Mapping wetlands in Sápmi

This briefing describes the 'Wetlands in Sápmi' project, which uses participatory topological mapping (PTM) to integrate Indigenous knowledge from forest Sámi reindeer herders with conventional research to understand the role of Arctic wetlands in social-ecological systems.

• Arctic wetlands are critical for global climate regulation as they act as powerful carbon sinks, storing approximately 20% of the world's carbon, primarily within peat soils.
• For forest Sámi reindeer herders, wetlands are indispensable for providing nutrient-rich calving grounds and grazing areas abundant in lichen and other vegetation, especially during spring and summer. They also provide reindeer with relief from heat and insects during hotter summer months.
• Arctic wetlands face dual threats: direct impacts from commercial development and infrastructure—which cause land fragmentation, altered hydrological flows, and carbon leakage—and indirect impacts from warming temperatures that accelerate permafrost thaw and reduce precipitation.
• The project utilized Participatory Topological Mapping (PTM), a methodology that documents oral histories and hand-drawn maps to capture dynamic social-ecological relationships. This approach addresses weaknesses in conventional GIS mapping, such as static representations and a lack of local social context.
• The PTM process consists of four primary elements: semi-structured interviews, live workshops for map drawing and oral history sharing, collaborative map drawing of grazing routes and environmental changes, and validation through follow-up visits to Sámi villages.
• The briefing proposes five action options for policymakers: establishing Indigenous community engagement frameworks, using participatory mapping data for policy, developing integrated land management plans with buffer zones, providing financial and technical support to Sámi communities, and investing in climate resilience projects like wetland restoration.

APA

Johnsen, K. I., Westerveld, L., Persson, A.-M., Stenberg, J., Juntti, K.-J., & Carson, M. (2025). Mapping wetlands in Sápmi. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mapping-sapmi-wetlands-brief-sei2025-051.pdf

Chicago

Johnsen, Kathrine I., Levi Westerveld, Anna-Marja Persson, Jörgen Stenberg, Karl-Johan Juntti, and Marcus Carson. Mapping wetlands in Sápmi. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2025. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mapping-sapmi-wetlands-brief-sei2025-051.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Johnsen |first1=Kathrine I. |last2=Westerveld |first2=Levi |last3=Persson |first3=Anna-Marja |last4=Stenberg |first4=Jörgen |last5=Juntti |first5=Karl-Johan |last6=Carson |first6=Marcus |title=Mapping wetlands in Sápmi |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=November 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mapping-sapmi-wetlands-brief-sei2025-051.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{johnsen2025mapping, author = {Johnsen, Kathrine I. and Westerveld, Levi and Persson, Anna-Marja and Stenberg, Jörgen and Juntti, Karl-Johan and Carson, Marcus}, title = {{Mapping wetlands in Sápmi}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/mapping-sapmi-wetlands-brief-sei2025-051.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }