IDENTIFICATION AND MAPPING OF THE ETHNO-ECOLOGICAL-ECONOMIC CONFLICTS OF NATURE USE IN SOUTHERN YAKUTIA (NORTH-EAST RUSSIA) USING GIS

References: 14th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2014, www.sgem.org, SGEM2014 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7105-12-4 / ISSN 1314-2704, June 19-25, 2014, Book 2, Vol. 3, 659-666 pp

ABSTRACT
Situations arising from human actions leading to violation of legally defined state of the environment, causing damage to any field of nature management, are defined as conflict. Problems of conflict research carrying out in order to provide the protection of the environment, to ensure the rational use of natural resources and their reproduction, are actually very urgent for Northern regions where the natural, social and economical situation is really complicated. The Sakha (Yakutia) Republic is one of such regions, characterised with great biological diversity as well as with the potential of natural resources that has a rather complicated structure of its components and territory, and with specific conditions of its exploitation. The purpose of this study is to determine both negative impacts and conflict situations in the nature management of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic by using the cartographical method that had been applied for systematisation and spatial analysis of conflicts being exposed. Implementation of cartographic research method and GIS technologies makes possible complete spatial, temporal and system analysis of all nature-management subjects and objects, as well as it allows to analyse and simulate all conflict situations arising from interactions in the "nature – population – economy" system. Describing sources of conflicts, maps contribute to choice of better ways of conflicts’ solutions as well as of most adequate forms of nature management in conflict areas, also giving some advise for elimination or moderation of conflicts. The following results having some scientific novelty had been obtained during the study: 1) Some conflict situations arising due to unpractical nature management in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic are identified and classified. 2) The series of specific maps of negative impacts and conflict situations in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic are developed for the three levels such as republican, ulus (district) and local. 3) An integrated cartographic evaluation of consequences of negative impacts and conflicts for the nature management in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic is performed.

Keywords: nature management; indigenous peoples; ethnic, environmental and economic conflicts; North East of Russia; Yakutia.