Adaptation Governance for Climate Change in the Circumpolar Arctic

One of the major adaptation challenges in the circumpolar Arctic is adaptation governance and making effective societal decisions to adapt to climate change at local and regional scales. Climate change stresses will be magnified without appropriate decision making processes for people, communities, businesses and governments for the circumpolar Arctic. Vulnerabilities, impacts and adaptations will differ across the Arctic given such factors as geographical location, heritage and ethnicity, socio-economic status, occupations and businesses, and prosperity.

Local, national and circum-Arctic decision-making and leadership is required to adapt to climate change. Complexity and uncertainty around climate change make existing governance approaches and structures inadequate. Hierarchical and regulatory models of decision making will not be successful, given the nature of climate impacts and increasing citizen expectations of participation and informed decision making. Without decentralization, knowledge will not be incorporated from those most affected by change.

Effective adaptation governance requires scientific and societal understanding of vulnerabilities, impacts and adaptation, supported by scaled-down scenario building and forecasts. Foresight and shared learning are key aspects of integrating scientific and social scenarios and successful decision processes. They engage people in thinking and learning about the future together, so robust responses and commitments can be developed. Extensive communication and continuous interactive dialogue is necessary among people and societies to equitable and ethically allocate the benefits and burdens of adaptation, and to make societal choices that can be accepted and implemented.

Effective communication and ongoing interactive dialogue will be required among all members and sectors of circum-Arctic societies to equitable and ethically allocate the burdens and benefits of adaptation, and to make community and societal choices on adaptation that will be accepted and implemented. Communication and dialogue can allow a focus and inclusion of social media and internet-based platforms for communications and interactive dialogue that are already prevalent in the circumpolar Arctic

The research is being implemented in cooperation with other academic institutions and colleagues, local and international communities and organizations, and communications and scenario development specialists. It will compare and contrast existing and proposed governance approaches, policies, strategies and tools for adaptation across the circumpolar Arctic, making reference to governance in place or being developed for Arctic countries and through regional organizations such as the Arctic Council and the European Union. Additionally, there will be discussion of f global trends for adaptation governance. Recommendations will be made for adaptation governance, in consultation and cooperation with affected communities and regions.

Investigator: Magdalena A K Muir, Research Associate, Arctic Institute of North America