Challenges

• Accessibility 


  Many areas are inaccessible

  Mountains, glaciers and snow cover most of the landscape which limits the development opportunities

  50km of roads across entirety of Svalbard.. 61,045k$m^2$
• Infrastructure


  All sewage and water pipes raised above the ground to prevent contents freezing

  Water has to be heated before entering homes to again stop freezing
• Construction

  No sunlight in winter limits when it can be done

  Roads built on raised gravel beds to stop the permafrost from thawing

  Permafrost proves to be a considerable challenge for building and constructing infrastructure
• Extreme Temperatures


  Winter temperature is below -30 degrees Celsius

  Difficult to work outside, serious risk of frostbite

  Layers make workers work slower than usual