Arctic Centre

National and International Arctic Hub

2011

The Arctic

Arctic people

~ 4 000 000 0.06% Earth’s population

Arctic indigenous peoples

~ 300 000 0.004% Earth’s population

Lapland and Barents Region

Lapland Province, Finland ~ 180 000 people, 9 000 Sami (in Finland) ~ 100 000 km²

Barents Region

~ 5,5 million people ~ 1,75 million km²

The North – Focus of global interest • Climate change

in the polar areas affects the whole world

• The world’s natural reserve

Minerals, gas, oil, wood…

• Globalization

Investments, trade, tourism, Northern sea routes…  Threats and possibilities

The Arctic Centre • Multidimensional Arctic actor

– Research, Education, Science communication, Science Centre & Library – Founded in 1989 – Located in the Arktikum House, Rovaniemi – Staff of 50 – Annual budget 4M€

• Part of the University of Lapland

– The northernmost university in the EU – Faculties: Art and Design, Education, Law, Social Sciences – Founded in 1979 – 4500 students, 630 staff – Annual budget 54 M€

Multidisciplinary research • Social and natural sciences & law • Research groups

1) Global change 2) Sustainable development 3) The Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law Photo: Grigorii Tusida Photo: Martina Schäfer Photo: Jukka Jokimäki Photo: Bruce Forbes

Global change in the Arctic

The adaptive responses and resilience of northern societies to recent changes

• Arctic social-ecological systems (SESs) are widely considered to be vulnerable to climate change and large scale hydrocarbon extraction “We found the Yamal Nenets SESs to be highly resilient according to a few key measures. Particularly crucial to success is the unfettered movement of people and animals in space and time, which allows them to alternately avoid or exploit a wide range of natural and anthropogenic habitats.” • Looming threats, e.g. expansion of infrastructure Bruce Forbes et al. (2009)

Global change in the Arctic

Climate change and glaciers

“We predict sea level will rise by about 1m by 2100 directly affecting 500 million people, and since we have demonstrated that anthropogenic warming has been the dominant cause of sea level since 1900, we show it can only be stopped by serious carbon mitigation or very damaging geoengineering.” John Moore, 2011 Photos: Martina Schäfer

Global change in the Arctic

Reindeer Forage and Supplementary Feeding in Changing Climate (2008–2010)

• Researchers and reindeer herders’ co-operation – Background: supplementary winter feeding has increased strongly • Feeding can cause environmental effects – Changes in ground and field layer species composition – – Ferilizing effect on the existing species Many harmful effects are caused by uneaten forage • Examples of recommendations: – – – Producing good quality forage that is given to reindeers in several portions or in feeding automats Use of pellets or development of crude hay further Moving field feeding to already existing round-up sites and less sensitive natural areas Turunen & Vuojala-Magga (2011) Photos: Jouni Puoskari

Sustainable development in the Arctic

The effectiveness of international environmental cooperation in Northwest Russia

• Extensive international environmental cooperation in the Northwest Russia developed since early 1990s – The effectiveness of this cooperation can not be studied only by focusing on international bodies and projects – It is influenced by various domestic features of the aid receiving country, such as available resources, norms, power structures and national and regional policies • Despite considerable international effort in the region, practical results of the cooperation were assessed as modest by Russian and Nordic representatives project managers More information: Monica Tennberg

Sustainable development in the Arctic

Anthropology Research Team

• Studies livelihoods in the North – Focus: extractive industry, community responses to global change, senses of place & identity – Tells not only what happens in the Arctic, but how it matters • Participation in the lived experience of Arctic residents – For example, the "Ilebts declaration on coexistence" of industry and tundra livelihoods is already being applied by indigenous people, industry and politics in Russia Photo: Florian Stammler

Oral History of Empires by Elders in the Arctic (2011–2015 )

– – A comparative history of relations between states and their remote subjects, in the eyes of Arctic elders Methods: life history analysis and oral history fieldwork combined with anthropological participant observation More information: Florian Stammler, http://arcticanthropology.org/

Sustainable development in the Arctic

Arctic Indigenous Peoples and Sami Research Office

“The project ‘Snow and Ice’ conducted in Northern Sweden reinforced agreement and similarities between reindeer herders’ traditional knowledge and science. In addition, herders made researchers aware of the seriousness of crust in the middle of the snowpack. Earlier, more attention was paid to the bottom crust. Also, the conditions during which the first durable snow falls are of particular relevance for assessment of snow conditions and climate change impacts in the Arctic.” Elina Helander-Renvall, 2011 Photos: Elina Helander-Renvall

The Northern Institute for Enviromental and Minority Law NIEM

Climate governance in the Arctic

• Regional Arctic actors often have no functional links with each other even if their climate change agendas would benefit from it • One example is the polar bear agreement, which has revived its action in very recent years but has not been able to truly connect its work to the regional Arctic Council or coastal state co-operation – Indigenous peoples role is vast in comparison to the majority of local residents which do not seem to have much role More information: Timo Koivurova

The Northern Institute for Enviromental and Minority Law NIEM

The recognition of indigenous property systems within Arctic states (2009–2011)

• Examines different property systems and other questions related to the

Draft Nordic Saami Convention

• The negotiations were set to commence in November 2006 Photo: Tanja Joona – Due to problems especially in Finland, the start of the negotiations has been quite slow – Finland’s reservations are essentially based on the provisions on ownership, self-determination and land-use rights – The main results of the project are published in a book by Hart publishers (spring 2012) and as recommendations to the Nordic Council of Ministers More information: Tanja Joona & Timo Koivurova

The Northern Institute for Enviromental and Minority Law NIEM

Globalization in the Arctic – political, legal and environmental perspectives (2012–2013)

• One of the strategic goals of the University of Lapland – A joint research project between the NIEM and the Faculty of Social Sciences Photo: Tanja Joona • The research topics within the project are related to environmental issues, management of natural resources, politics, security and science – Highlights the role and knowledge of northern peoples in the context of the globalization in the Arctic – The goal is to further analyse the eight Arctic countries strategies/ policies/ agendas and their priorities with comparison using several different indicators – The V Polar Law Symposium in Rovaniemi, September 6 th -7 th 2012 More information: Lassi Heininen, Timo Koivurova & Tanja Joona

Education

• Arctic Doctoral Programme

ARKTIS

Examples of doctoral theses: – Walter, S. (2010) Structural conditions of natural resource management: understanding the roles of complexity, control and evolution in societal resource use.

– Heinämäki, L. (2010) The Right to Be a Part of Nature: Indigenous Peoples and the Environment.

• Arctic Studies Program (ASP) • Public lectures and events Photo: Päivi Soppela

Science Communications

• Popularizes and communicates

information on Arctic issues

– Hosting websites, e.g. www.arcticfinland.fi, www.barentsinfo.org

• Activities in different levels: – Institutional – Local, regional, national – Barents – European – Circumpolar Arctic – Global

The Science Centre

• Popularisation of science through

functional exhibitions

– In Berry Tours -exhibition (summer 2011) one could go inside a blueberry to learn for example that in Finland only 5% of berries are picked and 95% are left in forests • Permanent exhibition: “The Arctic in Change” – 80 000 visitors yearly, half of them foreign tourists • Provides programmes for schools and organises events Photo: Ari Laakso

The Library & Culture • The Library

– For scientists, authorities, students and wide public – Tens of thousands of publications of Arctic and northern issues – Book exhibitions

• Arctic events

– Handicraft Christmas markets – Film festival “Arctic Fury” – Events on Rovaniemi day

Thank You!

www.arcticcentre.org