Impacts of multiple pressures on Arctic landscapes and societies (RT 2)

The combined effects of mining activities in areas that are experiencing rapid climate and environmental change are poorly understood. This Research Task investigate multiple social and environmental pressures on communities in ways that include the perspectives of indigenous and local people.

RT2-L1000050_Ellen-Lihti-smaller

Impacts of multiple pressures on Arctic landscapes and societies (RT 2)

The combined effects of mining activities in areas that are experiencing rapid climate and environmental change are poorly understood. This Research Task investigate multiple social and environmental pressures on communities in ways that include the perspectives of indigenous and local people.  The results will support development of more scientifically robust impact assessments of extractive industries that add value to political decision-making processes and enhance the adaptive capacity of communities to respond to change.

The research builds a theoretical, methodological and empirical basis which can be used for improving both the scientific quality, and social and political legitimacy, of impact assessments. It includes attention to the impact of changes in climate on ecosystem services and human resource use patterns, as well as attention to the impacts of extractive industries and other infrastructures and a growing tourism sector. Focus is on the increasing pressure on the traditional land use i.e reindeer husbandry in northern Fennoscandia. Here collaboration with reindeer herding communities allow us to combine Sámi knowledge with scientific methods to assess the effects of climate change and societal activities and to suggest mitigation and adaptation measures.

Based on well-established collaborations between scientists, indigenous/local people, government representatives, and industry we study conflicts between mining, tourism, and traditional livelihoods in western Greenland.

Large image: Ellen Sarri opening a logger-cabinet at an automatic weather station at Lihti, northern Swedish Lapland, Sweden. Photo: Ninis Rosqvist

Small image: Fall separation of reindeer at Larkim Nikkaluokta. Sepetmber 2014. Photo: Ninis Rosqvist

Share