VLADIVOSTOK, September 3. /TASS/. Authorities and experts need to develop and adopt a federal permafrost monitoring program, experts told TASS on sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).
"The most important task now is to develop and adopt the Monitoring of the Russian Federation's Permafrost program," said Mikhail Zheleznyak, Director of the Melnikov Permafrost Institute (the Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian Branch). "This should be entrusted to specialists in geocryology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, specialized universities and the Ministry for Development of the Far East and the Arctic."
The program would offer a unified methodological approach to an integrated interdepartmental system, it would provide the necessary technical level, unified requirements for observations and data analysis, he continued. "That would be an effective system to monitor permafrost in the country," he said.
Permafrost monitoring includes background and geotechnical monitoring, which is an interdepartmental system that includes federal and regional centers, the expert said. "The background monitoring program that is currently being implemented in the Russian Federation requires serious adjustments and additions," he added.
A permafrost law is needed
According to Anatoly Brushkov, Head of the Geocryology Department at the Moscow State University, background monitoring may be organized by Roshydromet, the national hydrometeorology service. "Geotechnical monitoring has been organized in a number of cities and towns, on pipelines, roads and other facilities by companies and various enterprises - more than 10,000 wells exist now," he explained.
The expert stressed it necessary to improve the quality of data for forecasting, exchange, unified technical policy, and to create a federal-level analytical and forecast center.
"The monitoring system should be based on development of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, used to present information to various consumers. It is important to train personnel, which is not sufficient yet," he added.
He pointed to existing departmental and regional barriers. "The development of legislation on permafrost is relevant - the adoption of a federal law. The law needs to regulate a federal executive authority in permafrost monitoring, its regional bodies and subordinate organizations, and the law should regulate interaction of local governments, legal entities, enterprises and companies, including financial and insurance ones," the expert said.
About the forum
The Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) runs on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok on September 3-6, 2024. The main theme in 2024 is "Far East 2030. Combining strengths to create new potential."
EEF 2024 business activities are broken down into seven thematic blocks: "New contours of international cooperation," "Technologies to ensure independence," "Financial system of values," "the Russian Far East," "People, education and patriotism," "Transport and logistics: new routes," and "Master plans: from architecture to economy." The event's organizer is the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the general information partner.