[ad_1]
A Norwegian archipelago perched high in the Arctic is trying to find a way to take advantage of its pristine desert without destroying it.
The Svalbard Archipelago, located 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the North Pole and accessible by commercial air travel, offers visitors vast expanses of untouched nature, with majestic mountains, glaciers and frozen fjords.
But Svalbard is now at the forefront of the risk of climate change, with Arctic warming three times faster than the planet. Local coal mines, the reason for human settlements there, have closed one after another over the years and tourism has become one of the mainstays of the local economy, along with research, says Ronny Brunvoll, head of the tourism board.
“The really big problem is the transport to and from Svalbard. As in tourism, but also we as locals who live here. we need cooperation on a much larger level. “
About 140,000 people visit these areas each year, according to pre-pandemic data, where 65 percent of the land is protected.
Like 3,000 locals, visitors must follow strict rules that prevent them from disturbing animals, tracking a polar bear can lead to a large fine, or collecting flowers in an almost vegetation-free ecosystem.
top channel
[ad_2]
Source link
