Arctic Winter College 2021: Policy Briefs #1 - Infrastructure

Satellite infrastructure in and around Barrow, Alaska. Photo: Arctic Council

The Arctic Institute Arctic Winter College 2021

• Arctic Winter College 2021: Policy Briefs #1 – Infrastructure
• Arctic Winter College 2021: Policy Briefs #2.1 – Marine and Maritime Issues 1
• Arctic Winter College 2021: Policy Briefs #2.2 – Marine and Maritime Issues 2
• Arctic Winter College 2021: Policy Briefs #3 – Community Wellbeing

Through a partnership with the National Science Foundation-funded Migration in Harmony Research Coordination Network and the Ecologic Institute, The Arctic Institute is publishing a series of briefs on Arctic migrations and mobilities written by Fellows of the 2021 Arctic Winter College. The Arctic Winter College brought together 60 emerging leaders and experts from across the world for 10 weeks in a free series of web-based seminars, the videos of which can be viewed on YouTube here. The program builds a lasting, policy-oriented network of Arctic professionals to strengthen communication between peoples and nations, scientific disciplines, policy areas, and across the science-policy interface to improve collaborations, research, and decision-making in the Arctic. Weekly webinars focused on the theme “Arctic on the Move.” Urbanization, globalization, and the impacts of climate change are activating the simultaneous migrations of species, ecosystems, settlements, and cultures across Arctic coastlines in new and unpredictable ways. Each of these intersecting mobilities challenge the quality of life, sustainable development, and environmental health of the circumpolar north. Participants engaged with Arctic researchers, traditional knowledge holders, and practitioners in a variety of fields related to movement to deepen their understanding of a rapidly changing region and its global connections.

This week’s publication is a collection of policy briefs on Arctic infrastructure with contributions from Olivia Wynne Houck (doctoral candidate, MIT), Todd Nicewonger (Virginia Tech), Stacey Fritz (National Renewable Energy Lab/Cold Climate Housing Research Center), Lisa McNair (Virginia Tech), Nicholas J. Parlato (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Jacqueline Götze (German Development Institute), Mikhail Uksusov (PhD candidate, Murmansk Arctic State University), and Prof. Dr. George Gogoberidze (Murmansk Arctic State University).