This article examines women's political empowerment in the Russian Arctic as an example of progress towards gender equality. In contrast to women's severe underrepresentation in Russian federal politics, a strong trend towards women's political empowerment can be observed in the Arctic regions of the country. Using the Nenets Autonomous Region as a case study, this article is aimed at narrowing the research gaps in women's leadership by examining the representation of female deputies in both the regional and local levels of government/self-government. Research on women's numerical representation indicates that women's participation and political empowerment in decision-making processes are manifested most vividly in predominantly indigenous communities. Placing a special focus on these Arctic communities, this study describes the historical and institutional roots that impact shifts in traditional gender role and contribute to a phenomenon of indigenous women's empowerment. Along with this positive pattern of women's leadership, this study also reveals an alarming trend of "reverse gender disparity" concerning men's severe underrepresentation in positions of power in indigenous communities of the North. The study results suggest that to achieve gender equality, a holistic approach to women's empowerment requires taking into account socio-cultural and historical contexts, as well as regional and territorial disparities. by 2030, as enshrined in SDG5, a holistic approach to women's empowerment requires taking into account socio-cultural and historical contexts, as well as regional and territorial disparities.

Scenarios of future development pathways in the Arctic created by groups of experts and stakeholders are an effective way to identify and illustrate possible alternatives and options for this region based on anticipated environmental and socioeconomic changes. Although scenarios that assess development trajectories for the Arctic are becoming increasingly popular, there is a relative lack of regional perspective in foresight exercises devoted to the Russian Arctic. This article presents and discusses development scenarios for the Russian Arctic until 2050 that were built by a diverse group of academics, local officials, Indigenous leaders, and business representatives at a scenario workshop in Naryan-Mar, Russia. The scenarios focus on Russia’s Arctic zone and incorporate future visioning of economic development, international cooperation with the West and China, shipping, human and social capital, and Indigenous peoples’ livelihoods in the context of climate change. We apply a novel circular-axial technique to synthesize and combine the 12 initially created thematic scenarios into four final cross-cutting integrated scenarios that describe alternative futures for the Russian Arctic by 2050: Harmonious Arctic, Self-Reliant Arctic, Resource-Dependent Arctic, and Forgotten Arctic.

The article summarizes the results of the long-term complex observations of formation and development of the technosphere in the coastal zone of the Neva Bay and its impact on coastal hydro-biological communities by RSHU scientists. Natural and administrative borders of the Neva Bay are described and discussed. Evolution of the Neva Bay from «natural geosystem» to the «natural-and technical system» is monitored and analyzed. Peculiarities of coastal biological communities are presented. Anthropogenic stress-factors connected with hydrotechnical construction and dredging with high level of negative influence on coastal ecosystems are revealed. The program of original complex research of the functioning of the coastal «natural-and technical system» is proposed. Areas of hydrotechnical and dredging projects and parallel environmental monitoring in the Neva Bay are mapped. Artificially reclaimed coastal territories are recognized as core elements (knots) of the coastal technosphere of the Neva Bay. Anthropogenic macro-objects constructed on these areas, such as ports, business centers, elements of logistic structure, and recreational areas are observed from the «sustainable development» point of view. The effects of technosphere on abiotic and biotic components of coastal ecosystems are shown. To study the spatial and temporal variability of the state of the Neva Bay and its coastal zone under the influence of sedimentation processes and man-made impacts, high- and medium-resolution satellite data have been used. Some results from satellite observations are compared and discussed. Based on the research results, a map of the integral ecological vulnerability of the Neva Bay in relation to hydrotechnical works and dredging has been constructed. Information about the established levels of environmental vulnerability of various sections of the Neva Bay water area can be used for the benefit of marine spatial planning. Methods and technologies of compensatory measurements are compared and discussed in order to find optimal actions. Organizing of nature protection areas is recommended as a complex method for the support of the coastal zone sustainable development