Forecasting the Costs of Adapting Social Infrastructure to Changing Geocryological Conditions (the Case of Norilsk)

Abstract

Climate change and increased anthropogenic impact lead to the melting of permafrost and, consequently, destruction and deformation of buildings and structures built on it. This causes significant additional financial costs associated with the need to use specific technologies for the construction and operation of buildings in the permafrost zone, as well as direct and indirect damage from the loss of fixed assets. According to forecasts of geocryological changes, in the Russian Arctic these negative trends should intensify in the future. In this study, using the case of the Norilsk city (Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia), some problems associated with estimating the costs of adapting healthcare and educational facilities built on permafrost to changes in engineering and geocryological conditions until the middle of the 21st century are analyzed. The analysis showed that the amount of probable costs for the group of objects under consideration associated with direct damage from deformation and destruction of buildings, as well as the need for their liquidation and replacement construction, significantly exceeds the financial resources allocated for this in the relevant strategic documents planning of Norilsk. An effective mechanism for redistributing damage over time and reducing it is the installation of the soil thermal stabilization systems. The paper briefly analyzes the geography of production and consumption of this type of product. The results obtained can be used to develop similar assessments and adaptation programs in cities in the permafrost zone of Russia.