Indigenous Community in Western Siberia

In Noyabrsk, the largest oil town of the Yamalo-Nenets Region of Western Siberia, there is a long lasting battle between the local indigenous communities and the oil companies, caused by oil drilling and the resulting environmental devastation. During the last thirty years, the population of Noyabrsk has massively increased, with the many migrants brought in to work for the oil industry. Oil spills along with other pollution are poisoning water resources and destroying the traditional habitat of indigenous groups. As a result the traditional lifestyle and culture of these communities is dying. Greenpeace has investigated and documented the ongoing disaster, revealing how the oil seeps into rivers and farmland. This leaked oil spreads and becomes a thick, heavy mire, suffocating plants and animals, and forcing people to abandon the area. The oil contaminates food and water supplies, and people live with the knowledge that their once clean rivers, forests and air now pose serious health risks.