Community Adaptation and Vulnerability in Arctic Regions

The ‘Year’ That Changed How We View the North This book is about a new theoretical approach that transformed the field of Arctic social studies and about a program called International Polar Year 2007–2008 (IPY) that altered the position of social research within the broader polar science.

Arctic communities are experiencing global, societal and economic pressures coupled with additional environmental changes. The comparison of local and indigenous observations with instrumental records clearly illustrates how Arctic communities, both now and in the past, have adapted to a variety of changes and risks affecting their livelihoods. Projections of future climate change indicate a further reduction in sea ice extent and stability, change to the frequency and intensity of weather events and seasonal transition, alteration in the abundance and distribution of fish and terrestrial biodiversity, and lessening permafrost stability. All these factors will affect Arctic resident's livelihoods and wellbeing. Under the auspices of the International Polar Year 2007-2008 (IPY), the CAVIAR consortium was formed with partners from all eight Arctic countries as a response to the need for systematic assessment of community vulnerabilities and adaptations across the Arctic. The aim of the interdisciplinary CAVIAR project is to increase understanding of the vulnerability of Arctic communities to changing societal and environmental conditions, including climate change. Presented in this volume are the results and accomplishments drawn from the partnership with local collaborators from fifteen Arctic communities. In each of the case studies researchers have documented the conditions and forces that exacerbate or diminish vulnerabilities in each of the case studies, identified previous and current adaptation strategies, and assess the prospects for the development of effective adaptive strategies and policies in the future.