Challenges for a Sustainable Arctic

Victoria, Canada | April 11, 2016

This joint workshop fostered the exchange of expertise on Arctic issues and to assist our colleagues in laying the groundwork for Japan to positively contribute to addresing the challenges in the Arctic in both the social and natural sciences. The Borders in Globalization research program conducts extensive research on borders in the north. The Arctic region is currently attracting growing interest as a subject of study.

Our colleagues from Hokkaido University launched the Arctic Challenge for Sustainability (ArCS) project to explore solutions for global issues stemming from recent environmental changes in the Arctic, through comprehensive and integrated research on the region. This research is being conducted with the explicit intention of contributing towards the sustainable development and conservation of the Arctic. Such an agenda demands the mobilization of expertise in many different fields and their cooperation.

This event featured a welcome from Helen Landsdowne (Associate Director, Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives – UVic) and Naomi Chi (Hokkaido University). The workshop was composed of two sessions.

Session 1: Social Sciences Approaches to the Arctic featured speakers Heather Nicol (Trent University), on The Arctic Council and the Arctic States; Fujio Ohnishi (Nihon University), on Japan’s policy toward the Arctic; Gail Fondahl (University of Northern British Columbia) , on Agenda setting for arctic social sciences research: IASC, AHDR-II, and AC’s SDWG; and Ted Boyle (Kyushu University), on Arctic Borders in Asia.

Session 2: Natural Sciences Approaches to the Arctic featured speakers Terry Prowse (University of Victoria), on The Arctic Freshwater Synthesis; and Yuuki Watanabe (National Institute of Polar Research), on Biodiversity Study in the Arctic Ecosystems.

Challenges for a Sustainable Arctic