Parallels for Arctic and Antarctica Governance and Resource Management

The  Arctic and Antarctica share unique climatic extremes and biodiversity, and extensive histories of European and Asian exploration. The polar regions have different actors and political structures, but share common environmental and economic issues as the 21 Century unfolds, including the overarching needs for sustainable and wise development, and understanding and responding to global climate and environmental changes. This project reviews governance and resource management for the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and explores parallels and learnings between the regions. 

An abstract on this research was jointly submitted by Investigator Muir and Professor Michael Evans Goodsite has been accepted at ISAR 3: The Third International Symposium on the Arctic Research- Detecting the Change in the Arctic System and Searching the Global Influence, which takes place in Toyko, Japan from January 14 to 17, 2013.  The abstract is entitled Using Big Data, Scenarios Development, and Games Theory to Monitor, Understand and Adapt to Climate Change in the Circum-Arctic. This abstract was selected for a poster presentation in Session 4 International Cooperation on Arctic Observation and Research at the ISAR-3 program.  The poster presentation entitled Using Big Data, Scenarios Development and Game Theory to Monitor, Understand Adapt to Climate Change in the Circum-Arctic was jointly completed by Magdalena Muir and Michael Goodsite. The poster  is scheduled to be presented by Magdalena Muir on January 17, 2013 in the Session 4 poster session at ISAR3.  A joint paper arising the conference poster presentation will be submitted in February 2013 for publication in Polar Science. 

For the Antarctic, the research focuses on scientific and commercial uses and applications  uses in terrestrial, coastal and marine areas of Antarctica and the adjacent Southern Ocean, including a consideration of climate impacts, adaptation and mitigation. The research also imporates extensive research being conducted for the Arctic under the Adaptation Governance for Global and Climate Change in the Circumpolar Arctic;  Arctic Resource Development and Climate Impacts, Adaptation, and Mitigation; Changing Oceans in a Changing World; The Circum-Arctic Health Project : Northern & Remote Community Health & Resilience Considering Economic & Environmental Changes; Sustainable Energy Development; and Sustainable Tourism projects. Using this Arctic and Antarctic research, it suggests means to mutually learn from and enhance practices and regulation for governance and resources for both regions.

Lead Investigator :

Magdalena A.K. Muir, B.A., J.D., LL.M., Research Associate, Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary;  Associate Professor, Aarhus School of Business and Social Sciences and Nordic Centre of Excellence for Strategic Adaptation Research, Aarhus University, Herning, Denmark; and Adjunct Professor, Masters of Science: Energy Policy and Climate, John Hopkins University, Washington DC.