Perception of Environmental Problems by Residents of the Krasnoyarsk Krai Arctic Territories (Findings of Surveys in Norilsk and Dudinka)

• Main Authors: Volkov, Alexander D., Tishkov, Sergey V., Averyanov, Alexander O., Волков, А. Д., Тишков, С. В., Аверьянов, А. О.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Journal of Siberian Federal University. Сибирский федеральный университет 2024
• Subjects: Russian Arctic; Norilsk; Dudinka; environmental problems; environmental threats; public perception; industrial waste dumps; environmental pollution; littering; Российская Арктика; Норильск; Дудинка; экологические проблемы; экологические угрозы; восприятие населения; свалки предприятий; загрязнение среды; бытовой мусор; Arctic; Krasnoyarsk Krai; norilsk; Арктика
• Online Access: https://elib.sfu-kras.ru/handle/2311/152705

The study was designed to identify the specific features in the perception of environmental problems and threats by people living in Arctic areas of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. The focus is on industrially and infrastructurally well-developed cities of Norilsk and Dudinka. The main method is a mass-scope questionnaire survey among the general public (n=713; 2022). The analysis was done using SPSS tools and the Python environment. We found that, as perceived by the citizens, the critical environmental threats common for the territories under study were illegal industrial waste dumps (indicated by 53.4 % of respondents) and unsanctioned household waste dumps and littering (52.7 %). Lower concerns were expressed regarding threats from mining and metal processing industries (43.4 %), illegal logging by individuals (43.9 %), oil and gas industries (harmful atmospheric emissions, oil spills) (44.7 %). Differences between the territories mostly appear in how the severity of the threat is perceived (“heavily threaten” vs “threaten”). The current environmental situation is evaluated more positively by residents of Dudinka. People of Norilsk, on the other hand, feel more positive about the environmental trends. People are least satisfied with air quality and tidiness of the environs, and more satisfied with the level of noise. The most pronounced differences between the cities were found in the perceptions of air quality, state of forests and parks, level of noise. The findings of the study can be applied when preparing policy and standard-setting documents for the development of the Krasnoyarsk Krai Arctic areas and in the scientific monitoring of the implementation of the national project “Ecology” Работа посвящена выявлению особенностей восприятия экологических проблем и угроз населением арктических территорий Красноярского края. В фокусе внимания – индустриально и инфраструктурно развитые города Норильск и Дудинка. Основным методом исследования является массовый анкетный опрос населения, проведенный в период с конца июля ...