Arctic Council Secretariat

Over 1,660 unique ships sailed in Arctic waters in 2022. What types of ships were most common, and what can that tell us about activity in Arctic waters? Gain more insights from our Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment Working Group on the types of ships operating in the Arctic 👉 https://lnkd.in/dMjMu9Md

#DYK the number of unique ships entering the Arctic Polar Code area increased 37% between 2013-2023? That's an increase of around 500 ships 🛳️ Learn more #ArcticShipping stats from PAME's report on the increase in Arctic Shipping: https://lnkd.in/dg_6rrgZ

Happy birthday, Arctic Economic Council 🎉 10 years ago, the Arctic Council established the AEC as an independent body to promote sustainable economic development in the Arctic. The Arctic Council & AEC share the common goal of ensuring the wellbeing & prosperity of all Arctic inhabitants. To learn more about the AEC, visit their website 👉 https://lnkd.in/ePrRG2J

Want to contribute to discussions on emergency management in the Arctic? Submit a poster or presentation for the 2025 Arctic Emergency Management Conference - topics related to Arctic emergency prevention, preparedness & response are welcome. 📅 Deadline 23 September! More here: https://lnkd.in/d3WZ8tDW

📧The newest edition of the Arctic Council newsletter is out! Focus this time is on Arctic wildland fires, including: 🔥 An overview of the Norwegian Chairship's Wildland Fires Initiative 🔥 A recap of our wildland fires discussion series 🔥 An interview series with forest fire researchers ➕ other important news and event announcements ICYM 📧To receive Arctic Council updates directly into your inbox, subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/dgK-UfUz 👉For browser access to the latest newsletter click here: https://lnkd.in/dGNqEAAP

On occasion of #InternationalYouthDay, we spoke with Jens Toft, Project Coordinator at our secretariat and one of the masterminds behind the Arctic Youth Conference, to learn more about this exciting event. ❓ Why an Arctic Youth Conference? Youth in the Arctic play a crucial role in the region's present and future. They experience firsthand the environmental, social, and economic changes occurring in the Arctic. As the future leaders of this region, it is essential to include them in international cooperation and governance. Norway has therefore made youth a key priority of their Chairship program, aiming to provide a platform for young people to discuss issues that matter to them – hence an Arctic Youth Conference, which is putting youth at the center: in setting the agenda, developing the program and deciding the outcomes. This way, the conference truly is an event for youth, by youth, filling a niche in the Arctic conference circuit. While this is a Chairship initiative, it builds on increasing youth engagement across the Arctic Council. Norway views this conference as a pilot initiative, hoping it can serve as a model for future engagement. ❓ Who is it for? We aim to bring together a diverse group of young people, including representatives of the Arctic States, Permanent Participants, Working Groups and the Council’s Observers – but we are also inviting youth who are not previously affiliated with the Council. Our primary target group is young people between 18 to 30 years old, with 18 being the minimum age and 30 being somewhat flexible. We also see the benefit of including more senior experts in the conference to enable intergenerational dialogue. Additionally, we are engaging with organizations and initiatives that focus on Arctic youth cooperation. By building on their expertise, we aim to enhance the experience of conference participants. ❓ What are milestones and deadlines coming up? The first deadline is approaching Aug 15 for the submission of session proposals. If you're interested in engaging other youth in a conversation about a specific topic, be sure to mark this date in your calendar. We are both looking for sessions, workshop ideas, short courses, etc. Following this, we plan to launch the program and open registration around mid-September. There are no registration fees; attendees only need to cover their travel and accommodation expenses. To assist with this, we will compile a list of mobility grants and funding opportunities that can help cover these costs. The conference itself will take place on 24-26 January 2025 in Tromsø, Norway. ❓ What are you most excited about? I'm most excited to see what comes out of bringing such a large and diverse group of young and passionate people together - usually quite amazing networks are formed, and new dialogues are shaped. 👉https://lnkd.in/dnjRWzit

Who takes part in the Arctic Council? How does it operate, and what are the main areas of its work? You're basic questions about the #ArcticCouncil answered in this 90 second snapshot 👇

How do wildfires impact the landscape in Alaska? As climate change leads to more intense and destructive wildfire seasons, how might fire management be adapted? We spoke with fire ecologist and Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) expert Lisa Saperstein to find out and here are some key takeaways: 🔥 Fire seasons are starting earlier 🔥 The vegetation is changing with less mature forests and an increase in younger successional plant communities 🔥 The duff layer (an organic layer of decaying plants beneath the surface) is more likely to burn with intensified fires, making permafrost more vulnerable towards thaw and leading to a release of greenhouse gases 🔥 People begin to think about fire management differently and a novel concept is to use fire suppression as a climate solution Read the full interview here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dwYBWRk2

Edward Alexander is putting Arctic wildland fires into perspective. "The scale of wildland fire in the Arctic is on a completely other scale than wildland fires elsewhere." While a large fire in California can be up to 150,000 -200,000 acres, a fire of equal scale in the Gwich'in homelands like the Yukon Flats might not even be a named or responded to fire - those fires can be a million acres. Wildland fires are affecting Indigenous homelands and livelihoods across the circumpolar North - from the Yukon and Northwest Territories to Yakutia and Yamal, from flares causing a grassland fire on the Aleutian Islands, to ash flowing into streams affecting fish and other animals. 📽️Listen to the Permanent Participants as they tell how fires affect them, their communities - and the threat Arctic fires pose for the global climate.

If you want to increase your understanding of Arctic wildland fires 🔥 this summer, we have you covered. Over the past months, the Norwegian Chairship has teamed up with Permanent Participants, Working Groups and Observers to organize sessions and deliver keynote presentations at various conferences and events. Topics have ranged from Indigenous cultural burning practices to opportunities for international cooperation. The best thing: We have been able to record most of the sessions, so you can (re)watch them from anywhere. 📽️ https://lnkd.in/d678T_-H --- 📸Top: Sharing Circle on Indigenous perspectives and cultural burning practices, January 2024 at Arctic Frontiers (credit: David Jensen, jensenmedia) 📸Bottom left: Launch of the Wildland Fires Initiative at Arctic Circle (credit: Arctic Circle) 📸Bottom right: Panel on International cooperation for an Arctic on fire at Arctic Circle Forum Berlin (credit: ACS)