Reindeer herders in the Timan-Pechora oil province of Northwest Russia: an assessment of interacting environmental, social, and legal challenges

Abstract

The IPY-endorsed project MODIL-NAO (Monitoring of Development of Traditional Indigenous Land Use Areas in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO), NW Russia), concluded in early 2010, was a collaboration between scientists and indigenous peoples’ representatives of the NAO in Northwest Russia. It has resulted in a GIS database showing traditional economic activities as well as modern oil development and is aimed at serving as a tool for the indigenous peoples of the area for negotiations about land use issues. The project focused also on assessing the state of socio-economic, juridical, and environmental conditions for the indigenous population of the area. Major data sources were a questionnaire survey amongst reindeer herders, and a satellite image interpretation with the aim to monitor physical degradation of the tundra. Both the database and the assessment are introduced and major challenges for future development are pointed out.