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International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

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578<br />

IPY 20 07–20 08<br />

IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong> generated much needed<br />

opportunities for funding and those Permanent<br />

Participant organizations that had portfolios of<br />

research ideas and proposals were in a position to<br />

reap the benefits. For example, the Aleut <strong>International</strong><br />

Association (AIA) saw these opportunities in as early<br />

as 2004 and realized that the experience gained<br />

while working on ACIA in cooperation with many<br />

renowned scientists gave AIA a competitive edge in the<br />

development of its research programs. ACIA findings<br />

clearly indicated the need for broad-based efforts for<br />

monitoring of environmental changes. AIA was also<br />

among the first applicants from the social and human<br />

studies field that responded to the call for IPY 2007–<br />

2008 projects in winter 2004 and had submitted its<br />

concept for an IPY activity (“<strong>International</strong> Network of<br />

Arctic Indigenous Community-Based Environmental<br />

Monitoring & Information Stations”). That concept was<br />

included in the ‘Initial Outline Science Plan’ for IPY in<br />

April 2004 (ICSU Planning Group, 2004) and was received<br />

with great interest (Chapter 1.3). Those early contacts<br />

were important in the further development of the full<br />

proposal for the Bering Sea Sub-Network: <strong>International</strong><br />

Community-Based Environmental Observation Alliance<br />

(BSSN, IPY no. 247) that became an endorsed IPY project<br />

(Chapter 3.10).<br />

BSSN was funded by the U.S. National Science<br />

Foundation (NSF), first as a pilot under the Arctic<br />

Observing Network (AON) funding initiative. The<br />

pilot phase started in 2007 and demonstrated that<br />

an international network of indigenous communities<br />

could be organized to produce usable local<br />

observation data sets (Chapter 3.10). In 2009, the<br />

project received additional funding for five more years<br />

and will be operational until 2014 (Fig. 5.4-2).<br />

Another good example of stakeholder involvement<br />

was a partnership of indigenous organizations that<br />

was formed in Canada for participation in IPY 2007–<br />

2008. The Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN),<br />

Canada involvement in IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong> began with the<br />

participation in the Canadian National Committee in<br />

2005. The release of the ACIA focused attention on<br />

climate change and IPY was viewed as an opportunity<br />

to further research and explore the potential effects of<br />

global warming in the Arctic and help determine what<br />

that would mean for Arctic peoples. The potential<br />

challenge was that northern communities did not fully<br />

trust researchers and many of them were expected to<br />

come north for IPY research. To mitigate this issue,<br />

northern communities decided to get involved in<br />

IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong> from the beginning. The Canadian IPY<br />

<strong>2007–2008</strong> Program focused on two priority areas for<br />

northern science and policy development: 1) Climate<br />

change impacts and adaptation; and 2) The health and<br />

well-being of northern communities. CYFN’s interest<br />

was in the “human dimensions” of the IPY Program (“to<br />

investigate the cultural, historical and social processes<br />

that shape the sustainability of circumpolar human<br />

societies, and to identify their unique contributions to<br />

global cultural diversity and citizenship”). CYFN was<br />

looking for an opportunity to develop its research<br />

agenda that would capture the two priority areas<br />

identified as part of the Canadian IPY Program, climate<br />

change impacts, and community health and wellbeing.<br />

Similarly, other Canadian northern indigenous<br />

organizations were also looking to develop their<br />

research agendas and CYFN took the initiative to<br />

develop such a partnership. Eventually, CYFN, Gwich’in<br />

Council <strong>International</strong>, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Inuit<br />

Circumpolar Council, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Dene<br />

Nation formed a committee that enabled them to<br />

identify their priorities. They identified community<br />

resilience as a priority research focus in their IPYrelated<br />

efforts, with the aim to build capacity for Arctic<br />

community health and sustainability.<br />

This partnership, for example, helped develop<br />

a project titled ‘Arctic Peoples, Culture, Resilience<br />

and Caribou’ (ACRC). Central to this study was the<br />

assumption that change is dynamic, uneven and<br />

unpredictable. Long-term socio-ecological health<br />

and well-being for Arctic communities means having<br />

the ability to adapt to change by accessing a range<br />

of strategies to respond to a variety of potential<br />

conditions. The project is currently in its final year.<br />

It will be a while before Arctic communities realize<br />

the full significance of IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong> research results in<br />

the Canadian Arctic. The legacy that will be left behind<br />

will be determined through arctic eyes. Yet, they hope<br />

that IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong> momentum will continue and that<br />

it will adapt for the long-term support of health and<br />

well- being of northern communities.<br />

Overall, out of more than 160 IPY research projects<br />

that were implemented, 12 projects were led by<br />

indigenous researchers or indigenous organizations

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