Svalbard - Opportunities and Challenges of Development

Opportunities
1. It has rich reserves of coal.
2. Coal mining is vital to the economy of Svalbard because it employs more than 300 people
3. In 2014, a state owned mining company called Store Naske opend another new coal mine in Svalbard
4. This mine would be able to produce around 2 million tonnes per year
5. A road has been built over a glacier to transport the coal to the harbour
6. There is also the opportunity to extract energy geothermally due to its location near to the Mid Atlantic Ridge
7. The abundance of fish means that fishing in the Barent Sea is controlled by Norway and Russia to ensure sustainability
8. Over 160 species of fish, including Arctic Cod and Snow Crab are protected from polluted waters and over fishing
Challenges
1. In the winter, temperatures in Svalbard can fall below -30°C.
2. This extreme cold means that frost bite is a danger to inhabitants
3. This means that several layers of warm clothing is needed to be worn to protect against the hostile climate

Resource summary

	Created by Marni Skelton over 7 years ago