The Arctic region is, as everybody now knows, particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. But a number of other challenges are, if not threatening the region, at least provoking dramatic changes in the living conditions above the Polar circle. The strong interest, to say the least, of an increasing number of actors for the resources and the opportunities opening up in the Arctic is also a serious reason for concern.
But the Arctic is not only a region with pristine nature and diverse wildlife, it also hosts more than 4 million people who, for some of them, have lived there for generations. How do these people, local populations or newcomers, react to change? Adapting or rejecting? Enduring or acting? Leaving or staying?
The Arctic Council (AC), since its foundation by the Ottawa Declaration in 1996, is the major intergovernmental high-level forum in the region, and as such an important actor of the future of the Arctic. Since the role of the obvserver member states was modified under the Swedish presidency in May 2013 in Kiruna, France has a duty to actively contribute to the action of the Council, at least in the field of scientific research.
The Changing Arctic series is a contribution to French commitment in the region, with a special focus on how populations adapt to and act on the ongoing changes.
The series has the ambition to adopt a multidisciplinary and regional approach. Four topics, four (slightly different) formats, four places, four countries: The Changing Arctic aims at exploring some of the challenges posed to the region from a scientific perspective, networking French and Nordic experts, but also engaging the local population into a discussion with these experts, discussion which we hope will be fruitful. The selected topics are:
- Urbanization, in Sweden
- Health, in Finland
- Heritage, in Denmark (Greenland)
- Environment and Governance, in Norway
On the homepage of this website, you will find direct links to the webpages of each event in the series. We will also gather the material (programs, speakers, presentations...) for future reference.
Do not hesitate to engage in a discussion with us! Contact us, follow us on social media using #ChangingArctic, contribute, debate,the floor is yours!
