The program will focus on Arctic Health and Well-being and through its partners it will use the research networks and knowledge gained in Arctic co-operation in Arctic council working groups in AMAP and SDWG, Arctic Change Assessment project during the Sweden’s Chairmanship, International Arctic Social Sciences Association, International Network for Circumpolar Health Research, The International Union for Circumpolar Health and several recent and current projects such Arctic Social Indicators I and II, Arctic Human Development Report II, ArcRisk EU 7th FP research project with several other research projects related to health and well-being both in Sámi and non-Sámi population in the Nordic countries and Russia, as well as the health and wellbeing in Inuit and First Nations in Greenland, North America and other indigenous groups in Russia. Since the climate change is currently one of the key factors affecting to human well-being (e.g. nitrogen oxides and black carbon, POPs and mercury, increased wildfires) it is vital to include the climate scientists and research based knowledge on climate to this project: Abisko Scientific Research Station has conducted climate change studies and monitored climatic factors for decades, in Finland Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and in Norway the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) are the key organization on climate monitoring and climate change research.

In addition the partners are involved in Master’s programs operating in Arctic: Graduate Program in Public Health at University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), Master’s Degree program on Health and Well-being in Circumpolar Area (MCH) at University of Oulu and Nordic School of Public Health.

All together project has 17 partners in all five Nordic countries (including Greenland) and in Alaska and Canada. These include UArctic member universities Aarhus, Alaska Anchorage, Alberta, Lapland, Oulu, Tromsø, Umeå and Abisko Scientific Research Station, Sweden and Stefansson Arctic Institute, Iceland. University of Oulu and its Thule Institute is leading the project.

The project will have its first workshop in August in Oulu where all partners will gather together to discuss and develop the content of the program.

More information: PhD Kirsi Latola, Thule Institute, email Kirsi.latola (at) uarctic.org