Cross-border co-operation as a baseline for management of natural and man-made hazards

In January 2019, with the support of the project partners, Geological Survey of Finland launched a co-operation project “HazArctic – Geo-Bio Hazards in the Arctic Region”. It approaches both natural and man-made environmental hazards and risks in the Arctic and Subarctic areas, in Northern parts of Scandinavia and Russia.

Project studies, among others, the areal extension of harmful acid sulfate soils (ASS) and the role of microbes in the geo-bio interaction in possible hazardous environments. In addition, studies related to the mine environments, the stability of closed and open mines and mine tailings reuse, will be carried out. Project will also focus on training as well as analyzing and sharing of the best practices. Results will give a good background knowledge for participant organizations, local stakeholders and actors, authorities and public. Lessons learnt will guide actions in the future, for example farming in areas of ASS and in safety issues of the active and closed mines. Results will be available in public and can be adapted for use everywhere with similar conditions in natural or man-made environments.

The first year of the project produced new data about the areal extension of ASS in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Also the studies related to the geomicrobiology were started as well as the studies of the safety of the active open pit in Russia. Co-operation between project partners also created new networks in the field of research of the natural hazards. In 2020, started actions will continue and some new ones will start, for example the training related to the mine environments.

“HazArctic” is a co-operation project between Geological Surveys from Finland, Sweden and Norway, Natural Resources Institute Finland as well as Geological Institute and Mining Institute from the Federal Research Centre “Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences”. It is funded by Kolarctic CBC 2014-2020 program, EU, Russia, Norway, Sweden and Finland with the contribution from the project partners. Total budget is approx. 1.29 M€ and implementation period is 2019-2021.