2 CDR performs well in the Arctic during the summer months, and that method three is more representative than method one, the conclusion is that EC-Earth likely underestimates clouds in the Arctic summer.

Ice accretion reduces the stability, reliability, productivity, and safe operation of offshore exploration vessels, icebreakers, and marine structures in Arctic regions. This paper presents a review of existing literature on ice accumulation on marine vessels and offshore structures. Existing reports for field measured icing data are reviewed, which reveals that wave-collision generated sea spray is the main source of marine icing. Fundamental knowledge of different heat fluxes on the icing surface are analyzed and several numerical techniques for modelling of icing predictions on vessels, drilling rigs, and other offshore structures are critically reviewed. Additionally, this paper identifies methods of improving the ice prediction rate for marine vessels and offshore structures.

Melting of sea ice in Arctic areas has opened up new horizons for the development of Arctic Marine Transportation Systems (AMTS). An icebreaker assists a single ship if the ice classification of the ship does not meet the ice conditions. With the increase of the number of ships and escort operations, the risks of collisions between escorting ships (icebreakers) and escorted ships have also increased. In view of this, a calculation model of the safety distance and collision risks between escorting and escorted ships is proposed in this paper in order to facilitate safe navigation in Arctic ice-covered waters. The aim of the paper is to analyze features of navigation concerning icebreakers and escorted ships in escort operations under continuous icebreaking conditions, where a quantitative model is proposed to calculate safety distances under varying ice conditions based on the ship-following theory. The proposed model is able to quantify safety distance intervals at an acceptable collision frequency under varying ice conditions, as well as the movement characteristics of icebreakers and escorted ships. A case study is carried out to calculate the safety distance between “YONG SHENG” and “50 LET POBEDY”. The results show that the model can accurately calculate the safety distance between “YONG SHENG” and “50 LET POBEDY”, which can provide theoretical guidance for ice navigation.

The warming global climate is reducing sea-ice coverage in the central Arctic, transforming a mostly inaccessible marine region into a 'new' and relatively poorly studied ocean. History shows that exploitation of newly accessible natural resources tends to precede effective research and management measures. But in response to increasing access to the central Arctic, a precautionary approach has been taking hold, with broad political and scientific support culminating in the Oslo Declaration of 2015, which aims to prevent unregulated high seas fishing in the central Arctic. Negotiations toward a full binding agreement are continuing. Formal efforts toward assessing knowledge of the Arctic marine ecosystems and coordinating research are underway, and practitioner-based research coordination and collaboration in the region is also ongoing. Yet broad gaps in our current marine research and coordination exist, and this paper draws attention to the spatial middle, middle trophics, and the middle scale — an Arctic 'missing middle'. Scientific activity in the central Arctic Ocean region is burgeoning in recent years, and a large number of initiatives, projects, and arrangements are meeting some of the need for coordination. But full pan-Arctic scientific coordination does not yet exist. In support of ecosystem-based and precautionary management of the central Arctic Ocean, this paper considers a fully Arctic-focused organization that can both orchestrate and prioritize marine research in the Arctic in view of policy imperatives, and bring emerging scientific understanding of the region directly into the discussion and formation of new policy.

To properly justify the priorities for the Russian Arctic Zone sustainable development is methodologically challenging for two reasons. Firstly, this challenge is due to fast changes of external and internal conditions for the development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF). Secondly, the interpretation of the concept of “sustainability” is too wide inconsistent. As the concepts of “sustainability” as well as the concept of “sustainable growth” in this wide sense are frequently used to characterize economic, social and other processes and systems, these key categories are difficult to apply as development’ targets and evaluation criteria practice of public administration in Russia. Using the case of Arctic macro-region, the paper substantiates the concept of spatial systems’ sustainability as their ability to maintain functionality under destabilizing impact of exogenous and endogenous factors. Such an ability is particularly important because of variations in structure and intensity of these negative impacts, including from climate change. Within this methodological framework, we have specified the indicators of sustainability relating to the practice of public management in the AZRF development. The paper has discussed the existing and emerging exogenous and endogenous impacts on the AZRF development sustainability. We set two priorities among the goals and objectives for ensuring the AZRF sustainable functioning under the conditions of climate. In social (socio-economic) sphere, it is necessary to maintain and improve the public health. In economic sphere, the most needed are strengthening of coherency and reliability of the transportation system, energy supplies to distant consumers, and stimulating of investment and industrial activities of the large industrial corporations.

Using the Canadian Arctic as a case study this paper explores how Internet-based research can be used to advance area studies in an era of rapid global change. Regions of the world are rapidly changing due to social, technological, and environmental processes, and traditionally marginalized groups are increasingly using digital tools to help shape new geographical imaginations of these regions. Digital research is uniquely capable of analyzing these political uses of digital technologies, to produce a better understanding of how many different stakeholders are shaping emerging geographical imaginations. The Canadian Arctic offers a particularly powerful case study to understand these processes both because it represents a geographic region that is complex, multi-scalar, and rapidly evolving, and also because it is a region in which traditionally marginalized indigenous groups are using the Internet to increase the visibility of their perspectives. This paper develops an innovative methodology, combining computational analysis of ‘big data’ along with traditional forms of qualitative analysis, to analyze representations of the Arctic across the websites of five different organizations. These organizational websites were chosen because each of the organizations has a different relationship to the Arctic, operates at a different geographic scale, has some relevance to areas of the Canadian Arctic in which Inuit live, and has a large website. The analysis successfully reveals how these different organizations use the web to shape different types of geographic imaginations of the Arctic, as well as the types of discursive politics being used by the organizations to push forward their own political goals. The result is a powerful form of area studies capable of highlighting the geographic imaginations and re-imaginations of a complex set of actors operating at many different scales.

The Arctic is a remote region that has become increasingly globalised yet remains extremely vulnerable to many risks. The COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges to the region. Using the Search, Appraisal, Synthesis and Analysis (SALSA) approach to conduct a meta-synthesis of the academic and grey literature on the impacts of the pandemic, an assessment is conducted of the types of risks that have been presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the scales, and the national response strategies for mitigating the risks. Two case studies are explored, Iceland and Greenland, island nations that exemplify the extremes of the Arctic and reliance on tourism, a sector that was nearly entirely suspended by the pandemic. An evaluative matrix is employed which combines five different scales of risk – nano, micro, meso, macro and cosmic – with a sustainability categorisation of impacts. The risks of the pandemic cut across the respective scale and categories, with the potential for macro-scale events (systemic risk) to unfold linked to economic spillover effects driven by the curtailment of tourism and various supply chain delays. Both Iceland and Greenland have exemplified risk mitigation strategies which prioritise health over wealth, very strictly in the case of the latter. Strict border controls and domestic restrictions have enabled Iceland and Greenland to have much lower case and death numbers than most nations. In addition, Iceland has led the way, globally, in terms of testing and accumulating scientific knowledge concerning the genetic sequencing of the virus. The academic contribution of the paper concerns its broadening of understanding concerning systemic risk, which extends beyond financial implications to includes sustainability dimensions. For policymakers and practitioners, the paper highlights successful risk mitigation and science-based measures that will be useful for any nation tackling a future pandemic, regardless of whether they are island states, Arctic nations or another country.

With the diminishing extents of Arctic sea ice, Arctic shipping becomes increasingly attractive for the shipping industry. Voyages along Arctic sea routes have seen a significant increase in recent years. Given the harsh environment, shipping operations in the Arctic constitute a hazardous activity for people onboard vessels, while vessels pose risks to vulnerable ecosystems and traditional socio-cultural environments. Given this emerging trend, this paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the broad academic literature related to risk management of Arctic shipping, published in the period from 2000 to 2019. Based on 221 articles, the bibliometric analyses provide insights in publication patterns concerning the year of publication, keywords, journals, and countries/regions from which the work originates. Furthermore, through a qualitative systematic review, this article presents a synthesis of risk influencing factors (RIFs) of navigational accidents in the Arctic, based on published quantitative risk models containing accident scenarios in Arctic shipping. To this effect, ten papers are investigated in detail, focusing on the scenario, methods, data sources, and RIFs. Identifying major thematic clusters in the RIFs, a model is proposed for synthesizing and illustrating the relationships among environmental and ship-related RIFs, and accident scenarios in Arctic shipping. A discussion is made concerning challenges in the research domain and future research directions, focusing on the strength of evidence in the risk models, the use of linear versus complex, systemic accident theories, and on the alignment of academic work with focus issues in regulatory contexts.

Household harvesting of wild fish and game contributes to food security in indigenous communities across the Arctic, and in some regions plays an important role in cultural identity of indigenous peoples. The degree to which the state regulates harvesting and restricts distribution of country foods varies widely, however, and this intervention in local economies can affect livelihood opportunities. The paper hypothesizes that where state policy has contributed to harvesting remaining a culturally embedded livelihood strategy, its contribution to the quality of life may influence people to remain in rural communities, despite potentially lower material living standards. Lacking such a cultural linkage, harvesting may become the employer of last resort for people unable to find paying jobs or leave declining communities for a better life elsewhere. The paper examines the association between Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic (SLiCA) respondents’ intent to remain in their community of residence and household harvesting, cash income from work, and other relevant factors. The results include both similarities and differences for residents of arctic Alaska, arctic Canada, Greenland, and Chukotka. Systematic differences found appear consistent with the hypothesis about the role of household harvesting and state policy toward harvest and distribution of country foods.

PurposeThis paper aims to place a discussion of traditional knowledge and the indigenous voice within the framework of Arctic governance.Design/methodology/approachThe study involves literature review spanning different disciplines and highlighting important case studies.FindingsThe advance of low-cost, portable technology has brought about tremendous opportunities for indigenous people. Knowledge and observation are no longer monopolised by scholars, filmmakers or politicians based in the West. Film has proved to be a powerful tool for cultural preservation while the internet (video sharing sites and social media platforms in particular) have empowered local communities and facilitated their involvement in political activism and local governance. New ways to represent themselves have been a crucial step forward, yet the new goal is to work towards greater recognition of the “indigenous voice” and ensure traditional knowledge is not treated as anecdotal and irrelevant in managing Arctic affairs..Research limitations/implicationsThe conclusions reached in the discussion need to be further explored by extending the research into Inuit communities to survey how technology can facilitate and impact collaborative forms of governance in the Arctic.Practical implicationsThis research provides an increased understanding of how technology transforms power relations. Policymakers can see that the indigenous community in the Arctic is not lodged in the past. Their increased use of new technology can serve as an effective oversight of political decisions and economic initiatives, particularly those relating to oil and gas exploration in the region.Social implicationsIndigenous views and knowledge are literally crossing borders through media. Initially perceived as a cultural threat, film, video and internet are now regarded as powerful technology tools for cultural preservation and empowerment of local communities. In other words, the modern communication patterns are a crucial mean of indigenous population take part of the current global debate, express their concerns, reinforce their values and traditions and have an active voice in the globalised world.Originality/valueThis paper illustrates how technology helps indigenous communities to address different economic, environmental, cultural, educational, research and other issues in the Arctic. Robust evidence is presented to support the call for traditional knowledge to become an integral part of decision-making processes across all institutions of governance in the Arctic.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss perceptions of petroleum-related corporate social responsibility (CSR) among local and regional authorities, local peoples (indigenous and non-indigenous) and representatives of petroleum companies working or living in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) in the Russian Arctic. Although the CSR literature comprises a broad spectrum of approaches, an underrepresentation of perspectives from non-business stakeholders has been suggested. The paper seeks to redress this gap. Design/methodology/approach The data are obtained through 34 in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted and qualitatively analysed to extrapolate perceptions, views and expectations of petroleum-related CSR in NAO. By exploring needs, wants and expectations, differences are identified between short-term expectations and long-term perspectives. Findings A central feature of the authors’ findings is the wide variation in the responses not only between community groups and sectors but also within them. The complexity identified is an argument in favour of local involvement to understand local contexts and suggests avoiding “one-size fits all” CSR approaches. Challenges and opportunities are identified for the petroleum companies in dealing with different stakeholders and diverging interests. Research limitations/implications The importance of local context means that caution is advised when considering the transferability or generalisability of lessons, within NAO and elsewhere in and outside the Russian Arctic. Furthermore, fundamental motivations are not always transparent from interviews. Originality/value Although a rich literature exists on CSR, this is perhaps the first study providing a cross-sectoral analysis of people’s perceptions, including those of non-business stakeholders, in this region.

Arctic should become the most important resource base, providing the solution of socio-economic problems of the country's development in the period up to 2020. Strategically important objects for the PJSC LUKOIL, located in the Arctic zone, are Nakhodka, South Messoyakha, Pyakyakhinskoye, Salekaptsky, Khalmerpayutinskoye, Vareysky and East Taimyr license areas. In the difficult conditions of the Russian North an uninterrupted fuel supply is becoming a vital issue. Construction of autonomous objects, such as exploration and production wells in the Arctic territory, provides for a tank farm or storage of fuels and lubricants of large volume. Filling equipment can be a source of man-made emergency situations due to significant amounts of potentially hazardous substances in them. This article highlights the features of Arctic, zone of the Russian Federation, affecting the safety of construction projects, the analysis of the types and causes of steel tank accidents. Based on the analysis, to eliminate the main causes of initiating fire and explosion hazardous situations, the use a flexible fuel storage tanks was proposed. The paper assessed. The risk of an accident with a flexible tank, the 'tree failures "and" the tree of events "during depressurization a flexible tank have been assessed in the paper. A risk analysis on the basis of which is justified matching flexible tank necessary level of industrial safety, highlighting the major recommendations to reduce the degree of potential risk was carried out for the first time. The comparative analysis of storage of fuels and lubricants on the basis of steel tanks and flexible tanks carried on the example of the construction of the East Taimyr 1P licensed area exploration well showed the increase in the basic technical and economic indicators using flexible fuel storage tanks.

Sea-ice retreat suggests the possibility of future safe and efficient Arctic marine transportation. The paper first demonstrates that maritime passages in the Canadian Arctic archipelago are complex and include several routeways. This is followed by an analysis of the vessel types and ownership structure of ships sailing in Canada’s northern waters as well as the cargo types and their tonnages. This leads into a detailed examination of shipping route patterns and their changes over the past decade. The network structure of different commodity groups provides evidence of diversity in the patterns of trade in Arctic waters between Canadian and foreign fleets. In assessing future trends, the paper identifies key challenges in terms of market changes, regulatory regimes and risk.