CC BY
31
УДК 332.1 (985)
M.N. Ivanova1, Y.S. Chirikova2
PERSPECTIVE OF THE ARCTIC IN RUSSIA
Abstract. Nowadays the Arctic attracts a big attention to itself because of natural, energy and biological resources of strategic importance. Additionally, this northern territory affects the Earth's environment around the world and has considerable influence on climate. That is why our country's scientists, economists, geologists should make an effort to develop the Arctic zone, help its population to live and try to stop the melting of ice cover. This article is devoted exclusively to perspectives of the Arctic in the Russian Federation, as it holds high expectations for our country's economic growth, ecology improvement and environmental enhancing of living and working conditions, also transport communications and infrastructure.
Keywords: Arctic, population, exploration, north, resources, wealth, infrastructure, geographical features.
The border of the Arctic Circle runs at 66°33'48.7" north of the Equator. The region north of the circle is called the Arctic. North isside of the world corresponds to the direction to the North Pole. The Arctic occupies about a sixth of the Earth's surface. Much of the ocean's surface is covered by ice and is unnavigable throughout the year. Unlike Antarctica, where there is no permanently resident population, the Arctic region consists of eight sovereign states, with 4 million people being their residents.
The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation includes the Murmansk region, the Nenets, Chukotka and Yamalo-Nenets autonomous districts, the municipal formation of the Vorkuta urban district (Komi Republic), a number of municipalities of the Arkhangelsk region (including the city of Arkhangelsk), several districts of the Krasnoyarsk Territory (Taimyr Dolgan-Nenets municipal district, Turukhansk district, the urban district of the city of Norilsk), northern uluses of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), as well as some lands and islands of the Arctic Ocean. Russia owns the largest sectoral area of the Arctic Ocean (Image 1).
1 Ivanova Marfa Nikolaevna - Senior Lecturer of the Department of Foreign Languages for Technical and Natural Specialties, Institute of Foreign Philology and Regional Studies, M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University. E-mail: imn.07@mail.ru
2 Chirikova Yulia Stepanovna - student of the PMI-20-1 group, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University. E-mail: juliachirikova2002@gmail.com
± Я
Image 1 - Arctic, polar sectors
And therefore the questions of the prospects and problems of the Arctic region concern us directly and impose the greatest responsibility and obligations in terms of sustainable development, as well as the preservation of peace and environmental security.
Interest in the Arctic region is growing. This is not least due to the development of multilateral projects related to the Arctic itself, as well as strengthening international contacts in the region. According to the apt remark of experts, as the ice of the Arctic Ocean melts, the number of organizations actively studying the northernmost region of the world is growing in the world. Moreover, interest in it has already gone beyond the Arctic countries, spreading among the countries of North-East, East and South Asia as well.
The significance of the Arctic for humanity can be described as:
1. Huge energy resources are concentrated in the Arctic, which may be, according to experts, the future of all mankind;
2. The Arctic is rich in rare and rare earth metals, minerals, ores and other raw materials of strategic importance;
3. The Arctic also contains enormous biological resources of global importance;
4. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) and the Northwest Passage (NWP) are important transport arteries. Interest of different countries in the organization and development of cross-polar freight continues to grow;
5. The Arctic affects the state of the environment around the world and is a key region in the climate change.
Recently, the Arctic has become very promising for development due to melting ice cover. This gigantic region, formerly permanently ice-bound, is now opening up for commercial shipping and energy development. That's why the international community has a number of new opportunities, however, we must not forget about the problems that they entail. Among the problems of the Arctic region are the following: environmental problems; territorial claims in the Arctic; inaccessibility of natural resources in the region; legal status of the Northern Sea Route and Northwest Passage; problem of the international legal authority in the Arctic; problems of military security and, finally, sustainable development of the Arctic region. These problems need to be eliminated or minimized so that people can live as before.
«The wealth of Russia will grow with Siberia» said M.V. Lomonosov. Indeed, the Arctic contains 25 % of all energy resources that exist on our planet. It is one of the strategic regions of the world with colossal natural resource potential, including mineral resources, fuel and energy, forest reserves and biological resources. The Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation, 12-15 % of the country's GDP is created and about a quarter of Russia's exports are provided. It supplies 95 % of gas, 75 % of oil, 90 % of tin, the bulk of gold and diamonds. Russia is nowadays among the leaders in oil and gas production. Moreover, most of this wealth in Russia is concentrated not only in the territory, but in the sea area of the Far North. One can only guess what natural resources are hidden in the remaining 98 % of barely explored territories.
For the discovery and subsequent development of new deposits, first of all, geological exploration is necessary, but this is a very costly measure, therefore, it is necessary to clarify the existing legislation in terms of creating a favorable investment climate for the development of shelf deposits. In addition, in the Arctic zone of Russia there is currently a critical lack of technologies and manufacturing capacities, there is no developed competition between suppliers and contractors in the oil and gas sector. All this complicates the work. But at the same time, if it is solved, it will lead to great opportunities.
Also, until now, navigation in the Arctic has been difficult due to prolonged freeze-up, but climate warming may change this situation. According to a number of scientists, in 40-50 years, the major players in the structure of the world trade may access the commercial exchanges that pass through the transport and communication routes of the Arctic. The Northern Sea Route is able to completely
change the sea and other logistics chains in the next couple of decades, and give a significant impetus to the development of the northern regions of Russia.
Image 2 - The full route of the Northern Sea Route
The Northern Sea Route runs along the northern border of Russia along the seas of the Arctic Ocean - the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian and Chukchi Sea, and also covers a part of the Pacific Ocean - the Bering Sea (img 2.) The total length of the NSR, according to its official borders, from the Kara Vorota Strait to Provideniya Bay is 5600 km. The entire route of the NSR is divided into 2 sectors - western (from Murmansk to Dudinka) and eastern (from Dudinka to Chukotka). There are more than 50 ports along the NSR route. For Russia and foreign countries, this route has a number of significant benefits:
- significant savings on fuel;
- reduction of transit time;
- reduction of personnel labor costs and reduction of ship freight;
- no payment for the passage of the vessel, in contrast to the Suez Canal (at the moment);
- low route congestion and no queues;
- no sea piracy.
40 000
30 000
20 ООО
10 ООО
1933 1943 1953 1963 1971 1931 1986 1991 1996 2006 2011 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
1833 ТЭ43 1853 1963 1971 19B1 1986 1991 1996 2011 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
130 289 506 1264 3032 5005 6455 4604 1500 1956 3111 3930 3982 5392 7265 10 691 16 000 30 000
Tyulyagln.ru
Image 3 - Freight turnover in thousands of tons along the NSR (1933-2019)
As can be seen from the graph above, after reaching a peak in the volume of cargo transportation along the NSR in 1986 at the level of 6.4 million tons, it was not possible to break this record for a long time. However, over the past five years, the volume of traffic through the Northern Sea Route has increased many times and by 2019 reached 30.28 million tons. In total, 510 vessels were navigated along the NSR in 2019. The main part of cargo transportation at the moment is oil and natural gas. In the future, it is planned to expand the transportation of agricultural products and fish. In 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic, subsequent lockdowns and the economic crisis, the volume of cargo transportation continued to grow and amounted to 32.97 million tons, of which about 1.2 million tons were transported by transit flights.
In spite of this, it is necessary to clearly formulate that the very successful achievement of the strategic goals and state policy in the Arctic is one of the main components of the economic security of the Russian Federation from the point of view of the strategic, geographical and geopolitical positioning of Russia as a northern power, and from the point of view of its national economic interests in the Arctic. After all, Russia has state vast land and sea borders, starting at the North Atlantic, continuing along the coast of the Arctic Ocean and out through the Bering Strait into the Pacific Ocean. The system of strategic management of the Arctic development processes existing in modern Russia needs modernization. During the Soviet era, the Arctic was managed by a super-departmental body, endowed with the broadest powers in terms of organizing and coordinating decisions in the field of Arctic policy. And for the implementation of state policy in the Arctic, there were the Council on the problems of the North and the Arctic was created and
effectively operated under the Government of the Russian Federation and the State Committee for Northern Affairs. Now these structures have been abolished.
It is obvious that the role of transport communications and infrastructure in upcoming large-scale energy projects can hardly be overestimated. The transport and logistics sector in the Arctic zone is developing as a service sector within the framework of the implementation of large, primarily energy international projects.
Thus, the prospects for the Arctic region are high and it is determined by its role in shaping the planet's climate; the presence huge reserves of natural resources; thirdly, military-strategic and transport and communication value of the region.
Currently, the Russian Federation needs a single project that will reflect the socio-economic, physical and geographical features of the development of the Arctic, take into account the legislative, research needs that must be satisfied for the full realization of the potential of the Arctic regions of Russia.
Литература
1. Арктический регион : проблемы международного сотрудничества / РСМД. -Москва : Аспект-Пресс, 2013. - Т. 1, Т. 2. - Текст : электронный.
2. Международное сотрудничество в Арктике. Доклад 2013 / Доклады РСМД. -2013. - № 12.
3. Перспективы развития Арктики. Экономические, юридические, экологические аспекты - тема научной статьи по социальной и экономической географии. - URL : https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/perspektivy-razvitiya-arktiki-ekonomicheskie-yuridicheskie-ekologicheskie-aspekty. - Текст: электронный.
4. РСМД : Перспективы освоения Арктического шельфа. - URL : https://russiancouncil. ru/analytics-and-comments/analytics/perspektivy-osvoeniya-arkticheskogo-shelfa/. -Текст: электронный.
5. Развитие Арктики : предложения и проекты. - URL : https://magazine.neftegaz.ru/ articles/arktika/551798-razvitie-arktiki-predlozheniya-i-proekty/. - Текст : электронный.
6. Северный Морской Путь - грузооборот, перспективы развития и порты на карте - Тю-лягин. - URL : https://tyulyagin.ru/budushhee/severnyj-morskoj-put.html. - Текст : электронный.
7. Тулупов, Д. Потенциал Северного морского пути / Сайт РСМД. - URL : http://www. russiancouncil.ru/analytics-and-comments/analytics/potentsial-severnogo-morskogo-puti/?sphrase_id=500082 . - Текст: электронный.
8. Учебно-методические материалы. Проблемы и перспективы развития арктического региона. - URL: https://russiancouncil.ru/papers/ArcticDevelopment-UMM6.pdf. -Текст: электронный.
References
1. Arkticheskij region : problemy mezhdunarodnogo sotrudnichestva / RSMD. - Moskva : Aspekt-Press, 2013. - T. 1, T. 2. - Tekst : elektronnyj.
2. Mezhdunarodnoe sotrudnichestvo v Arktike. Doklad 2013 / Doklady RSMD. - 2013. - № 12.
3. Perspektivy razvitiya Arktiki. Ekonomicheskie, yuridicheskie, ekologicheskie aspekty -tema nauchnoj stati po socialnoj i ekonomicheskoj geografii. - URL : https://cyberleninka. ru/article/n/perspektivy-razvitiya-arktiki-ekonomicheskie-yuridicheskie-ekologicheskie-aspekty. - Tekst : elektronnyj.
4. RSMD : Perspektivy osvoeniya Arkticheskogo shelfa. - URL : https://russiancouncil.ru/ analytics-and-comments/analytics/perspektivy-osvoeniya-arkticheskogo-shelfa/. - Tekst : elektronnyj.
5. Razvitie Arktiki : predlozheniya i proekty. - URL : https://magazine.neftegaz.ru/ articles/arktika/551798-razvitie-arktiki-predlozheniya-i-proekty/. - Tekst : elektronnyj.
6. Severnyj Morskoj Put - gruzooborot, perspektivy razvitiya i porty na karte - Tyulyagin. - URL : https://tyulyagin.ru/budushhee/severnyj-morskoj-put.html. - Tekst : elektronnyj.
7. Tulupov, D. Potencial Severnogo morskogo puti / Sajt RSMD. - URL : http://www. russiancouncil.ru/analytics-and-comments/analytics/potentsial-severnogo-morskogo-puti/?sphrase_id=500082 . - Tekst : elektronnyj.
8. Uchebno-metodicheskie materialy. Problemy i perspektivy razvitiya arkticheskogo regiona. - URL : https://russiancouncil.ru/papers/ArcticDevelopment-UMM6.pdf. - Tekst : elektronnyj.
