Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic: Perspectives from the Barents Area

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Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic: Perspectives from the Barents Area

republic and oblast; federation subjects have their own parliament, constitution and legislation). The national climate policy framework envisages the development of regulations, norms and institutional structures at the national level and interactions within and between the regions. The 2015 Paris Agreement, adds to the Russian INDC, which currently does not include a detailed national adaptation strategy for the period 2020–2030. Presenting a refined adaptation strategy will be among the future national commitments under the UNFCCC. A climate strategy for the Russian part of Barents Region is currently under development, under the umbrella of the BEAC. Its design and procedures for implementing adaptationmeasures are sealed by a 2011 legal act of the government ordinance ‘Integrated plan for Climate Doctrine implementation up to 2020’ (Russian Federation Government, 2011). This names the government agencies responsible for undertaking adaptation action, including the RF Ministry for natural resources (MinPriroda) with its five agencies (water, forestry, mineral resources, hydrometeorology, environmental inspection), the RFMinistry for economic development (MinEcDev) and sectoral ministries for agriculture, construction and housing, and public health. Detailed responsibilities and tasks are assigned to each. For example, the federal agency for forestry is responsible for minimizing the negative impacts of more wildfires,for assessing related risks and damage,and for designing adaptationmeasures in forestry within the regions. Establishing a dedicated center for monitoring and assessment of climate change impacts under HydroMet is envisaged to integrate data from existing government and corporate monitoring networks.MinPriroda is to be responsible for organization and institutional coordination of adaptation actions: to develop guidelines for methodology in assessment of climate change impacts and risks in particular sectors, to undertake vulnerability assessments for different regions of Russia,and to design specific responsemeasures.Every federal agency involved in adaptation has its territorial affiliations in the northern federation subjects of the Barents Region which in turn are engaged in direct adaptation actions. Interactions between federal and regional authorities in climate adaptation policy implementation are defined by the general principles of the Russian new federal systemof territorial governance established after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

shipping, extraction of renewable and non-renewable energy sources and tourism in theArctic (Regional Council of Lapland, 2011; Finnish Government, 2013). In northern Finland, three regional strategies were made to support adaptation in northern Ostrobothnia, Kainuu and Lapland. In addition, some larger cities, such as Oulu and Rovaniemi, have developed their own climate programs, including mitigation and adaptation. These regional strategies were prepared through a broad participatory process, which was a laborious but highly valuable learning process (Himanen et al.,2012).The so-called LaplandAgreement, identifies ‘climate change and bioeconomy’ as focal points and addresses adaptation and mitigation, carbon neutrality and energy politics, and increasing demand for and sustainable use of natural resources (Regional Council of Lapland, 2014a). In a similar document for the Oulu Region, the Council commits to participate in climate changemitigation and adaptation,especially regarding flood prevention and flood riskmanagement (Council of Oulu Region, 2014). The Finnish government places strong emphasis on the role of cities and regions to advancemitigation of climate change and support adaptation to climate change impacts (Finnish Ministry of Employment and Economy, 2011). 9.2.2.4 Russia In the RussianFederation,national climate adaptation is currently being developed and incorporated into the national Climate Doctrine of the Russian Federation adopted 17 December 2009 (Russian Federation, 2009). According to this Doctrine, ‘climate change results in risks to national security’ including society, its stakeholders and individuals. The Doctrine states that thorough and detailed assessments of economic, social, and institutional aspects of climate change impacts are essential to design adaptation measures to reduce negative consequences, and benefit from new and emerging opportunities. Adaptation planning is based on assessments of vulnerability to negative consequences andassociated losses due to climate change impacts; opportunities arising from the consequences of climate change; possible costs of adaptation action; and the adaptation potential of economic sectors,population and themost vulnerable groups and institutional structures of particular regions. Developing short-term and long-term adaptation measures are among key goals (Russian Federation, 2009). Adaptation strategies in the Russian part of the Barents area are linked to forecasting of and operational responses to extreme events and emergencies. The Russian Federation Ministry for Emergencies (Emercom) affiliations are established in the Russian Barents area with subdivisions in municipalities. A network for monitoring and data-processing for floods, wildfires, avalanches, extreme weather events and other natural disasters has been strengthened. In Russia, some adaptation actions take the form of independent regional programs, while others are undertaken within a framework of international programs that includes other Arctic partners. Adaptation policy presupposes a multi-scale approach across federal, regional and sectoral programs and action plans, with adaptation to be included in plans for socio-economic development at the national level and by the federation subjects (‘federation subjects’ is a common term to denominate the administrative level below the national level, such as okrug,

9.3 Examples of adaptation action within the Barents area

9.3.1 The Barents area in an international context

The Barents area is experiencing rapid environmental change driven by climate change (ACIA, 2004; AMAP, 2011; Arctic Council, 2013b), in parallel with rapid changes in socio- economic systems driven by industrial developments such as extractive industries and tourism,migration and urbanization, new technologies, and economic challenges and opportunities (e.g. Hovelsrud et al., 2011; Nordic Council of Ministers 2011; Larsen and Fondahl 2015; Larsen et al., 2015). General social trends show net outmigration from the rural areas where employment opportunities are reduced, to regional centers