MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/. First results of the large-scale expedition campaign, dubbed Clean Arctic - Vostok-77, in the Russian Arctic zone's continental part may be presented at the Ecosystem national ecology forum on the Kamchatka Peninsula in August, 2024, the expedition's leader, an ecologist, and the Clean Arctic project's leader Andrey Nagibin told a news conference at TASS press center in Moscow.

"I am proud to be leading the expedition, where more than 20 research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and federal universities [will participate]. For me it is an outstanding event, as my generation has grown (admiring characters) of the Two Captains movie. <…> The expedition geography is very vast - 19 regions, and on August 15 next year we will present first results. The finish will be on the Kamchatka. We hope, by that time we will complete everything and will be able to present first results of our work at the ecology forum on the Kamchatka Peninsula," he said.

After the forum, scientists will continue working, he said, for example, to use the expedition materials to assess the Arctic ports.

The expedition's digital headquarters' leader, an Arctic explorer Andrey Igolkin highlighted the expedition's numerous tasks - surveys by ecologists, culture experts, linguists, demographers, specialists in logistics will offer new transport routes, experts will make a detailed digital map, the Arctic's digital twin. This data will be available for scientists, researchers, businesses and authorities.

"Quite often people would ask me - what does the country receive from expeditions? Are you just a bunch of obsessed adventurers? The answer is - expeditions are the only way to receive information of required quality, the way to differentiate between the truth and lies, to argue involvement of certain structures. An expedition is the only source of verified and correct information for decision-making. It is a wonderful opportunity to bring together seemingly different economic directions. For example, it would be absolutely incorrect to eye sociology beyond culture, ecology or economy aspects," he said.

The specialists will use modern digital technologies, artificial intellect. "During the expedition cycle, we plan works on maps, digital versions of transport and logistics routes, we will make digital records of illegal landfills and of the accumulated decades-long damage - this is the reality we have to mind. We cannot allow people to all of those locations - some require special outfit and training. As for the logistics, in some areas it would be quite possible to change the focus to improve the process. This expedition, Vostok-77, will offer the understanding, the methods for putting together a big map, a digital twin of the Russian Federation's Arctic zone," he added.

Arctic's demography and potential

The demographic analysis and assessment of the Arctic's potential is a one of the tasks scientists will face in the upcoming expedition, said Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the expedition's supervisory board Irina Eliseeva.

"29% of Russia's territory is the Arctic land zone, 1.6% is the population [in the Russian Arctic]. Noteworthy, the population has been decreasing due to the negative natural decline and the immigration outflow. <...> People flee the most densely populated areas because they want better infrastructures and they want the "northern ruble" (higher rates for those working in the North) to be more expensive. <...> Average per capita monetary incomes and wages throughout the Arctic are growing slower than elsewhere in Russia. <...> Material incentives must be revived, and people should be attracted not only by promising developments of the North, but by chances to ensure wellbeing and good living conditions. <...> One of our tasks will be to analyze demographic factors for sustainable development of educational potential and the reproduction growth," she said.

Arctic regions have higher rates of pregnancy termination than in Russia's other regions. "I explain this by migration - greater flows [of population], fewer obligations. Therefore, good earnings, good living conditions, good families - this is what we need to study," the scientist noted.

While in the past Arctic expeditions were for geological and exploration purposes or to study the Northern Sea Route, the current expedition is more complex and has a clear humanitarian direction. "It is important to understand the population composition and needs of its every group. For example, big ethnic groups - the Evenks, the Chukchi - that are of a few thousand people, - they have increased against the 2010 census data, and, on the other hand, very low-numbered ethnic groups, up to 5,000 people, are becoming fewer. It is important to understand once again the reasons, to understand comprehensively how to regulate this process," she said.

The Moscow Arctic Library No. 77 hopes during the expedition to obtain publications in languages of the North's indigenous peoples. "We have been adding books in rare languages to our collection," the library's Director Olesya Polunina said. "We had no idea that so many people, young scientists are passionate about the Arctic and the North's indigenous peoples, not only in Russia, but around the world. We are happy to have such works in our library."