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The Barents Sea region:
oil and gas infrastructure and threats to ecosystems

• Open interactive map

Environmental organizations in Russia consider the Arctic and adjacent areas as the region, ecosystems of which in the nearest decades will be exposed to the highest impact due to the global change of climate and intensification of economic activities of people.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a mandatory condition for minimization of impacts from projects of producing industries (particularly oil and gas industry) on arctic ecosystems and their adaptation to climatic changes. According to recommendations of the Arctic Council on EIA implementation in the Arctic (Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the Arctic, Helsinki, 1997) special focus during EIA implementation should be made on wide involvement of stakeholders and assessment of cumulative effect.

Objective cartographic information for such assessment is the goal of this Project. Interactive map of the Barents Sea region is currently available. It is planned to develop similar maps for other regions in the Russian Arctic.

Key principles of the Russian Arctic Project

• Ecosystemic approach: assessment of threats to environmental complexes in general, but not for their individual components or sites.
• Actuality: timely updating of data.
• "Transparency": presentation of results in cartographic form - the most accessible to various users in the area of environment protection, management of natural resources, science and education.
• Openness: provision of information (maps received on the service basis) for free usage under condition of correct references to authors.
• Preparedness for cooperation: development of sustainable partnership relations with any organizations ready to provide objective information on the region.

When working with interactive map

• Use right-hand side buttons and to zoom in and out. You can also use mouse wheel.
• Use for navigating the map without zooming.
• In order to obtain additional information on any object you are interested in, please push the button and click it with the mouse.