Advanced economic development of the Russian Arctic: sustainable nature management

Abstract

The principle specific feature of the Arctic is high economic, social and ecological price of incorrect nature management/land use decisions. Mechanisms were proposed for implementation of the Russian Arctic zone economic development programs to provide sustainable nature management. Harsh climatic conditions stipulate specific character of energy and matter fluxes in local ecosystems which resilience to anthropogenic impact is very low. Special attention was drawn to ecological, social-cultural and environmental factors determining elaboration of sustainable nature management decisions. The planned development of industrial, transport, residential nature management inevitably will affect the already existing impact territories, regions of traditional nature use of indigenous population, nature conservation territories. Competing relations in such cases will emerge because of joint exploitation of territorial ecosystem services pools. This will affect primarily regulating ecosystem services controlling ecological assimilation potential as well as provisioning ecosystem services. Growth of nature management/land use areas accompanied by anthropogenic environmental load increase stipulates the necessity of ecological buffer territories development to provide ecosystem functions reproduction at local and regional levels Atlas information system use was suggested for processing of various data necessary for management practice providing statistical, reference and spatial information. Mapping examples of nature management conflicts violating sustainable development were demonstrated.