Land Resources Evaluation for Damage Compensation to Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic (Case-Study of Anabar Region in Yakutia)

Abstract

The compensation for losses caused to the indigenous peoples in Arctic Russia due to the industrial development of their traditional lands is an urgent question whose resolution requires development of new mechanisms and tools. The losses caused to indigenous traditional lands are part of the damage caused to the natural environment, their culture and livelihood. In the Russian Federation cultural impact assessment is a rather new tool aiming to protect indigenous peoples' rights to lands. In this paper the authors show the applied side of the cultural assessment that is used to improve the methodology of the calculation of losses adopted by ministry of regional development in Russia in 2009. This methodology is based on the resource disposition and evaluation of traditional lands. Accordingly, compensation payments are calculated as the sum of the losses in traditional economic activities such as: reindeer herding, hunting, fishing and gathering. Such compensation is considered by authors as the elements of a benefit-sharing system. In practice, this methodology has been tested at industrial projects on alluvial diamonds in Yakutia. In this paper we look at the Polovinnya project case-study which deals with indigenous peoples of Dolgans and Evenks and argues that such a justified, understandable methodology both for indigenous peoples and subsoil user could reduce to a minimum the conflict of interests.

Sustainable Development of the Arctic Indigenous Communities: The Approach to Projects Optimization of Mining Company

“…According to current Yakutia legislation, the mining in traditional lands supposes the impact assessment or "ethnological expertise" [9]. It is associated with the assessment and compensation of possible damage to the indigenous peoples in the zone of project impact [10,11]. In the paper, the authors consider the Ebelyakh project on alluvial diamond in Anabar region which impact assessment they made during field research in 2015-2016.…”

“…• Maximization of criterion (7) under constraints (9)(10)(11) and definition f max Step 2. Scaling the criteria, i.e., bringing them to the same range of variation (from 0 to 1), the same units of measurement (fractions of deviation from the best value) and the direction of minimizing the deviation from the best value:…”

“…The model also needs to take into account the constraints (9)(10)(11). As a result of problem-solving ( 13)-( 15), ( 9)-( 11), the optimal design maneuver of the mining company will be found.…”

“…Minimization of criterion(7) under constraints(9)(10)(11) and definition f min 1 ; • Maximization of criterion (8) under constraints (9-11) and definition f max 2 ; • Minimization of criterion (8) under constraints (9-11) and definition f min 2 .…”

Mining Industry of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Problems of Environmental and Social Security of Indigenous Peoples

“…The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), as one of the leading regions from the point of view of legal support concerning the rights of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North (ISPN), is also of particular interest to Arctic researchers. Many works are devoted to the study of the problems of traditional nature management in the Arctic regions, in particular in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. They above studies note that the experience of Yakutia in terms of the interaction between indigenous peoples and industrial enterprises, the effect of the law on ethnological expertise, republican programs to support traditional sectors of the economy, nomadic families, and nomadic tribal communities all show a positive example for other regions with indigenous peoples not only in Russia, but also other Arctic countries.…”