TOMSK, Dec 29 – RIA Tomsk. Tomsk State University (TSU) become a member of a new international project "Pan-Arctic System of Observation Systems: Performing Observation for the Needs of Society (Arctic PASSION)"; the project provide representatives of 18 countries with new knowledge to preserve fragile Arctic ecosystems and develop region without harming them, the university's press service said.
According to the press service, 36 scientific organizations related to the research of the northern territories - the Arctic and the Antarctic have begun to implement the Arctic PASSION project, within the framework of which scientists should obtain comprehensive results of interdisciplinary environmental studies that are important for ensuring sustainable development of the Arctic and adaptation of communities to changing conditions in a global context.
"Russia is represented in the consortium by Tomsk State University (TSU) and Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Our participation in such a large-scale project became possible primarily due to the scientific potential and the presence of an extensive research infrastructure of the SecNet network, created in 2016 under the auspices of TSU", – Director of TSU Strategic Academic Unit Research Center Trans-Siberian Scientific Way Lyudmila Borilo is quoted.
In addition, within the framework of the project scientists fill observational gaps and improve archiving, processing and interoperability of Arctic data systems. In the future, improvements will be used in new EuroGEO programs aimed at creating emergency preparedness systems, solving food security issues and adequately responding to climatic and socio-economic changes in the Arctic.
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"Despite significant international efforts already made, observational data remains fragmented. This is partly due to the speed of transformation of the planet's climate and other objective factors... Arctic PASSION will strengthen international scientific observations, connect different communities to monitoring, use and develop knowledge of indigenous and local population", – explains Borilo.
The press service added that the project is designed for 2021-2024, the amount of funding was 15 million euros. The head organization is the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (Germany).
Earlier it was reported that TSU intends to contribute to the implementation of the state strategy for the development of Arctic resources until 2035. The university will study the impact of global warming on the indigenous peoples of the Arctic zone, as well as train specialists capable of introducing new technologies in the Arctic.