International Arctic Field Course on Permafrost and Northern Studies
Blog 1 – Carlson Giddings
On July 3rd, 2017, five professors and 20 students from the US, Russia, and European Union countries will gather in Moscow to begin a month-long field course on permafrost and northern studies. This field course presents a unique opportunity for an international study of how natural and technogenic landscapes in Arctic cities are impacted by climate change and permafrost conditions. For this study, the team of students and professors will study the impacts of permafrost thaw on two Siberian cities, Salekhard and Vorkuta.
Salekhard, a portion of which reaching across the Arctic Circle, is the capital of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug of the Russian high north. Meanwhile, Vorkuta, a subarctic municipality, is considered part of the Komi Republic. In an article by The Siberian Times, Salekhard was described as a “new economic frontier,” given its close proximity to oil and gas fields and the municipality’s commitment to industrial and infrastructural development. The population of Salekhard has grown rapidly in light of these conditions with migrants driven by higher wages and increasing social and cultural opportunities for their families. As of the 2010 census, the population of Salekhard was 42,544.
Photo from The Siberian Times
While Salekhard is known for its industrial oil and gas extraction, Vorkuta is known for its industrial coal extraction. Vorkuta’s coal mining industry originally employed Gualag prisoners during when during the early to mid-1900s it served as an administrative center for smaller groups of municipalities with labor camps and coal mines. As one of Soviet Siberia’s largest labor camp and coal mining operations, today Vorkuta exists as a historical monument of that window of Russia’s history.
With the field course quickly approaching, several curiosities come to mind. Firstly, given that climate change has induced geotechnical and infrastructural construction challenges in most high north cities, how have settlements like Salekhard and Vorkuta adapted practices of urban architecture and design to accommodate for these challenges? Secondly, as a global rise in the appeal of adventure tourism becomes increasingly apparent, how has this rise impacted Salekhard and Vorkuta? Are these cities planning for an increase in tourism? If so, in what ways? Finally, what opportunities exist for university-age students in Salekhard and Vorkuta to study permafrost or climate change? What kinds of jobs do degrees in these fields lead to?
Overall, Arctic PIRE’s geography and northern studies field course in Siberia presents a unique opportunity for an international group of students, research assistants, and professors to engage with Arctic science in live time and be able to draw conclusions about what sustainability means and how it can be measured in an urban Arctic setting.