Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Arctic Vulnerability Network Study: Reindeer Herding in a Changing Climate - Coping Mechanisms and Adaptive Capacity  (RENNET)

Outline
RENNET is an interdisciplinary, intercultural study that will assess the vulnerability of coupled human-ecological systems in the Arctic to variation and change in key aspects of the natural and human environments, involving IPY theme 6 human society in polar regions. RENNET focuses on reindeer herding in Arctic and sub-Arctic Eurasia. Its approach is holistic, integrating social and natural science and users’ understanding in the co-production of knowledge. RENNET will, by this means, contribute to building local competence through understanding. Climate variability, climate change and the societal/cultural transformations associated with globalisation have been, and continue to be, responsible for major changes in physical environment, the biota and the cultures of the indigenous communities in the Arctic. Moreover, human-ecological systems in the Arctic are sensitive to change, perhaps more than in virtually any other region of the globe, due in part to the variability of the Arctic climate and the characteristic ways of life of indigenous Arctic peoples. Determination of the potential impact of climate change on coupled human-ecological systems in the north is, therefore, a major priority. High sensitivity notwithstanding, little is known about the vulnerability of such systems to change. Understanding and measuring vulnerability requires assessment of systems’ ability to adapt to impact and the extent to which freedom to adapt is constrained. RENNET therefore also involve the current state and changes of the polar environment (IPY theme 1 and 2). RENNET focuses on adaptation in and the vulnerability of reindeer herders and hunters of northern Eurasia to change. Reindeer herding is the most extensive form of animal husbandry in the Eurasian Arctic and sub-Arctic. Some 3 million reindeer provide the basis of the livelihood of herders and hunters in over 20 ethnic groups. Reindeer have major cultural and economic significance for these and other peoples of the north. RENNET will examine adaptation in, and the vulnerability of, reindeer herding in Sapmi, Nenetsia, Yamal, Sakha, and Chukotka to change. It will explore (i) the influence of climate variability and change on reindeer, reindeer herding and herding society and (ii) the extent to which institutions and governance constrain, or create opportunities in, herders’ ability to cope with and to adapt to the effects of climate change. In addition, because many key institutions, markets, and governance affecting reindeer herders are based outside of the Arctic there are societal polar-global linkages superimposed upon the climate system and biogeochemical linkages (IPY theme 3). RENNET will adopt a novel methodological approach. We recognise that the ability to adapt to change, which reindeer herding has demonstrated repeatedly, is based on knowledge embodied in the language, the institutions of herding and the actions of individual herders. Herders’ experience and understanding will, therefore, be documented, analysed and, under their guidance, combined with data in social and natural sciences.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
RENNET carries the approach of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (which focussed on the potential impacts of climate change on systems) by examining, instead, the vulnerability of an Arctic system (reindeer and reindeer herding) to that change. To our knowledge, no vulnerability study of its kind has been carried out among indigenous Arctic people before. Key points: • Integration of natural sciences, social sciences and ‘traditional knowledge’, • Focus on the under-representation of traditional ways of knowing in modern analyses, • Co-production of knowledge: direct and close integration of herders in every stage of a scientific study - from its inception to final presentation. RENNET involve therefore IPY themes 1, 2, 3 and 6.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Collaborative partners: Indigenous Peoples’ organisations: Association of World Reindeer Herders (WRH), Russian Union of Reindeer Herders, Sámi Council. Scientific Institutions: American Meteorological Society, NASA, Goddard Space Flight Centre (Reindeer Mapper), Norwegian Meterological Institute, Norwegian Polar Institute, Scot Polar research Institute, Max Planck Institute for Social Antropolgy, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Russian Academy of Science, UNEP Grid Arendal, Universities of The Arctic, Copenhagen, Harvard, Lapland (Arctic Centre), Oslo (Centre for Human Rights), Oslo (CICERO), Sámi University College, Nordic Sami Institute, Stirling, and University of Tromsø.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Sapmi (Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia); Russian Federation (Nenetsia, Yamal, Sahka, Chukotka)

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: March 2007 – June 2007      August 2007– December 2007      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
RENNET will not require heavy logistic support or field facilities

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
RENNET will leave no physical infrastructure. The project aims to improve the level of training and competence among reindeer peoples and their partner social and natural scientists and policy-makers: its legacy will be intellectual.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
Own support

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
RENNET are submitted to the Norwegian IPY Committee.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Expansion

RENNET is a product of the ACIA process in the Arctic Council, the EALÀT project at the Sámi University College and the NASA/WRH project ‘Reindeer mapper’ .

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be managed as a network organization with an international secretariat at the Sámi University College in Kautokeino responsible for its coordination.A reference board will be established.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
RENNET will contribute to building local competence through understanding. The knowledge gained through the research will be disseminated to residents’ organisations and relevant local, regional and governing agencies via advisory/consultative committees, workshops, co-ordination meetings and the regular channels of media. RENNET will (i) provide persons concerned with the health and vitality of reindeer herding communities with direct insight and knowledge and (ii) make fundamental and general knowledge available through popular and scientific publications, presentations (in oral, printed and electronic formats)

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
A major challenge in RENNET is to refine existing methodology for exploring the significance and the scope of the internal validity of traditional knowledge and articulating it in forms that permit its comparison with scientific knowledge and vice versa. The study will evaluate its experience in the collection and assimilation of herders’ knowledge with other forms of knowledge and use this to develop existing ethical guidelines for such work. This part of the study will be carried out in cooperation with International Center for Indigenous Peoples Rights, Kautokeino, Norway.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
An application will be submitted to respective National research councils, the European Science Foundation and Nordic Council. Financial support will be required for the secretariat, networking (travel and workshops), fieldwork running costs and dissemination.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
RENNET welcome cooperation with other similar IPY initiatives on issues related to reindeer herding and reindeer herding society to increase competence building in the northern institutions and communities. So fare we plan to work together with the Norwegian Polar Institute project: Monitoring of Oil Development in Traditional Indigenous Lands of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Northwestern Russia, the CICERO project: Northern Perspectives on Climate Vulnerability and Adaptation and the Scot Polar Research Institutes project “ANTLER”: social significant of reindeer husbandry.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Prof Svein Disch Mathiesen
Kautokeino


9520
Norway

Tel: 4778486770
Mobile: 4790524116
Fax: no
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation