Development Of Northern Regions Research Articles

Social-ecological-technological systems consequences of mining: An analytical framework for more holistic impact assessments

Understanding the impacts of extractive industries on sustainable development requires analyzing them as part of dynamic social-ecological-technological systems. Building on insights from studies of social-ecological systems and socio-technical systems, as well as fieldwork on the impacts of mining in the Nordic Arctic, this article presents an analytical framework for co-production of knowledge about the role of industrial or infrastructure projects for regional development. We use this framework to analyze Swedish mining policy, assessment guidelines, and environmental impact assessments for three mining projects in Arctic Sweden. We conclude that Swedish mining policy and guidelines for impact assessments neglect key aspects of social-ecological-technological systems, including the impacts of climate change, and treat many social aspects of sustainable development in a cursory manner. We suggest that more systematic analysis of the dynamics of social-ecological-technological systems would facilitate more transparent decision making and help identify the potential role of proposed mining projects in pathways towards sustainable development in northern regions.

Farming on Arctic margins: Models of agricultural development in northern regions of Russia, Europe and North America

AbstractDespite harsh natural conditions and remoteness, farming is spread worldwide on Arctic margins. Russia is the leading country by area under agricultural use of the circumpolar territories. Agricultural activities in the northern regions vary from traditional ones such as semi‐nomadic reindeer breeding to technologically smart urban agriculture. These activities are geographically unequally represented, which causes significant regional differences in productivity of agricultural land and labour. Comparative analysis of these basic variables enables us to identify specific patterns of modern agricultural development and their dynamics in northern regions of Russia, comparing them with Northern European countries and North America.

Polyfunctionality of the Transport System of Northern Regions

The leading role of the transport system in the development of northern regions ofRussiafrom the point of view of national strategic interests and basing in the analysis of the features of those regions, has been identified. The problem of insufficient development of methods for assessing the state of the transportation market in the absence of year-round availability of transport routes has been revealed. Therefore, the concept of polyfunctionality of the transport system of northern regions has been proposed, along with core definitions in its regard. It involves performance of four core functions (economic, social, environmental, and geopolitical one), as well as of four developing functions (informational, innovative, institutional, and integrative one). Public statistics data required for implementation of the concept, but now unavailable, are identified.The study shows the possible stakeholders interested in the implementation of those functions at the macro-, meso-, and micro levels, suggests indicators for assessing the multifunctional system. The research conclusions are developed using brief overview of international practices and data and situation analysis regarding Russian northern regions, particularlyRepublicofSakha(Yakutia).

Monitoring of Innovative Technologies and Projects in the Sector of Essential Water Resource Management Aimed at Sustainable Development of Northern (Arctic) Regions of Russia

Objective: The study is aimed at identifying and analyzing technologies and projects in the sector of essential water resource management and wastewater treatment focused on industrial introduction in the Northern (Arctic) Regions of Russia and promoting their sustainable development. Methods: An expert study is a key method of research. The concept and methodology have been developed for monitoring and two-level expert evaluation of projects and technologies, the selection criteria have been determined. While forming the research methodology, the experience of Western countries in the two-level expert evaluation was taken into account. Nine experts in water resource management and wastewater treatment were invited. Mathematical processing of expert data was carried out by an averaged evaluation of the expert committee members' opinions and by determining the resulting expert opinion. Statistical and economic research method was used to analyze the markets for application of the selected technologies. Findings: The theoretical and methodological framework has been developed to select the most promising projects. An array of information about the world and Russian markets of water treatment and wastewater treatment has been formed. The problems have been identified that hinder the development of this industry in Russia and in the world, an electronic catalog of existing and emerging projects and technologies has been created. With a view to the urgency and importance of the Arctic Russia the priority was given to projects with a high stage of development. Recommendations have been developed to improve the effectiveness of cooperation between Russian educational and scientific institutions conducting research in the field of water resource management and wastewater treatment and industrial enterprises operating in the northern regions of Russia. To determine the key scientific leaders in the given subject area we assessed the degree of readiness of Russian scientific institutions to participate in the innovative development of the northern regions and to introduce advanced technologies of water resource management and wastewater treatment. The obtained results serve as a basis for decision making in the implementation of an effective policy for the development of the Russian Arctic regions, which since 2016 will complement the range of activities, developed in 2014 within the Russian government decree. Applications: A suite of selected technologies will enable enterprises to organize environmentally safe activities for sustainable development of the Arctic regions of Russia. At the same time, it can be used regardless of the climatic conditions and can serve for effective environmental development of industrial enterprises in all climatic zones.

HIGH TEMPORAL RESOLUTION PERMAFROST MONITORING USING A MULTIPLE STACK INSAR TECHNIQUE

Abstract. The combined effect of climate change and accelerated economic development in Northern regions increases the threat of permafrost related surface deformation to buildings and transportation infrastructure. Satellite based InSAR provides a means for monitoring infrastructure that may be both remote and spatially extensive. However, permafrost poses challenges for InSAR monitoring due to the complex temporal deformation patterns caused by both seasonal active layer fluctuations and long-term changes in permafrost thickness. These dynamics suggest a need for increasing the temporal resolution of multi-temporal InSAR methods. To address this issue we have developed a method that combines and jointly processes two or more same side geometry InSAR stacks to provide a high-temporal resolution estimate of surface deformation. The method allows for combining stacks from more than a single SAR sensor and for a combination of frequency bands. Data for this work have been collected and analysed for an area near the community of Umiujaq, Quebec in Northern Canada and include scenes from RADARSAT-2, TerraSAR-X and COSMO-SkyMed. Multiple stack based surface deformation estimates are compared for several cases including results from the three sensors individually and for all sensors combined. The test cases show substantially similar surface deformation results which correlate well with surficial geology. The best spatial coverage of coherent targets was achieved when data from all sensors were combined. The proposed multiple stack method is demonstrated to improve the estimation of surface deformation in permafrost affected areas and shows potential for deriving InSAR based permafrost classification maps to aid in the monitoring of Northern infrastructure.

Song of the burbot: Under-ice acoustic signaling by a freshwater gadoid fish

Burbot (Lota lota) are northern freshwater gadoid fish that spawn under ice-cover, making their reproductive behavior largely unknown to science. Some members of the cod family vocalize as part of their mating system. These calls are produced by rapidly contracting drumming muscles on their swim bladders. Burbot also possess drumming muscles, like their marine counterparts, which may enable them to vocalize. To assess the potential for burbot to make calls, pre-spawning adult burbot were collected and placed in a large under-ice enclosure in Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada, along with a recorder that monitored low frequency sound over their spawning period. The recorded acoustic data revealed that burbot called coincident with the onset of their spawning period and that the call signatures were stereotypical of swim bladder generated vocalizations made by other gadoid fishes. Burbot showed a wide repertoire of calls, from slow knocks to fast buzzing, similar to the closely related haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus). Although never-before documented, calling by fish under ice-cover is likely an important part of the mating system of under-ice spawning gadoids because light limitation would reduce the usefulness of visual cues. These under-ice communications may be affected by anthropogenic noise from increasing resource development in northern regions.

Discriminatory Taxation in Light of Fortescue: Its Implications for the Development of Northern Australia

In the recent Fortescue decision, the High Court made some interesting observations regarding interpretation of the word ‘discrimination’ in the context of the Federal Government's power with respect to taxation in s 51(2) of the Australian Constitution. Coincidentally, the Federal Government has commenced consideration of options for the development of northern regions of Australia. Of course, one option would be to introduce a variable taxation system to encourage businesses and individuals to be based, and/or invest, in northern Australia. This article considers possible constitutional issues associated with variable taxation schemes overtly favouring businesses and individuals based in the ‘north’, given the recent High Court decision.

Modeling foraging range for breeding colonies of thick-billed murres Uria lomvia in the Eastern Canadian Arctic and potential overlap with industrial development

Mapping areas of conservation concern for wildlife in the Arctic is urgently required to evaluate the impact of accelerating development in northern regions. There is substantial evidence that large seabird colonies reduce the availability of food in adjacent waters, creating a zone known as “Ashmole’s Halo”. Given the existence of the halo, Central Place Foraging theory (CPF) allows us to make predictions about the distribution of food and birds at different distances from the colony. Using a time-budget approach and a CPF framework, we modeled the relationships between foraging range and colony size for thick-billed murre colonies in Eastern Canada and calibrated these predictions against foraging trip distances recorded by GPS loggers attached to incubating birds at two colonies differing in population size by an order of magnitude. Our results support the general predictions of CPF and allow us to predict maximum foraging ranges for Canadian Eastern Arctic colonies, enabling us to map likely zones of overlap between the foraging of breeding birds and future development activities in Canadian Arctic marine waters. A similar approach could be used for many seabird species where the majority of breeding birds occupy a small number of discrete colonies.

Northern Teaching: Incentives and Motivations

Shortage of skilled labour has been one of the foremost problems of the remote and sparsely-settled regions of the circumpolar North, and incentives have had to be employed to attract people away from established and comfortable roles in the South for the complex tasks associated with the development of northern regions. ... The incentives now used are mainly financial and appear to be based on the principle that southern people expect to experience physical discomfort, cultural and social deprivation and perhaps psychological stress in northern environments, and will therefore require substantial financial advantages and opportunities for periodic escape to the South. ... The purpose of this short paper is to suggest that other, less tangible considerations may also be effective in attracting and retaining immigrant workers, especially in those tertiary sectors of the economy oriented towards development of northern regions and peoples, such as teaching. Opportunities for human involvement in the North appear to be very important and should be taken into consideration by employers. The school system of the Northwest Territories relies almost entirely on teachers from southern Canada (mainly the Western provinces) and offers them moving expenses, higher salary, a settlement allowance (which, for a married teacher on Baffin Island, could exceed $3000), subsidized annual vacation transportation to the South, and a bonus for capability in a native language. How effective are these incentives? Do other incentives exist? We decided to ask northern teachers. A questionnaire was designed to obtain information on teachers' age, origin, marital status, qualifications, experience, reasons for going North, time spent in the North, reasons for staying there, future intentions, and attitudes towards incentives. In January 1972, 485 copies of the questionnaire were sent to the principals of all the schools of the Northwest Territories, with the request that they be made available to teachers. The 84 responses from 27 schools represented about 17 per cent of the total number of teachers (1971-72) and half of the schools. The results did not support the common impression that teachers are attracted North mainly by financial incentives. Respondents were asked to rank 7 factors according to importance in their own decision to go ... It is clear that, in the main, teachers do not regard financial benefits as the principal factor in their decision to go Interest in the region and its peoples, the desire to travel to a new and different environment, and the opportunity to participate in the challenging task of northern development, rank as highly, or more so. Furthermore, the survey showed that the general nature of life and work in the North (less pollution and haste; more significant personal relationships within the community; a stronger sense of purpose in teaching Eskimo and Indian children; more room for innovation on the job) far exceeded financial considerations in the decision to remain there for more than one year. ... Some individuals, of course, have been attracted primarily by the apparently generous salary scales and fringe benefits, but the returns indicated that, as a group, these teachers have spent less time in the North than those motivated by other reasons and are less likely to remain for another year or to permanent residence .... Interest, involvement and commitment therefore appear to be more effective bases for prolonged residence than financial considerations. The survey also indicated that the annual rate of turnover among teachers may have declined. ... Reflecting what appears to be an increasing stability within the northern teaching force, almost half (48 per cent) stated they would consider remaining permanently in the North. ...