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

2.3.1 Population and employment As a generalization, the Barents Region is characterized by established human environments and infrastructure, than for instance purely natural environments. It is large, equal in size to France, Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands combined. Although population density is on average low (2.9 inhabitants/km 2 ) large population centers exist. These include, for example, Archangelsk (357,000 inhabitants) and Murmansk (300,000 inhabitants) in Russia, Oulu (196,000 inhabitants) in Finland, and Umeå (120,000 inhabitants) in Sweden (BEAC,2016).Also the vastYamal-NenetsAutonomous district grew strongly during the Soviet era,and despite a very low overall population density does include some cities with 100,000 inhabitants (Petrov, 2017).This stratification contrasts with the generally very low population densities found especially in the High Arctic areas (Box 2.3). The northern areas of mainland Norway, Sweden and Finland are relatively well integrated into the respective states.In addition,Sweden and Finland are directly subject to EU regulatory systems and part of an area of free trade and freemovement of people.The result is that the Barents Region differs from much of the wider circumpolar Arctic in several ways: in being a regionwith a considerable intermingling of peoples with long-established local, indigenous and mixed groups, often with several or mixed identities; in having a relatively stratified population structure that includes large cities; and in having an infrastructurally developed character and an aging population.This means that reports that focus on describing the circumpolarArctic as a single entity are often not applicable to the Barents Region. In fact, this applies to much of the Arctic Council’s work, as this has tended to focus more on High Arctic and climatically as well as historically Arctic areas (see AHDR, 2004; ACIA, 2004; AMAP, 2012). Compared to northern areas of North America, the Barents Region has been settled for a relatively long period, with much blending and intermingling of population groups having taken place (Keskitalo, 2004; BEAC, 2016; Nordic Council of Ministers, 2015). In comparison to other northern regions, the indigenous groups in the Barents Region today constitute small and relatively integrated minorities. During the nationalization periods of the 19th century, Saami as well as Kvens and Torne Valley Finns were limited in expressing their own languages and cultural traditions (e.g. Pietikäinen, 2003). Similarly, during the Soviet Era minorities were deprived of their social status. Since the 1970s, minority identities have been strengthened. For instance, the image of Sápmi as a cross-border geographical area and Saami homeland, together with a Saami flag, a National Day, and a national anthem, became potent symbols during the 1980s and 1990s as post-war Saami political mobilization intensified, as is now happening with other indigenous groups around the world (Pietikäinen, 2003). While the Saami are recognized as an indigenous people by Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, differences exist in official attitudes to land claims and even international agreements. While all countries include recognition mechanisms for minority peoples, such as Kven and Torne Valley Finn, and Sámi parliaments as consultative elected bodies have been established in Norway, Sweden and Finland, Norway stands out as having ratified the ILO (International Labour Organization) Convention 169 on

the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples, which includes provisions for lands and resources rights. Norway has also included a paragraph on Sámi rights in the Constitution, and further developed the 2003 Finnmark Act aimed at providing local people in general and Saami people in particular, with independent rights; however, the results of the process have been criticized (e.g. Ravna, 2013). In Russia, integration has been more limited and the Nenets reindeer herders represent one of the few cases of a successful mixed economy and stable population growth (Petrov, 2008). Nenets as well as Saami and Veps are recognized as‘small-numbered’ indigenous groups by the Russian government with certain land use and economic rights afforded by legislation at the federal and regional level. However, some legislation lacks enforcement and implementationmechanisms (Murashko, 2008).Other groups, such as Komi, Komi-Izemtsy (Izhma Komi), and Karels, are not considered‘small-numbered indigenous people’ and so are not granted these rights. However, Komi and Karels are the title ethnic groups in the two respective republics and are more numerous. Whether Komi-Izemtsy, a much smaller group, should be officially recognized as indigenous is currently being debated. In addition to these ethnicities, substantial groups of Ukrainians, Belorusians, Tartars and Mordvins also live in the region as a result of colonization during the The population of Svalbard fell from around 3500 in the early 1990s to 2667 in mid-2005, largely due to major reductions in the Russian settlements following the ending of government subsidies for coal mining. In fact, mining at Pyramiden ceased altogether during this period and the town is now a small tourist base with just a handful of local inhabitants. The coal mines of Barentsburg are still operational, but the school and other infrastructure was reduced or lost and families returned to Russia. Inhabitants of Barentsburg are a mix of Russian and Ukrainian citizens. From 1990 to 2006 the number of people living in the Norwegian settlements (primarily Longyearbyen) increased steadily. Since then, numbers have stabilized at both the Russian and Norwegian settlements; but the foreign population in Longyearbyen has increased and now comprises 25% of the settlement. Franz Josef Land has no permanent inhabitants, but instead this Russian archipelago is occupied in summer by a small number of park staff. A military base, Nagurskoye, built to house around 150 people, was established onAlexandra Land, at the site of a former meteorological station; activity and residency levels are not known. Novaya Zemlya is also occupied only by military personnel. Box 2.3 Population in the High Arctic parts of the Barents study area Human population numbers within the HighArctic areas of the Barents study area are low, historically depending on natural resource extraction as well as on the need to provide a state presence in certain areas. Changes on Svalbard and some other areas provide good illustrations of the importance of these drivers.