Mistra Arctic Futures Annual Report 2011 (pdf)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
IN THE ARCTIC
What is the challenge
Environmental change in the Arctic leads to both dangers and
possibilities. In the wake of these lie socio-economic changes
and new political ambitions. The consequences can be of
widely varying character, running the full range from local to
international levels. Natural resources that were once deemed
impossible to access are now potential assets, causing increasing
focus of attention on geopolitical questions. Shrinking sea ice
creates new potential transportation routes for shipping. This
development is of great economic and political interest, not
only to the Arctic countries but to countries outside the Arctic
region as well. At the same time, people and organizations
from around the world want to protect the Arctic landscape,
animals and nature.
How can the programme contribute to a solution
The aim of the Mistra programme Arctic Futures in a Global
Context is to stimulate research that contributes to sustainable
development in the Arctic. The interdisciplinary research
programme consists of five separate research projects, joined
under the programme through a common focus on the future
of the Arctic. Although majority of the work is dedicated to
the specific research issues in each of the component projects,
the programmatic format makes it possible to build a strong
multidisciplinary competence base.
Who will benefit from the results
Activities at the programme level are dedicated to
strengthening outreach efforts and improving accessibility to
comprehensive information from the projects for non-scientific
stakeholders in need of expertise on Arctic issues. Nevertheless,
the programme as a whole also makes efforts to reach out to
the scientific community.
A full list of meetings and publications can be found on
page 64.
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