Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences: Perception of Environmental Problems by Residents of the Krasnoyarsk Krai Arctic Territories (Findings of Surveys in Norilsk and Dudinka)

Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences / Perception of Environmental Problems by Residents of the Krasnoyarsk Krai Arctic Territories (Findings of Surveys in Norilsk and Dudinka)

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Issue: Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences. 2024 17 (3)
Authors: Volkov, Alexander D.; Tishkov, Sergey V.; Averyanov, Alexander O.
Contact information: Volkov, Alexander D. : Institute of Economics of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences Petrozavodsk, Russian Federation; ; Tishkov, Sergey V. : Institute of Economics of the Karelian Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences Petrozavodsk, Russian Federation; Averyanov, Alexander O. : Budget Monitoring Center of Petrozavodsk State University Petrozavodsk, Russian Federation
Keywords: Russian Arctic; Norilsk; Dudinka; environmental problems; environmental threats; public perception; industrial waste dumps; environmental pollution; littering
Abstract: 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”
Pages: 491–505
EDN: IEPVBK
Paper at repository of SibFU: https://elib.sfu-kras.ru/handle/2311/152705

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