Location
Room 108
Start Date
3-7-2012 10:30 AM
End Date
3-7-2012 12:00 PM
Description
The Arctic region – a northern polar region of the Earth occupies an area down from the Arctic Pole and comprises the Arctic Ocean, northern parts around the Northern Pole.[1] It consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean surrounded by permafrost. The Arctic is known for its rich reserves of natural resources – oil, gas minerals, fresh water, fish, the economic significance of which is growing. Since late 19th century the sea route named as a Northeast Passage (now the North Seaway) along the Russian Northern seashore has been used as a transportation route. Being an area where the territorial boundaries of the Arctic States pass, its role in providing national security both through military presence upkeep may not be ignored. At the same time it is a unique ecosystem comprising most extensive continuous wilderness areas, rare reproduction places of animals and northern fragile landscapes. Its continental areas still home indigenous peoples who have managed to preserve traditional and environmentally favorable lifestyles.
Due to such unique natural, economic, social, geographical and political features the Arctic region has become now a crossroad for various interests of states, economic activities, peoples and communities. Growing pressures on the ecosystem of the Arctic have noticeable environmental implications with already existing and expected problems of environmental degradation. All this makes both international cooperation and national efforts in environmental protection a vital task. Internationally, several initiatives have been undertaken in this direction[2], however, they do not have yet a high priority on the background of territorial and economic ambitions of states.
Many internal interests meet at the Arctic crossroad of Russia. The country has jurisdiction over the largest EEZ as compared to other Arctic states, has well-developed fishing and oil extraction activities and claims to have control over the extended continental shelf. Its military fleet with nuclear weapons is based here, and it exploits ever more actively the North Seaway. Since early 20th century Russia has been developing economics at its continental part of the Arctic, where now such industries as minerals extraction, forest production, ship-building are based. The present policy views further growth of these interests and respectively activities aimed to reach them. This perspective sets important environmental challenges for Russia.
For the recent time certain steps to create the adequate legal basis for environmental protection of the Arctic have been undertaken in Russia. In addition to the federal laws, like the Law on the Continental Shelf (1995 with amendments), On the Exclusive Economic Zone (1998), On Internal Sea Waters, Territorial Sea and Adjacent Zone (1998) that implement certain provisions of the Law of the Sea (ratified by the RF in 1997), in 2008 the president Medvedev approved “The Fundamentals of the National Policy of the RF in the Arctic for the Period up to 2020 and Further Perspectives” (Fundamentals), under which conservation of the unique environmental system together with the use of the Arctic as a strategic resource base, use of the North Seaway as a national transportation communication route and protection of the Arctic as a region of peace and international cooperation were declared as national interests of the state. As to environmental protection the document provides for implementing such measures as eliminating of stocked environmental pollution and addressing climate change.
Implementing the Fundamentals in respect to environmental protection of the Arctic requires adoption of specific legislation. The law-making activities are now underway. The draft law on eliminating the stocked environmental damage is aimed to address the problem of dealing with pollution that has been stocked in certain regions under past economic activities. Such regions also comprise the continental part of the Russian Arctic and radioactive pollution of sea by defense activities. The draft law On conservation of the marine environment and its protection against oil pollution that is underway is intended to set rules aimed to prevent oil spills and provide for obligations of tankers to eliminate pollution. The discussion of drafts go with disagreements between various interested groups, change in approaches to deal with problems and in fact in putting off adoption of decisions.[3] At the moment general legal rules on environmental protection are applied in respect to Arctic problems.
Practical steps to improve the environmental situation and address other interests of the country in the Russian Arctic are provided for in the Federal Programme “Global Ocean” approved by the Governmental Decree in 1998 that has a section “Development and Use of the Arctic”. The programme provides for removing the risks and consequences of environmental pollution, widening of the sea scientific expeditions, improving of the environmental monitoring system for the sake of addressing climate change problems. The activities are to get funding from the budget and other sources.
[1] The Arctic. http://ru/wikipedia.org; Kolodkin A.L. and others. Outer Sea. International Legal Regime. Main Problems. Moscow. Status Publishers. 2007. P. 257-258. The southern boundaries of the Arctic Region are counted differently and this is critical for determining the list of the Arctic states and their respective rights. Roughtly there are two approaches. One is to count the Arctic region from the Northern Pole down up to the southern line of tundra - 27 million square km that comprises as Arctic countries Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland. Iceland and the USA, or down to the Arctic Circle comprising states that directly border the Arctic Ocean – (Russia, USA, Canada, Denmark, Norway) – 21 million square km.
[2] E.g. cooperation within the Arctic Council (1996), under the Treaty over the Svalbard (Spitsbergen) Archipelago (1920), the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (1991), Illulissat Declaration (2008). In 2011 Russia and Norway ratified the Treaty on Marine Delimitation and Cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean
[3] Meeting of the Presidium of the State Council on Environmental Security and Elimination of Stocked Environmental Damage. 10 June 2011. http://blog.ecoaudit.ru/2011/06/blog-post.html
Presentation
Included in
The Arctic Crossroads: Environmental Challenges for Russia
Room 108
The Arctic region – a northern polar region of the Earth occupies an area down from the Arctic Pole and comprises the Arctic Ocean, northern parts around the Northern Pole.[1] It consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean surrounded by permafrost. The Arctic is known for its rich reserves of natural resources – oil, gas minerals, fresh water, fish, the economic significance of which is growing. Since late 19th century the sea route named as a Northeast Passage (now the North Seaway) along the Russian Northern seashore has been used as a transportation route. Being an area where the territorial boundaries of the Arctic States pass, its role in providing national security both through military presence upkeep may not be ignored. At the same time it is a unique ecosystem comprising most extensive continuous wilderness areas, rare reproduction places of animals and northern fragile landscapes. Its continental areas still home indigenous peoples who have managed to preserve traditional and environmentally favorable lifestyles.
Due to such unique natural, economic, social, geographical and political features the Arctic region has become now a crossroad for various interests of states, economic activities, peoples and communities. Growing pressures on the ecosystem of the Arctic have noticeable environmental implications with already existing and expected problems of environmental degradation. All this makes both international cooperation and national efforts in environmental protection a vital task. Internationally, several initiatives have been undertaken in this direction[2], however, they do not have yet a high priority on the background of territorial and economic ambitions of states.
Many internal interests meet at the Arctic crossroad of Russia. The country has jurisdiction over the largest EEZ as compared to other Arctic states, has well-developed fishing and oil extraction activities and claims to have control over the extended continental shelf. Its military fleet with nuclear weapons is based here, and it exploits ever more actively the North Seaway. Since early 20th century Russia has been developing economics at its continental part of the Arctic, where now such industries as minerals extraction, forest production, ship-building are based. The present policy views further growth of these interests and respectively activities aimed to reach them. This perspective sets important environmental challenges for Russia.
For the recent time certain steps to create the adequate legal basis for environmental protection of the Arctic have been undertaken in Russia. In addition to the federal laws, like the Law on the Continental Shelf (1995 with amendments), On the Exclusive Economic Zone (1998), On Internal Sea Waters, Territorial Sea and Adjacent Zone (1998) that implement certain provisions of the Law of the Sea (ratified by the RF in 1997), in 2008 the president Medvedev approved “The Fundamentals of the National Policy of the RF in the Arctic for the Period up to 2020 and Further Perspectives” (Fundamentals), under which conservation of the unique environmental system together with the use of the Arctic as a strategic resource base, use of the North Seaway as a national transportation communication route and protection of the Arctic as a region of peace and international cooperation were declared as national interests of the state. As to environmental protection the document provides for implementing such measures as eliminating of stocked environmental pollution and addressing climate change.
Implementing the Fundamentals in respect to environmental protection of the Arctic requires adoption of specific legislation. The law-making activities are now underway. The draft law on eliminating the stocked environmental damage is aimed to address the problem of dealing with pollution that has been stocked in certain regions under past economic activities. Such regions also comprise the continental part of the Russian Arctic and radioactive pollution of sea by defense activities. The draft law On conservation of the marine environment and its protection against oil pollution that is underway is intended to set rules aimed to prevent oil spills and provide for obligations of tankers to eliminate pollution. The discussion of drafts go with disagreements between various interested groups, change in approaches to deal with problems and in fact in putting off adoption of decisions.[3] At the moment general legal rules on environmental protection are applied in respect to Arctic problems.
Practical steps to improve the environmental situation and address other interests of the country in the Russian Arctic are provided for in the Federal Programme “Global Ocean” approved by the Governmental Decree in 1998 that has a section “Development and Use of the Arctic”. The programme provides for removing the risks and consequences of environmental pollution, widening of the sea scientific expeditions, improving of the environmental monitoring system for the sake of addressing climate change problems. The activities are to get funding from the budget and other sources.
[1] The Arctic. http://ru/wikipedia.org; Kolodkin A.L. and others. Outer Sea. International Legal Regime. Main Problems. Moscow. Status Publishers. 2007. P. 257-258. The southern boundaries of the Arctic Region are counted differently and this is critical for determining the list of the Arctic states and their respective rights. Roughtly there are two approaches. One is to count the Arctic region from the Northern Pole down up to the southern line of tundra - 27 million square km that comprises as Arctic countries Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland. Iceland and the USA, or down to the Arctic Circle comprising states that directly border the Arctic Ocean – (Russia, USA, Canada, Denmark, Norway) – 21 million square km.
[2] E.g. cooperation within the Arctic Council (1996), under the Treaty over the Svalbard (Spitsbergen) Archipelago (1920), the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (1991), Illulissat Declaration (2008). In 2011 Russia and Norway ratified the Treaty on Marine Delimitation and Cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean
[3] Meeting of the Presidium of the State Council on Environmental Security and Elimination of Stocked Environmental Damage. 10 June 2011. http://blog.ecoaudit.ru/2011/06/blog-post.html