Issues of the Arctic development in the Far East (Russia)

• Main Author: Gadal, Sébastien
• Other Authors: Aix Marseille Université (AMU), Études des Structures, des Processus d’Adaptation et des Changements de l’Espace (ESPACE), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Avignon Université (AU)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA), Northem Sustainable Development Forum, Government of Sakha's Republic, Russian Federation, North Eastern Federal University, Saint-Petersburg State University
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2019
• Subjects: Arctic; Development; Territorial; Populations; Global warming; Urbanisation; Far Eastern; Environment; Russia; [SDE.ES]Environmental Sciences/Environment and Society; [SHS.GEO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Geography; Yakutsk; Yamal Peninsula; Subarctic; Yakutia
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02304041

International audience The development of the Arctic and Subarctic Far East territories is one of the key-issues for the Russian Federation and the regional authorities to generate economic and social take-off for the populations in these arctic and subarctic regions. The problematic is even more delicate in such territories as Yakutia for example. They both concentrate probably the most important mineral, gas and oil deposits, and these arctic and subarctic East Siberian spaces are characterised by some very important levels of human and infrastructural underdevelopment mortgaging the future of these strategic regions. The combination of the low density of population and the growing pressure of China on these territories, the rising exploitation of the natural resources, and the planned opening of the North Sea route in the summer time which will modify a significant part of the global economic exchanges between Asia, Europe and America allowed by the global warming, as well as the geopolitical tensions placed the Arctic and Subarctic regions at the centre of interest of the many countries. However, interests driving the countries are different: economic with the focus on control of the territories, ecologic, global warming impacts and adaptation of the populations and environments, especially in Europe and in France in terms of policy, territorial planning and economic transformations. The success of the security and control policy of the Russian Arctic territories for the protection of the geostrategic Russian economic interests and the driving development of territories like the Yamal peninsula, does not concern the Far East regions at the moment. The spatial organisation in term of territorial planning based on the mine-towns is disconnected from the local and regional level generating frustration and somehow tensions. At the same time, some of these underdeveloping territories are driven by the strong forces of societal changes, urbanisation and globalisation. Yakutsk is one of the key-examples with the ...