Assessment of Environmental Risks during the Implementation of Infrastructure Projects in the Arctic Region

Abstract

The Arctic Zone of Russia (AZR), due to its significant potential, for the implementation of which infrastructure projects and strategic plans are envisaged, is of great importance for the country. Particular attention is paid to the transport and related infrastructure development. The implementation of such projects requires the creation and implementation of modern integrated solutions based on new technical and technological solutions. The development of new territories is accompanied by problems such as urbanization and the disruption of ecosystems, which will have a particularly negative impact on the Arctic zone. The situation is complicated by the fact that the work must be carried out in difficult conditions, which are associated with a large number of risks, including environmental ones. Currently, many types of businesses are characterized by a transition to the implementation of the concepts of green and blue economy, as well as ESG principles when building strategic development plans that include risk reduction. Achieving this goal is possible through an environmental risk management system. To create a suchlike system, it is necessary to identify the most significant risk characteristics of each type of activity, taking into account their negative impact on the environment, after which it will be possible to plan measures to either prevent risks or minimize their consequences. Taking into account the above, we plan to develop the concept of an environmental risk management system (ERMS) as part of the region’s development strategy implementation. To reach this purpose, identifying the main groups of environmental risks depending on the danger source based on the scientific article review results, systematizing concepts aimed at improving the environmental situation under different types of anthropogenic impacts on the environment, developing an algorithm for implementing an environmental risk management system depending on the risk type, and proposing a concept for building an environmental risk management system are needed. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that the main directions of negative anthropogenic impact on the environment are systematized, and possible ways to reduce environmental risks are outlined. The practical significance of the work lies in the fact that when implementing such a system, it will be possible to manage not only risks of a certain category, but also monitor the situation as a whole, identifying the consequences for related areas.

Keywords

• blue economy
• environmental safety
• environmental risk management system (ERMS)
• ESG principles
• Arctic Zone of Russia (AZR)
• international transport corridors (ITCs)