ECONOR III Highlights
Introduction to presentation to Arctic Council: SDWG and SAO meetingsOctober 2016
The draft final report from the third ECONOR project, “The Economy of the North 2015” gives an updated and comprehensive overview of the circumpolar economy and of the economy of the Arctic regions of the 8 Arctic countries.
The circumpolar economy as described in ECONOR encompasses a wide range, from the “hard facts“ of macroeconomic development, to the human condition captured in socio-economic indicators, the global demand for Arctic natural resources, land use impacts on Arctic biodiversity, and the intertwined economy of the market and subsistence activities of indigenous peoples, as basis for livelihoods and culture.
The ECONOR report is made for the Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG), and it is funded by Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nordic Council of Ministers and institutions participating in the ECONOR network. The editors are Solveig Glomsrød (Chief editor, co-project-leader), CICERO Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, and Iulie Aslaksen (co-editor, project leader), Statistics Norway. The report is made possible by the expertise and committed work of the ECONOR network of circumpolar statisticians, researchers and experts.
Some highlights of the results from the new draft report:
Alaska has the highest disposable income per capita in the Arctic. Petroleum sector is in decline, but still the backbone of economy. Public services are the largest sector again.
In the Canadian North minerals, oil and gas are the largest sector. Gas is in decline, diamonds from NWT remain high. Public services are the second largest sector.
In Greenland, fishand shellfish are the most important resources. Climate change impacts are already seen in the statistics: Mackerel carries climate change into statistics. Mackerel was first time fished in Greenland in 2011, and in 2014 was as high as 23 per cent of fish export. Compensates to some extent decline in shrimp export.
Arctic Russia is the largest of the Arctic regions. The region has high growth, about 4 per cent annually 2000-2012. Petroleum and other mining industries are large. In 2008-2012 the mineral basis further strengthened.Over the period 2008-2012 the mineral sector as basis for the economy was further strengthened. A significant change since 2005:Yamal-Nenets has larger GRP (Gross Regional Product) than Khanty-Mansii,due to increased gas development.
The description of the Nordic Arctic regions will be completed.
In addition to updated data, ECONOR III has new chapters on tourism and impacts on biodiversity.