Photo: Makovnev Afanasii/GeoPhoto.ru
Scientists Unveil Yamal Monitoring Results
A team of researchers from the Science Center for Arctic Studies presented the key findings of a study into water body pollution in Yamal, Russian Arctic. In 2021, the team conducted a survey of 30 areas alongside a 94-kilometer-long coastal strip of Yamal rivers and lakes. As part of the study, the team collected 180 samples of surface water and sediment. These findings were published by the regional government of Yamal on 2 March 2022.
The monitoring operations were performed in various parts of the region. The goal of the study was to identify and forecast the processes that impact water quality and condition in the region’s water bodies.
The research outcomes will be used to make decisions with regard to cleaning up the most polluted coastal zones. For instance, based on monitoring outcomes for 2020, more than 10,000 cubic meters of solid municipal waste were collected in the region’s settlements in 2021, with the total amount of garbage removed amounting to more than 50,000 cubic meters.
Removing SMW from bodies of water located in the Arctic is crucial for preserving the fragile nature of the region. We believe that the better this effort is coordinated with all participants, including federal, regional and local authorities, researchers, environmentalists, volunteers, communal workers etc., the more efficient it will be.
Arctic Today is a column by PORA CEO Alexander Stotskiy analyzing major international, national and regional events and trends in the Arctic.