THE NENETS AUTONOMOUS OKRUG (DISTRICT): CHALLENGES FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC

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1 THE NENETS AUTONOMOUS OKRUG (DISTRICT): CHALLENGES FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC

2 GEOGRAPHY The Nenets Autonomous orkug (NAO) lies in the Northern easternmost part of the Barents region and stretches along the Barents Sea. It is also washed by the White and Kara seas. NAO boasts one of the biggest rivers in the European part of Russia, Pechora, flowing from the Komi Republic through its territory in the Barents sea.

3 Nenets okrug is the only Russian region that is not connected to other regions by land transportation all year round. The primary means of transport is aviation.

4 Naryan-Mar is the administrative centre of the okrug whereas about forty other settlements are scattered throughout the NAO territory. Most of them have no land connection between each other and to other areas. In the summer cargo and passenger transportations are rendered by water (Pechora river and sea), during winter temporary roads called zimniks are used. Such lack of transport infrastructure imposes significant difficulties on all human activities in the region, including waste management. Every year there are several months in the spring and autumn when only aviation transportation is possible.

5 WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE NENETS OKRUG The NAO Department of natural resources, environment and agriculture is the principal authority on environmental issues in the Nenets okrug. The main directions of its work on waste management are: Adoption of the Territorial scheme of waste management in the Nenets okrug Maintenance of the regional waste inventory (cadaster) Norm-setting on waste production and waste disposal limits Promotion of environmental awareness etc.

6 Following the changes in the national legislation, the Territorial scheme of waste management was adopted in This is a 600-page document that comprises: a holistic analysis of all types of waste that is produced in the Nenets okrug by various parameters (types, volumes, locations, disposal methods etc.) Tasks and scenarios of development of the waste management system in the Nenets okrug in compliance with the tightened regulations According to the Territorial scheme, a Regional operator on solid communal waste management in the Nenets okrug has been chosen, whose task is to develop and implement a system of SCW management, including investment program.

7 CHALLENGES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE NENETS OKRUG The main challenges for the development of waste management system in the Nenets okrug are: Remoteness of the settlements and absence of all-year-round roads and other land transportation routes Small amount of waste production in rural settlements Absence of certified waste disposal sites in the NAO settlements, except for Naryan-Mar. The Naryan-Mar s landfill does not meet the nowadays requirements. There is a need for a new landfill construction in compliance with the tightened legislative requirements High costs of realization

8 Therefore, finding a solution on waste management system in such Arctic regions like the Nenets okrug, the following aspects should be observed: Choice of technology that meets all the environmental requirements (including BATs) and is also costefficient Provision for local waste treatment and recovery to highest possible extent Due to such specificity of the Arctic areas, waste management here requires special approach.

9 LOCAL INITIATIVES ON WASTE MANAGEMENT The Department also develops and participates in several initiatives on waste management improvement: In cooperation with local NGOs an interactive map of waste disposal sites (including unauthorized ones) has been set up Elimination of an accumulated environmental damage in the okrug has been started Spent batteries and mercurycontaining waste collection and disposal Paper waste collection in the NAO authorities Pilot project on sorting three types of waste in Naryan- Mar by a local NGO

10 THANK YOU! Yana Voycehovskaya: ,