Case Study: Svalbard
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 2.4.8
Case Study of a Cold Environment – Svalbard
Svalbard is in Norway and is home to around 2,700 people. Most of the inhabitants of Svalbard live on the island of Spitzbergen. Opportunities for development in Svalbard include:
Extracting minerals
- Coal can be extracted minerals in Svalbard.
- The coal can be used to generate power.
Fishing
- You can fish for cod, herring and haddock in the Barents Sea.
Tourism
- Tourist come to Svalbard for Northern Lights excursions.
- Excursions include:
- Cruise ships.
- Adventure tourists.
Challenges for Development in Svalbard
The challenges for development in Svalbard include:
Extreme temperatures
- Winter temperatures can fall below −30°C in Svalbard.
- It is so cold in Svalbard that people have to wear thick clothes to protect them from frostbite.
- It is difficult to work outside because it is so cold.
Inaccessibility
- The road system in and around Svalbard is limited.
- Svalbard can only be reached by sea or air.
- Most people travel around the islands using snowmobiles.
Buildings and infrastructure
- The warmth from buildings could melt the frozen ground (permafrost).
- Melting the frozen ground could make buildings collapse.
- Buildings must be carefully designed to make sure they don't collapse.
- Water pipes need to be heated so the water in them doesn’t freeze.
- Water pipes must be kept above the frozen ground.
Test yourself on Case Study: Svalbard
What opportunities for development exist in Svalbard?
Which mineral extracted in Svalbard can be used to generate power?
What are the main challenges for development in Svalbard?
Which of these are challenges for development in Svalbard?