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Arctic Biodiversity Congress 2018 Preliminary Program
Plenary program subject to change. Rooms have yet to be assigned.
Six main themes guide the flow and organization of the Congress. These overarching themes will run concurrently throughout the Congress and will form the backbone for the Congress. These themes were identified in the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment recommendations for policy.
MB5: Worldwide partnerships to conserve migratory birds: The Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative
Date: Wednesday October 10, 2018
Location: Valtuustosali, City Hall
Time: 8:30-10:00
Arctic-breeding birds use different flyways to move from Arctic breeding grounds to overwintering or stopover sites at lower latitudes. Many bird populations are declining at an unprecedented rate for variety of reasons, requiring cooperation and protection along entire flyways. This session will highlight CAFF’s Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI), a project designed to improve the status and secure the long-term sustainability of declining Arctic breeding migratory bird populations. This project has worked across four major flyways to engage global partners on the issue of bird and habitat conservation, including the mitigation of harmful anthropogenic actions including development and illegal-killing. This session will contain a series of presentations that highlight the successes of the project to-date and a discussion that will scope possibilities for future direction as the project enters its second phase.
Chair: Evgeny Syroechkovskiy, Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology
Format: Series of presentations followed by discussion
Presentations:
- The Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative (AMBI) – international cooperation for Arctic breeding migratory birds: successes and challenges of the first 4 years: Evgeny Syroechkovskiy, Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology
- What should we do with all these Snow Geese? ...Bringing Inuit local knowledge into management of an international wildlife resource: Victoria Johnston, Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Global Conservation Issues in a Northern Context: Addressing Seabird Bycatch in Arctic Fisheries: Amie Black, Environment and Climate Change Canada
- AMBI work in the African-Eurasian Flyway, habitat protection: Anders Braa, Norwegian Environment Agency
- AMBI work in the most threatened flyway on the planet - East Asian Australasian Flyway: Doug Watkins, AMBI
- AMBI, where do we go from here? TBC, AMBI
Abstracts
The Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative (AMBI) – international cooperation for Arctic breeding migratory birds: successes and challenges of the first 4 years
Evgeny Syroechkovskiy, Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology; Jennifer Provencher, AMBI Coordinator
Arctic-breeding migratory birds are a significant component of both northern culture and ecosystem health. It is also significant shared resource for over a hundred countries on the planet including all Arctic Council observer countries, which are invited to become collaborators on shared conservation actions. The recent Arctic Biodiversity Assessment, delivered to the Arctic Council by CAFF, highlighted that Arctic breeding migratory birds were in significant declines in several regions, and due to the flyway-level movement of migratory birds, a large flyway-level conservation approach is needed to improve their population status. Lots of threats are identified in the non-breeding grounds including two most urgent to be addressed: intertidal habitat reclamation and illegal hunting. It became clear that a new international collaboration was needed to add value to what is already going on to involve extra funding, extra government cooperation including work on the level of Ministries of Foreign Affairs and new collaborations initiated in the Arctic and expanded along the flyways. The Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative (AMBI) was started by CAFF in 2015, and aims to improve the conservation status of Arctic- breeding migratory birds through flyway-level cooperation with Arctic and non-Arctic countries and partners. In 2015 AMBI was initiated under leadership from Canada, Norway, Russia and the US. Since this time the AMBI has helped to initiate projects on Arctic breeding migratory bird conservation in each of the four defined AMBI flyways (Americas, Circumpolar, African-Eurasian and East Asian-Australasian) for the total amount of *** USD. Actions include the promotion of site protection status through local community engagement, integrating traditional knowledge and science for management planning, assessing illegal killing of birds in some regions and working with local communities including fisherman to estimate seabird bycatch rates.
What should we do with all these Snow Geese? ...Bringing Inuit local knowledge into management of an international wildlife resource
Victoria Johnston, Environment and Climate Change Canada; Dominique Henri, Environment and Climate Change Canada; Natalie Carter, University of Ottawa
Populations of white geese (Snow geese and Ross’ geese) have increased dramatically in North America in the last 50 years. In the eastern and central Arctic these geese have destroyed vegetation over large areas near their colonies. Scientists are doing studies to try to understand the impact that the geese are having on the land and on other animals that share the same habitat. The local committees that manage Bird Sanctuaries near Arviat and Coral Harbour, Nunavut and the Hunters and Trappers Organizations in those communities, consider the current overpopulation of white geese to be an issue of concern. This project documented Inuit knowledge and perspectives about white goose populations on Southampton Island and mainland Kivalliq, as well as goose impacts on the land, other birds, and people. This synthesis of Inuit knowledge is being used by Inuit project participants to form their own recommendations about how to manage white geese in Nunavut. In the final stage of the project, Inuit and western scientists came together to share their findings and develop joint statements or recommendations for the management of white geese in Nunavut. The purpose of this presentation is to present results from this project, and to provide some 'lessons learned' from our attempt to use two knowledge systems to manage a wildlife resource.
Global Conservation Issues in a Northern Context: Addressing Seabird Bycatch in Arctic Fisheries
Amie Black, Environment and Climate Change Canada; Jennifer Provencher, AMBI; Christine Anderson, Carleton University; Mark Mallory, Acadia University; Flemming Merkel, Aarhus University; April Hedd, Environment and Climate Change Canada; Sam Iverson, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI): protecting Arctic lifestyles and peoples through migratory bird conservation is a response to the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment Key Finding #3. AMBI is designed to improve the status and secure the long-term sustainability of Arctic breeding bird populations throughout their migratory range. Globally, commercial fisheries are estimated to kill hundreds of thousands of seabirds every year. One of the main objectives under the Circumpolar Flyway workplan is to better understand and mitigate the impacts of fishing activities on seabird populations. To accomplish this objective, we initiated work in an emerging Greenland Halibut commercial fishery in Nunavut, Canada, where fishing levels are currently low but expected to increase significantly, as well as in in Iceland where commercial fisheries are well-established but bycatch mitigation techniques are not yet developed or implemented. This presentation will report on results of our activities and explore our approach to working with Indigenous communities, multiple levels of government, and industry stakeholders to implement seabird bycatch assessments in a Northern context.
AMBI work in the African-Eurasian Flyway, habitat protection
Anders Braa, Norwegian Environment Agency; Nicola Crockford, Birdlife International, Nina Mikander, AEWA
Habitat degradation and destruction is a major conservation threat for migratory birds throughout the world’s flyways. In the African-Eurasian Flyway, Arctic breeding migratory birds utilize areas from the Russian and European Arctic to the tip of southern Africa. One of the most important wintering and stop-over sites are the low-lying coastal regions of the Bijagós Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau which see an estimated 1.5 million shorebirds pass through each year. This region is currently threatened from unsustainable land use and economic development including illegal fishing, removal of mangroves for fishing camps, conversion of floodplain habitats to rice fields and coastal erosion due to sea level rise. To promote the conservation and responsible development of this region AMBI is working with partners to support the nomination of the Bijagós region as a World Heritage Site. This includes developing site specific management plans, and learning from partners in the Common Wadden Sea where there is a successful intertidal World Heritage Site currently which includes habitat important for Arctic-breeding migratory birds. This process is being bolstered by AMBI throughout an increase in international profile for the region in various forums that is helping garner support for the nomination process. More active work is planned after African-Eurasian Flyway AMBI coordinator would start working in mid 2018. Future expansion of AMBI activities should include evaluation of scale of key threats: intertidal reclamation and illegal hunting for the whole of Africa and Middle East with further development of the action plan to mitigate the threats and improve the network of protected areas at key sites for Arctic migratory birds on the flyway.
AMBI work in the most threatened flyway on the planet - East Asian Australasian Flyway
Doug Watkins, AMBI; Evgeny Syroechkovskiy, Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology; Jennifer Provencher, AMBI
Arctic-breeding birds in the East Asian Australasian Flyway (EAAF) travel long distances between Arctic Russia and the US for the breeding season, and East Asia, South-east Asia and Australia during the non-breeding months. East Asia and SE Asia are proved by numerous scientific publication the hardest place for waterbirds to survive on the planet. Number of species threatened by extinction is higher then on all other flyways together. Economic development and unsustainable harvest are threatening majority of Arctic species. Two main threats: intertidal reclamation and illegal hunting are in focus of AMBI work in the region. There is significant progress in the first field and very little in the second. Active participation of China and Singapore as part of cooperation under AC in 2016-17 help to achieve significant success. Further cooperation with these two countries and hopefully future collaboration with Japan, India and Korea are giving hope that number of model Arctic species, including charismatic flagship Spoon-billed Sandpiper (less than 200 breeding pairs on Earth) would not get extinct. There is still a lot to do here. Endangered Lesser White-fronted Goose in East Asia had declined over 70% over last 15 tears and need urgent conservation measures in China and Russia being as low as just over 6,000 birds left. One of the conservation threats that AMBI is focusing in all flyways is the unsustainable harvest or take of Arctic breeding birds. In the EAAF AMBI has been working with partners to build support and consensus around tackling the issue of illegal hunting, taking and trade of migratory birds. This work has included hosting a workshop on illegal taking of migratory birds with Singapore, developing a task force on the issue with partners at the East Asian Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) Meeting of the Parties, and the subsequent adoption of a similar joint working group under the Convention for Migratory Species (CMS) all in 2017. Both TF and WG are not yet activated and a lot of work ahead. The aim for the nearest future is collaborative actions of joint forces of all NGOs and governments on the flyway to develop a situation analysis and plan of action to mitigate huge scale (possibly over 30 million of birds annually) illegal bird take on the Flyway. Collaboration with Asian AC observer countries is the key for addressing the issues on the AMBI 2.0 stage.
AMBI, where do we go from here?
Jennifer Provencher, Acadia University - AMBI; Evgeny Syroechkovskiy, Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology; Doug Watkins, AMBI; Isadora Angarita, AMBI; Courtney Price, CAFF
The Arctic Migratory Bird Initiative (AMBI) is a CAFF project that directly aims to address recommendations from the Arctic biodiversity assessment. AMBI's approved workplan covers the time period from 2015-2019. Building on the successes of AMBI to date with partners, we are actively reviewing and discussing how a second phase of AMBI will be developed with partners that will capitalize on our successes to date. This will include both continuing to build on long term projects that increase the conservation status of Arctic-breeding migratory birds, and new objectives. This presentation will review the AMBI mid-term evaluation, and discuss what priorities and objectives are being considered in the development of the 2019-2023 workplan in collaboration with Arctic Council observers and partners. This will include reporting on discussion items from the AMBI 2.0 Planning meeting that will take place as part of the Congress.
MB4: Contributions through responsible mining to biodiversity conservation in the Arctic
Date: Tuesday October 9, 2018
Location: Kero, Lappia Hall
Time: 13:00-14:30
The mining sector has historically been attributed with the degradation, decline and loss of species, habitats and ecosystems, reducing the ability of our environment to provide humankind with the resources and services it relies upon. In response to this the mining sector has started to realise its responsibility to contribute to biodiversity conservation and the protection of natural resources. Within the arctic region, where biodiversity is under pressure from climate change, landuse change and increased potential development and where local, Indigenous and First National Peoples are dependent on healthy functional ecosystems, mining needs to ensure a no harm or net positive approach. This session of three presentations and a brainstorming session demonstrates how, through cross sectoral partnership and responsible practices, biodiversity can be mainstreamed into exploration, planning, design and project implementation. We will address the potential impacts and dependencies of local stakeholders and mining operators on the natural environment and will present case studies demonstrating best practices examples of: the application of net positive approach to biodiversity management; the application of the mitigation hierarchy towards no harm or positive outcomes for biodiversity; working with local stakeholders to ensure collaborative approaches to managing natural resources and livelihoods.
Chair: Warwick Mostert, Anglo American
Format: Series of presentations followed by discussion and brainstorming session
Presentations:
- How companies can come to the table in terms of biodiversity management: Warwick Mostert, Anglo American
- Critical questions in biodiversity offsets for peatland and forests: a case study from the AA Sakatti mine project: Atte Moilanena and Janne Kotiaho, Moilanen & Kotiaho
- Collaborative monitoring – Traditional Knowledge and scientific study: Alex Hood, De Beers, Canada
- Monitoring environmental effects of mine discharges in the Arctic: Heikki Mykrä, Finnish Environment Institute, Freshwater Centre
- Future needs and ideas on how to mainstream biodiversity at a wider scale - A participatory brainstorming session taking on the lessons learnt from the three presentations: Warwick Mostert, Anglo American
- Brainstorming session: moderated by Warwick Mostert
Abstracts
How companies can come to the table in terms of biodiversity management
Warwick Mostert, Anglo American
Anglo American biodiversity policy and commitments. Examples of how biodiversity is addressed in mining, through Anglo and De Beers examples.
Critical questions in biodiversity offsets for peatland and forests: a case study from the AA Sakatti mine project
Atte Moilanen & Janne Kotiaho, Moilanen & Kotiaho
Public private partnerships, developing strategic interventions to deliver best practice integrated approaches to biodiversity management during the life cycle of a mine development – a case study from the Sakatti Cu-Ni-PGE project in northern Finland. This presentation discusses how biodiversity aspects can be brought into mine project design already from the exploration stage, and kept as a central theme throughout mine planning in order to aim for no-net-loss of biodiversity. Based on a recently published analysis about the twelve operationally important decisions of offsetting, this presentation examines the main characteristics of peatland and forests from the perspective of offsetting. With peatlands, habitat restoration is a feasible way to deliver environmental gains. Restoration takes several decades and gains are fastest for generalist peatland species and carbon sequestration, and slowest for specialist peatland species. With forest, protection (avoided loss) and passive restoration can deliver gains, but again only with a significant time delay. In contrast to peatlands, leakage of pressures is a major question, which reduces net gains achieved. Overall, ecological impact avoidance especially for old-growth forest and pristine peatland are key to ecologically responsibe design. Due to partial offset gains, time delays, uncertainty, leakage, etc., area needed for offsetting will be many times larger than net area lost.
Collaborative monitoring – Traditional Knowledge and scientific study
Alex Hood, De Beers, Canada
De Beer’s Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine is located on lands claimed as traditional territory by six different Indigenous Parties in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The company and the indigenous communities have formed an innovative Environmental Monitoring Agreement, called Ni Hadi Xa, whereby the Indigenous Parties work cooperatively with De Beers to monitor and manage the environmental performance of the mine.
Monitoring environmental effects of mine discharges in the Arctic
Heikki Mykrä, Finnish Environment Institute, Freshwater Centre; Satu Maaria Karjalainen, Finnish Environment Institute; Minna Kuoppala, Finnish Environment Institute
Mining projects are changing landscapes in the Arctic and there is an increasing pressure for exploitation of the mineral deposits of the region. Increasing global demand for minerals and metals creates opportunities for economy and employment; however, exploitation of these resources has often unexpected environmental impacts and undesirable consequences on biodiversity. Negative influences of mine discharges and contaminants on the biodiversity and functioning of aquatic communities are well-known. However, it has been shown that streams draining through catchments dominated by geological anomalies typically harbor distinct biological communities, suggesting that locally derived chemical and biological baselines are needed for assessing the effects of human activities in these areas. Therefore, it would be important to understand the basic mechanisms regulating biological communities in areas with a strong geological influence arising from mineral deposits. An ongoing research project “The evaluation and management project of the cumulative environmental effects of the mining cluster in Lapland” aims to evaluate the environmental impacts of mining on aquatic ecosystems in Northern Finland. In this presentation, we show the first findings of the combined influence of catchment geological characteristics and mine discharge on biological communities of streams in Northern Finland. The ultimate goal of our research project is to promote sustainable use of natural resources and conservation of biodiversity in the Arctic region.
MB2: Inspiring Arctic voices through youth
Date: Thursday October 11, 2018
Location: Tieva, Lappia Hall
Time: 13:30-15:00
Arctic youth are the Arctic’s future. The way we engage young people today will determine the prospects for the Arctic’s sustainable development and futures for Arctic biodiversity. To utilize young people’s potential as agents of change requires involving and empowering them in Arctic development, policies and supporting their participation in important forums and discussions. This session allows youth from across the Arctic and beyond, to use their own voices to recall observations of Arctic change, highlight conservation priorities and concerns for Arctic biodiversity, and seek to inspire action to address their unique perspectives. Join a small group of Arctic youth participating in the Arctic Youth Summit to hear their stories. After a series of talks a moderated roundtable discussion will follow.
Chair: Sanna Koskinen, WWF Finland
Format: Series of talks followed by moderated discussion
Speakers:
Representatives from the Arctic Youth Summit
MB3: Green financing, blue economy: Investments in Arctic biodiversity
Date: Thursday October 11, 2018
Location: Saivo, Lappia Hall
Time: 10:30-12:00
The Arctic is a diverse, rapidly-changing and environmentally sensitive region that is home to over four million culturally diverse residents, and an emerging global investment opportunity. This session will provide an orientation of available financial platforms, partnerships and examples of existing initiatives and interventions aiming at mitigation of climate impacts, pollution prevention, enhancing energy and resource efficiencies, including cross-media impacts, to address removal of hot-spots and improving the Arctic environment in general. The session will have several presentations followed by a panel discussion with a summary of key conclusions.
Chair: Husamuddin Ahmadzai, Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO)
Format: Series of presentations followed by discussion
Presentations:
- Financing green investments in the Arctic and Barents Region- NEFCO's near term cooperation: Husamuddin Ahmadzai, Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO)
- The Arctic blue economy: risks and opportunities: Tom Arnbom, World Wildlife Fund
- Financing green investments in the Arctic and Barents Region- The Arctic Council Project Support Instrument (PSI) and NEFCO's near term cooperation: Husamuddin Ahmadzai, Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO)
- Financing green investments in the Arctic and Barents Region- The Barents Hot-spots Facility (BHSF) and NEFCO's near term cooperation: Henrik G. Forsström, Nordic Environment Finance Corporation
- Financing sustainable development in the Russian Arctic zone: Vladim Litvak, VTB Ecology
- Perspectives of regional governments on conservation of biodiversity in conditions of industrial development of the Arctic: Sakhamin Afanasiev, Minister, Ministry of Ecology, Nature Management and Forestry of Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia
Abstracts
Financing green investments in the Arctic and Barents Region- NEFCO's near term cooperation
Husamuddin Ahmadzai, Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO); Henrik G. Forström, Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO)
NEFCO is supporting a number of initiatives and projects including implementation of Arctic and Barents Councils' initiatives e.g. through financing and project support for green investments addressing bio-diversity and sustainable development. The cooperation covers support to the ACAP Working Group's contaminant mitigation projects and AMBI-CAFF bird work. NEFCO's support is carried out through a number of instruments such as the Arctic Council Project Support Instrument (PSI), the Barents Hot-spot Facility (BHSF), the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP) and information exchanges in the context of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and the EU work regarding use of best environmental technologies and practices. The presentation will provide and overview of how this is and can be done in the near term addressing the sustainable development goals.
The Arctic Blue Economy: risks and opportunities
Tom Arnbom, World Wildlife Fund
The Arctic is undergoing dramatic change, driven by global climate change and a growing human presence. These twin pressures are having a profound impact on Arctic ecosystems and peoples. The changing climate means an ocean defined by sea ice is changing to an ocean that will be mostly open water for several months of the year. At the same time, the Arctic is increasingly attracting new investment. Most of that will be to expand marine-based or shipping-dependent industries, and build the coastal, terrestrial and marine infrastructure to support them such as new ports and airports, roads and housing to support mining operations, drilling platforms, expanded fishing fleets, tourism facilities, and many other developments. These developments will affect nature and the way of life for indigenous and local people. It is of high importance that the concept of a Sustainable Blue Economy for the Arctic is adopted and based on the principles of ecosystem-based management, circular and renewable technologies, and inclusive governance processes to secure a sustainable development in the Arctic. This work will address Recommendations 3.1, 4.1, 4.3 and 4.4 of the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment.
MB1: Promoting of ecosystem services of Arctic wetlands for sustainable development
Date: Tuesday October 9, 2018
Location: Erottaja, ELY
Time: 17:00-18:30
This session asks the question, how can the application of an ecosystem services approach be used to better manage Arctic wetlands? The concept involves a variety of stakeholders to integrate ecosystem-based management in the use of wetlands and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The session provides an introduction, a series of case studies and invites a discussion afterwards. The discussion addresses the priorities for countries to introduce ecosystem services concept as solution for stakeholder’s input to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
Chairs: Tatiana Minayeva, Wetlands International/Care for Ecosystems; Igor Semenov, EthnoExpert
Format: Series of presentations followed by discussion
Presentations:
- Arctic wetlands ecosystem services overview: Tatiana Minayeva, Wetlands International/Care for Ecosystems
- Stakeholders in Arctic and their interests in wetlands ecosystem services: Igor Semenov, EthnoExpert
- Coastal wetlands – example of ecosystem services mapping for decision making: Liudmila Sergienko, State Petrozavodsk University
- Ecosystem services mapping for spatial development planning as risk management – Talotinsky case: Anton Chistyakov, EthnoExpert
- Flyways, ecosystems and ecosystem services: the role of the Arctic: Taej Mundkur, Wetlands International
- Using prognostic mapping method in revealing and solving nature-use conflicts in Numto nature park: Anastasia Markina, Peatlands Ecosystem Centre of the Institute of Forest Sciences RAS
Abstracts:
Arctic wetlands ecosystem services overview
Tatiana Minayeva, Wetlands International/Care for Ecosystems
The Arctic Wetlands cover ecosystems from coast to the watersheds. They provide ecosystem services far beyond the Arctic borders: arctic wetlands prevent permafrost from thawing, mitigating the feedback of this process to climate change, act as a sink of carbon and maintain global flyways. From the other side the wetlands resources give input to the maintenance of the livelihood for local populations including indigenous people. The current tendency is that large companies implementing development projects destroy wetlands ecosystem services. The development projects provide direct benefits to a limited number of stakeholders if to compared to the number of stakeholders directly depending on the loss of the ecosystem services. The situation should be addressed and considered in the land use planning in the Arctic. The ecosystem services analyses could be a mechanism to introduce incentives for a responsible ecosystem-based management aimed at implementing the SDGs.
Stakeholders in Arctic and their interests in wetlands ecosystem services
Igor Semenov, EthnoExpert
The development of Arctic territories in modern conditions creates new challenges for ecosystems at the global, regional and local levels. Potential impacts affect different stakeholder groups depending on the ecosystem services they receive: oil and gas companies, authorities, environmental and scientific organizations, local communities, etc. At the same time, wetland ecosystems are among the most difficult to manage the interests of the parties, since their main function is determined in different ways: climate regulation, the object of traditional nature management, valuable bird habitat, industrial projects implementation zone, etc. The report will examine cases on identification and management of ecosystem services for Arctic wetlands in the context of various projects for the development of territories, i.e. industrial, scientific, recreational and environmental. Furthermore, the application of stakeholder management methods will be used as an approach’s basis. Effective management of the parties’ interests will reduce risks for the whole range of ecosystem services and will create the basis for sustainable development of the Arctic wetlands.
Coastal wetlands – example of ecosystem services mapping for decision making
Liudmila Sergienko, State Petrozavodsk University
The risk to arctic coastal wetlands are increasing both due to the climate change and industrial development including shipping, oil production, mining and connected infrastructure development. Coastal wetlands integrate various ecosystem types such as coastal tundras, salt and brackish marshes, ephemeral sandy ecosystems as well as all transition community types. They provide crucial ecosystem services having global significance: unique habitats including migrating birds and marine mammal species; carbon accumulation and store, matter balance regulation including accumulation of contamination; maintenance of the landscape integrity. The sustainable development goals include land use planning based on the ecosystem principles of risk assessment and risk reduction. The methodology of spatial risk analysis based on the mapping of ecosystem values, sensitivities and vulnerabilities had been tested in the coastal areas of Nenets Autonomous Okrug (AO) in the Russian Federation. The coastline of Nenets AO extends about 3,000 km, bordering the Barents and Pechora Seas. The coastal wetlands classification and mapping was undertaken in approximately 300 km of shoreline. The applied method of predictive mapping of ecosystem functions and services demonstrated good potential for the risk assessment basing on the limited amount of data.
Ecosystem services mapping for spatial development planning as risk management – Talotinsky case
Anton Chistyakov, EthnoExpert
The application of ecosystem-based principles to the established routine of environmental and social risks management within industrial projects development in Arctic, such as baseline studies, Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (ESIA), project closure planning, including rehabilitation and reclamation, requires an innovative approach. Key methodology concept is based on strong link between ecosystem functions and ecosystem services, which could be discovered through stakeholder needs and expectations research and analysis using social sciences methods. At the same time modern geo mapping technologies could help in revealing how the ecosystems functions and services are connected to the ecosystem classes, as well as distributed in the space at designated development area for key decision makers in project design. This approach application inspires clear design solution identification, which reduces possible risks, ensures project’s sustainability for a long time and maintains favourable social and environmental conditions. Pilot study has been carried out at the East-Talotinsky site in in the Timan Pechora area (Nenets Autonomous Okrug) under a Collaborative Partnership Agreement between Wetlands International and Shell International Exploration and Production B.V.
Flyways, ecosystems and ecosystem services: the role of the Arctic
Ward Hagemeijer, Wetlands International, Taej Mundkur, Wetlands International
The Arctic and especially its coastal ecosystems are crucial for maintaining flyways of migrating birds. The ecosystem services provided by arctic coastal wetlands deliver support of livelihoods both in the Arctic and along the entire flyways. This should be considered for arctic ecosystems management and land use planning.
Using prognostic mapping method in revealing and solving nature-use conflicts in Numto nature park
Anastasia Markina, Peatlands Ecosystem Centre of the Institute of Forest Sciences RAS
The protected area “Numto nature park” is located in Siberia in Russian Arctic. This area is rich in wetlands, significant for migratory birds, it is a home for indigenous people and above all oil is extracted there. The initial zoning was full of contradictions so there arised a need for a new zoning of the nature park. We accumulated all available data on the territory and conducted additional sociological and scientific surveys to use in a prognostic mapping method. It allowed us to reveal conflicts between different stakeholders and to come up with suggestions for several zoning options, focused on: nature conservation, economic development, indigenous people needs. Out of these three approaches we developed an integrative zoning that considered all the conflicts with an attempt to resolve or mitigate them. The GIS-based prognostic mapping method became the tool to assert stakeholders’ claims on the Park’s territory and an important science-based information resource to legitimate those claims.
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LAVVU1: Nomadic herders lavvu dialogue
Join Arctic youth and Indigenous leaders in the lavvu as they discuss observations of change and solutions for sustainable use of Arctic resources. LEARN MORE
Chairs: Svein Mathiesen, International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry; Katherine Johnsen, GRID Arendal; Gunn-Britt Retter, Saami Council
Location: Outside Lappia Hall
Date: Thursday October 11, 2018
Time: 10:30-12:30
Activity: Bird nesting boxes and insect hotels
Join staff from Metsähallitus, Metsähallitus Forestry Ltd and Science centre Pilke to construct bird boxes and insect hotels. Participants can take their boxes and hotels home with them, or they can donate them local schools, who will take them into the forests and monitor their use. LEARN MORE.
Chairs: Timo Tahvonen with Science centre Pilke inspirers, Metsähallitus
Location: Outside Lappia Hall
Date: Tuesday October 9-Thursday October 11, 2018
Time: 12:00-15:00, while supplies last
The form and content of the Congress program is under development, with guidance from the Program Advisory Committee, but is expected to include the above elements. In order to allow for some adjustments, including further input from the Program Advisory Committee, Congress organizers reserve the right to make changes to the preliminary program. Such changes will be posted on this Congress website.
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