The Strategic Action Program for Protection of the Russian Arctic Environment (SAP-Arctic) is directed to preserve and protect Arctic environment and to eliminate negative environmental impacts from economic and other activities. It conforms with accepted principles and rules of international law, while taking into consideration the domestic and international practice of environmental protection. It defines the principles, goals, objectives and main activities to ensure protection of the environment in the Arctic Region of the Russian Federation (the Russian Arctic), considering its growing importance in the regional and global context. SAP-Arctic is a framework document, the provisions of which are to be taken into account when drafting governmental, federal, regional and corporate programs for the development of industrial and other processes in the Russian Arctic. The scope of SAP-Arctic is the Russian Arctic, including the Republic of Komi, and Khanty-Mansiysky Autonomous District, where pollution sources have a substantial impact on the Arctic environment.
The Maritime Board at the Government of the Russian Federation approved the SAP-Arctic document and recommended federal and regional authorities and other interested parties to be governed by SAP-Arctic provisions when designing program documents applied to development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation.
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The SAP-Arctic was based on detailed diagnostic analysis of the current situation and forecasting of the potential environmental changes in the Russian Arctic, which were fulfilled by prominent Russian scientists and experts specialising in different aspects of the Arctic environment studies.
The following priority environmental issues were identified in the Russian Arctic region:
Environmental pollution (transboundary transport of pollutants by water and air, and oil, chemical, and radiation contamination) and deterioration of the quality of surface and ground waters in the coastal areas of the Russian Arctic;
Land degradation and irresponsible use of land
Changes in biodiversity and depletion of biological resources;
Deterioration of the living conditions and environment of the indigenous population of the Russian Arctic and disruptions of their traditional use of natural resources;
Negative consequences and threats from the ongoing global climate changes.
