Science and Policy for a Changing Arctic
The Study for Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) announces the conference ARCTIC FUTURES 2050: Science for Policy in a Changing Arctic that will take place 4–6 September 2019 in Washington, D.C.
Why:
The rapid changes taking place in the Arctic call for immediate policy responses well informed by science and Indigenous knowledge. Today’s policy decisions concerning the Arctic will have substantial long term and global consequences.
How:
Strong and iterative collaborations—in which Arctic scientists, Indigenous knowledge holders, and decision makers inform one another—will help ensure that research adequately anticipates policy and management needs.
Who:
Understanding and responding to the changing Arctic requires the combined efforts of scientists from many disciplines, Indigenous knowledge holders, resource managers, and others operating in the Arctic. These diverse actors need to convey their understanding clearly, succinctly, and at appropriate times to decision makers including policy makers at all levels of government, natural resource managers, as well as military, industrial, and other operators in the Arctic. Diverse perspectives, ranging from local to international will also be key.
What:
A novel international conference of Arctic scientists, Indigenous people, and decision makers jointly exploring the science needed to inform decisions concerning the Arctic in the coming decades. The collaborative exploration will ask:
- What we currently know/don’t know about the changing Arctic and why it matters?
- What challenges confront decision makers in the rapidly changing Arctic?
- What basic research is needed to inform responses to Arctic change?
- What applied research is needed to inform responses to change?
- What tools can facilitate informing decisions with science?
- What partnerships are needed among decision makers, scientists, and Indigenous people?
Important dates:
20 May: Poster Abstracts Due
20 May: Travel Award Applications Due
17 June: Poster Decisions and Travel Award Winners Announced
10 July: Early-bird Registration Rates End