ACTION

The Alaska Coastal Cooperative for Co-producing Transformative Ideas and Opportunities in the North project is a commitment to science-informed problem solving and actionable community-driven science and education. The project will develop and implement an innovative, strength-based community approach to coastal resilience that advances convergence science and observing, identifies community priorities, informs adaptation, integrates existing knowledge, and improves communication across multiple stakeholder groups to effectively respond to a rapidly changing Arctic.

ARC-NAV

The Arctic Robust Communities-Navigating Adaptation to Variability project focuses on the question: how do we design better and more flexible governance and infrastructure to adapt to changing Arctic conditions? To answer this question, the team is taking a convergence approach to forecast potential changes in the Arctic sea ice environment and the impacts on social and ecological systems resulting from those changes and identify adaptive strategies to enhance resilience to those impacts. The project engages local and Indigenous communities and decision makers in the Kamchatka, Chukotka and Alaska to generate information and models about critical hot spots of sea ice change relevant to local communities.

SESTRA

Cold regions are experiencing unprecedented environmental change that coincides with social and economic transformations. Given the vital role of water systems in cold regions, current climate and socioeconomic changes have significantly impacted many riverine communities. Focusing on two sub-Arctic river basins, Kuskokwim and Selenge, located in remote parts of Alaska and northern Eurasia (Mongolia), the SESTRA RIVERS Project analyzes the changing interactions between climate, water, and society, to assess their impact on people, ecosystems, and infrastructure, and develop, jointly with communities, current and future adaptation options.

Frozen Commons

The Frozen Commons project explores the interconnected ice, snow, and permafrost landscapes that sustain Arctic communities and ecosystems by merging science, arts, and local and Indigenous Knowledge systems. Defined as shared resources collectively used and managed by Indigenous Peoples, local communities, governments, and external stakeholders, these “frozen commons” are critical to life in the Arctic. However, as the region experiences unprecedented climate-induced changes, ice and snow melting and permafrost’s thawing signals profound disruptions to cultural, social, and economic systems.

Must

The Measuring Urban Sustainability in Transition collaboratory project assesses numerous issues of urban sustainability and compiles a set of metrics on Arctic conditions that provides data about changes in several issues, including the natural environment, energy, and socio-cultural issues. With these indicators, policymakers and stakeholders can develop effective governance systems and design and build infrastructure to meet the challenges of a shifting natural environment and economy in Arctic urban areas.

WAGE

The WAGE Circumpolar Partnership grew out of the convergence of academics and members of Indigenous and governmental organizations who wanted to respond to calls voiced at the Arctic Council and other organizations for states to tackle the inequalities particularly affecting Indigenous Peoples and launch a fundamental transformation in the distribution of wealth produced in the Arctic. The WAGE Circumpolar Partnership grew out of the convergence of academics and members of Indigenous and governmental organizations who wanted to respond to calls voiced at the Arctic Council and other organizations for states to tackle the inequalities particularly affecting Indigenous Peoples and launch a fundamental transformation in the distribution of wealth produced in the Arctic.

Indigenizing Arctic Research

The project supports convenings of Arctic Indigenous Peoples in dialogues intended to guide international, high-profile Arctic research planning processes – specifically the 4th International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP IV) and 5th International Polar Year (IPY 5) – in their development of more inclusive, equitable, Indigenous-led, and Indigenous Knowledge-centered Arctic research protocols.