Toward Collaborative Resource Management in the Arctic, Nordisk Fond for Miljø og Udvikling (NORDECO) linked to the UArctic Thematic Network on Collaborative Resource Management
Project partners: Greenland Climate Research Centre, Greenland, Hokkaido University, Japan, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA, National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Arctic Environment Research Center (AERC), Japan
The project will consolidate and develop the UArctic Thematic Network on Collaborative Resource Management. This TN is focused on interdisciplinary training in collaborative natural resource management in the Arctic. The project will organize a ‘Master Class’ (action-oriented training course) and a network dialogue meeting to bring the network participants together. The Master Class aims at developing a set of steps to use in practice to connect user-based and scientific knowledge for decisions on management of living resources. The participants will be resource users, managers, researchers and recently graduated students. Thematic focus will be on ‘best practices’ in co-production of knowledge and in connecting the results of user-based and scientific knowledge for improving inclusive resource management. The key milestones are 1) Training participants invited, and 2) a portfolio of good practice steps in Arctic knowledge co-production discussed and developed. The main deliverables are strengthened capacity among 20 public and private resource managers, researchers and students in combining knowledge approaches in practice (Del. 1); a portfolio of good practice steps for knowledge co-production in Arctic natural resource management (Del. 2); and an improved network (Del. 3).
Implications of changes in tundra herbivore diversity - West Greenland in a multiscale circumpolar experiment, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources linked to the UArctic Thematic Network on Herbivory
Project partners: University of Helsinki, Finland, Agricultural University of Iceland, Iceland, Aarhus University, Denmark, University of Eastern Finland, Finland, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
Herbivory is a key ecological process modifying arctic ecosystems' response to climate change, and herbivores are extremely important for the livelihoods of most northern communities, including Greenland. The aim of the project is to understand the drivers and consequences of changing vertebrate herbivore diversity across environmental gradients in the tundra biome. We apply for funding to set up an experimental site in West Greenland following the standardized protocols developed by the Tundra Exclosure Network (TExNet) and contribute to a larger research effort implementing a common sampling design at multiple sites across the Arctic. The project will not only deliver local knowledge for direct management advice to the Ministries, it will also improve our understanding of the role of herbivore diversity in tundra ecosystems, while strengthening circumpolar scientific cooperation.
Developing interdisciplinary permafrost higher education in collaboration with a Greenlandic community (EduPermaGR), Technical University of Denmark, linked to the UArctic Thematic Network on Permafrost
Project partners: University Centre in Svalbard, UNIS, Norway, Aalborg University, AAU Arctic, Denmark, Umeå University, Sweden, UiO, Norway, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
Permafrost higher education is very sparse generally in the Arctic. Current permafrost education offers do not match the demand from students and professionals on training and internship opportunities within permafrost science and engineering. Meanwhile understanding of permafrost behaviour and its interactions with climate change and human activities are critical to manage ongoing and future changes competently and sustainably. There is an urgent need for more graduates with thorough understanding of permafrost issues, as well as local population and stakeholders that are informed and competent to understand, co-produce and implement the strategies needed to increase adaptive capacity to Arctic climate change. The EduPermaGR project will develop an interdisciplinary permafrost master course disseminating latest scientific and technological knowledge in active collaboration with a local community. Course components will be finalized in close dialogue with the local stakeholders in Greenland and our geoscientists and engineers project partners to ensure relevance and applicability.
UArctic wishes success to the projects, which will kick off in the fall, and looks forward to hearing more of their work.