Author: AlinaBychkova

Department of Politics and International Relations, Nottingham Trent University

Silent soldiers of the environmental protection: the issues and challenges of the Russian peatlands.

Peatlands are a key element of environmental sustainability and have a special place in the context of climate change. However, their importance is still underrated in Russia. We discussed the current challenges with Dr Tatiana Minayeva, the leader of the Russian peatland restoration project at Wetlands International. How did you become professionally involved in climate change… Read More Silent soldiers of the environmental protection: the issues and challenges of the Russian peatlands.

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Riddled with doubts – climate change conversations in Russia

The effects of climate change in Russia have become more apparent in the past years, and policymakers are recently active in addressing the issue. Yet, a lot of Russians think climate change is bad, but do not see it as a serious problem either recognize the role of human activity. Kokorin discusses the reasons such… Read More Riddled with doubts – climate change conversations in Russia

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Green shoots not yet visible in the forestry economy

Forest companies are the chief exploiters of forest resources, and their actions may have a major impact on the global sustainable development. Russian companies have a special place in this regard as Russia is the most forested country in the world and the forest industry there has a global impact. Researchers from the University of… Read More Green shoots not yet visible in the forestry economy

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How to stop drilling holes through indigenous rights in the Russian Arctic

Liobov Sulayandziga discusses the issues between indigenous people of the Russian Arctic and extractive industries. She looks at the authentic communities in four Arctic regions: Komi Republic, Sakhalin, Sakha Republic and Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area She concludes that indigenous opinions are often ignored in areas where resource extraction is prioritized. The communities receive significant opposition from… Read More How to stop drilling holes through indigenous rights in the Russian Arctic

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Idols and rabbits in the Urals – designing Arctic ecotourism

Researchers from Ural State University of Architecture and Art proposed an innovative approach for developing tourism in Russian Arctic destinations where holidaymakers commonly avoid travelling. Tough climate, remoteness and non-existing hospitality services make it a challenge to tempt any tourist. Attracted by wilderness, endangered fauna, melting icebergs and glaciers, vanishing indigenous cultures, endangered mega-fauna has… Read More Idols and rabbits in the Urals – designing Arctic ecotourism

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Nothing goes to waste: sustainable practices of re-use among indigenous groups in the Russian North

Do the main inventions in current environmental sustainability practices always come from the metropolitan research centres? Could they also be of ‘non-Western’ origin? To answer and challenge these questions, Siragusa and Arzyutov explored waste practices among two indigenous communities in the Russian North – Nenets and Veps as part of ethnographic fieldwork since 2009. They highlight… Read More Nothing goes to waste: sustainable practices of re-use among indigenous groups in the Russian North

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Human fatprints in the Arctic snow

Anthropogenic pollution of the Arctic atmosphere is of great interest due to the vulnerability of the Arctic ecosystems, as well as the processes of global transport and industries under cold climate conditions. Researchers from Lomonosov State University (Moscow) and Lomonosov Northern (Arctic) Federal University brought the first results on snow pollution in the least explored… Read More Human fatprints in the Arctic snow

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Distilling hard and soft water strategies in climate adaption policies

Despite Russia’s rich freshwater resources, it faces significant water problems, which arise from the country’s adaptation policy with low priority to climate action and less advanced risk management. Safonov from NRU HSE, Moscow outlines the key characteristic of water-related problems in the world’s biggest country. Firstly, Russia is one of the world’s leaders in its… Read More Distilling hard and soft water strategies in climate adaption policies

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Shades of green or black for Russia’s energy prospecting?

In recent years, the Russian state and businesses have been supportive for the national renewable energy development, however, the future of the industry is not yet clear as indicated in Proskuryakova and Ermolenko’s paper. The goal was to foresee the future for the renewable energy sector in Russia, and to provide a scientific ground for… Read More Shades of green or black for Russia’s energy prospecting?

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Linking science and action – how to resolve water challenges in Central Asia

With its mixed continental climate, Central Asia faces unstable periods of draughts and rains. This has led to serious water shortages across the regions (Fig. 1) followed by escalating water-based conflicts between countries, increased hunger and threatened economics. However, despite the scientific progress and the continuous international effort, Central Asian water management institutes still rely on… Read More Linking science and action – how to resolve water challenges in Central Asia

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