Arctic Resilience Assessment Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017

The Arctic Resilience Assessment Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017 argues that building resilience in the Arctic requires an integrated understanding of social-ecological systems and coordinated action across local, national, and circumpolar scales. While the primary drivers of change are global, the document emphasizes that resilience-building must occur within the Arctic through integrated monitoring, knowledge integration—specifically bridging Indigenous and scientific knowledge—and increasing the capacity of local communities to shape their own development. It identifies 19 instances where climate change and other drivers could trigger abrupt, irreversible shifts and proposes a roadmap via the Arctic Resilience Action Framework to coordinate these efforts.

• The Arctic faces a significant risk of non-linear and potentially irreversible changes. The scientific assessment identified 19 specific instances where climate change and other multiple drivers could trigger abrupt shifts with far-reaching implications for communities and the broader environment.
• There is a geographic and temporal disconnect between the causes and effects of Arctic change. While the pace of change is largely determined by actions taken outside the region, the efforts to build resilience must be implemented within the Arctic.
• Effective resilience building requires integrating social and ecological monitoring to understand the dynamics of the system as a whole. Current monitoring often focuses on single systems (social, biological, or geophysical) rather than their interactions, which are critical for identifying early warnings of disruption.
• Knowledge integration is essential and involves bridging Indigenous Knowledge with scientific assessments. This process is described as demanding and requires trust, respect for different knowledge production systems, and the development of new frameworks to integrate existing data.
• Community-based monitoring (CBM) is a promising tool for strengthening the knowledge base on social-ecological interactions. Examples include the CLEO network in Alaska, the CONAS network bordering the Bering Sea, and the PISUNA project in Greenland.
• Increasing the capacity of Arctic people to self-organize and shape change is a core component of resilience. This includes participatory processes such as adaptive co-management, community energy planning, and the ability to negotiate between conflicting goals.
• Specific examples of resilience-building and adaptive capacity include the relocation of the town of Kiruna in Sweden due to mining impacts, and renewable energy investments in Greenland, which increased the share of renewable electricity to approximately 80% from a 1992 baseline of 100% oil dependence.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2017). Arctic Resilience Assessment Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2017-Arctic-Resilience-Synthesis.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Arctic Resilience Assessment Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017. 2017. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2017-Arctic-Resilience-Synthesis.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Arctic Resilience Assessment Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017 |date=2017 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2017-Arctic-Resilience-Synthesis.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2017arctic, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Arctic Resilience Assessment Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2017}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-2017-Arctic-Resilience-Synthesis.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }