Impact of the Oil and Gas Production Industry on the Traditional Nature Management of the Indigenous Peoples of the North of the Irkutsk Region

Abstract

The purpose is to characterise the key forms of impact of the oil and gas production industry on local socio-ecological systems in the north of the Irkutsk region. Materials and methods. The work used an integrated approach, including various research methods (itinerary, comparative-analytical, geoinformation) and social science methods (interviewing, surveys, included observations). Results and discussion. The following forms of impact of the oil and gas industry and its consequences on the local socio-ecological systems of the study area were identified: oil and gas production infrastructure, technological roads, corporate social responsibility policy of industrial companies, and forest fires. At the same time, local forms of industry impact have both negative, mainly on the components of the natural environment, and positive consequences, mainly for the socio-economic environment. Conclusions. The close interrelationships between nature and society, characteristic of the socio-ecological system under study, determine the ambiguity of the consequences of oil and gas industry development in terms of maintaining the sustainability of the system under study and its ability to adapt to changing conditions.