Belmont Forum Collaborative Research: ARCTIC-ERA: ARCTIC climate change and its impact on Environment, infrastructures and Resource Availability

George Washington University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides support to U.S. researchers participating in a project competitively selected by a 14-country initiative on global change research through the Belmont Forum. The Belmont Forum is a high level group of the world?s major and emerging funders of global environmental change research and international science councils. It aims to accelerate delivery of the international environmental research most urgently needed to remove critical barriers to sustainability by aligning and mobilizing international resources. Each partner country provides funding for their researchers within a consortium to alleviate the need for funds to cross international borders. This approach facilitates effective leveraging of national resources to support excellent research on topics of global relevance best tackled through a multinational approach, recognizing that global challenges need global solutions. Working together in this Collaborative Research Action, the partner agencies have provided support for research projects that utilize existing Arctic observing systems, datasets and models to evaluate key sustainability challenges and opportunities in the Arctic region, to innovate new sustainability science theory and approaches to these challenges and opportunities, and support decision-making towards a sustainable Arctic environment. This award provides support for the U.S. researchers to cooperate in consortia that consist of partners from at least three of the participating countries and that bring together natural scientists, social scientists and end users (e.g., policy makers, regulators, NGOs, communities and industry). ARCTIC-ERA unites a core team of experts from the United States, France and Russia. The goal of the project is to address critical aspects of human well-being and sustainable use of Arctic infrastructure and resources under current and projected conditions. This projects seeks to analyze critical data that will help develop recommendations on adaptation of coastal settlements and ports, transportation, fishery, oil and gas exploitation to the ongoing and future changes and mitigation of their negative effects, and to identify new opportunities associated with the "Opening of the Arctic". In addition to publications and presentations, the results of the project will be disseminated through a series of dialogues between the researchers, decision makers, and end-users. These dialogues will focus on co-design and co-production of options.