Over 40 percent of buildings and structures in the Arctic bear the signs of deformation due to the permafrost thaw in the cryolithic zone. There are plans to construct 140 monitoring points by 2025 to track changes in the permafrost.

“Permafrost degradation causes substantial losses in hydrocarbon production, technical accidents and road pavement damage,” said Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergei Anopriyenko.

At a Federation Council meeting on the Clean Arctic public federal project, the official underscored that the permafrost thaw remained a pressing problem that affects the economic development of the Arctic.

Anopriyenko reminded the meeting participants that his ministry and other parties concerned developed and submitted to the Government on September 30 a plan for creating a government system to monitor the permafrost condition based on the observation network of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring.

“About 140 monitoring points will be established by 2025. This will help dramatically reduce and, in some cases, eliminate the risks arising from the development of the Arctic cryolithic zone in the medium- and long-term perspective,” he said.

In addition, the construction of the North Pole ice-resistant self-propelled platform, a unique research vessel outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment, is nearing completion. According to the deputy minister, it opens up new opportunities for exploring hard-to-access regions of the Arctic.