| Summary: | The Arctic Council is the leading international forum for Arctic cooperation, and promotes environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic region. It is comprised of eight Member States (Canada, the United States, Iceland, Norway, Finland, the Kingdom of Denmark, Sweden, and the Russian Federation) and six indigenous organizations who serve as Permanent Participants (Aleut International Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich’in Council International, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, and the Saami Council). In the fall of 2013, Canada and the United States submitted a proposal to the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group to develop an online climate change adaptation information portal called the Arctic Adaptation Exchange (AAE) to enhance adaptation to climate change in the Arctic. The rationale for this initiative is that there are many regional and national websites and information portals focused on either the Arctic or climate change, but none that address both these issues to effectively leverage the wealth of information that supports adaptation in the circumpolar north. It is envisioned that the portal will enhance adaptive capacity and foster innovation, learning by doing, and the development of best practices. The Project Team consists of Canada (Natural Resources Canada, and Yukon Government, Department of Environment), the United States (State Department and University of Alaska Fairbanks – UAF), Aleut International Association, and Gwich’in Council International. In summary, the purpose of the project is to: Learn about climate change and how it is impacting the Arctic; Increase knowledge of climate change impacts and adaptation in the Arctic among those who live, work, and conduct research in the north; Map, download, and use resourceful data to allow users to connect to their communities; and Keep users returning for new ideas, discussions, expert ...
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