[M-IS05] Environmental, Socio-economic, and Climatic Changes in Northern Eurasia

[MIS05-09] Exploring the sustainability of small Siberian communities in the changing environment

*Natalia Krasnoshtanova¹ (1.VB Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS)

キーワード：Sustainability, Siberian communities, Eastern Siberia

Environmental changes caused by modern changes in climate and natural environment affect the entire territory of Siberia to varying extents. At the same time, climatic changes are manifested here as significantly as in the Arctic region. The population of this region, particularly the central part of Eastern Siberia, is facing various challenges due to the changing environment. Many settlements in this region are small, yet significantly remote from major transportation routes and large cities. These settlements are officially classified as hard-to-reach. Transport access to them is usually maintained through air transport, by plane or helicopter, and in the cold season, by winter roads. These remote settlements are usually inhabited by Indigenous and Russian oldsettlers engaged in traditional activities (hunting, fishing, reindeer-herding, gathering). Their traditional activities and way of life are closely connected to nature. These communities are very sensitive to changes in the environment and these changes can affect their long-term survival. Studies on the sustainability of small Siberian communities in the context of changes in the natural environment were carried out on the example of the Katangsky district of the Irkutsk Oblast. For this purpose, field research was conducted using social science methods: semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The methods of comparative geographical analysis and statistics were used to analyse field materials and supplementary data from open sources. The research allowed us to identify the most urgent issues of maintaining the sustainability of small communities in Siberia in changing environment, including issues such as: reducing the time of operation of winter roads; summer drought leading to large-scale wildfires; shallowing rivers, which are an important transportation route for traditional activities and a source of fish (an inherent part of the local diet) and water resources.