Thawing Permafrost in Arctic Coastal Communities: A Framework for Studying Risks from Climate Change

• Published in: Sustainability
• Main Authors: Joan Nymand Larsen, Peter Schweitzer, Khaled Abass, Natalia Doloisio, Susanna Gartler, Thomas Ingeman-Nielsen, Jón Haukur Ingimundarson, Leneisja Jungsberg, Alexandra Meyer, Arja Rautio, Johanna Scheer, Ulla Timlin, Jean-Paul Vanderlinden, Magali Vullierme
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021
• Subjects: climate change; risks; permafrost; adaptation; Arctic; human exposure; Environmental effects of industries and plants; TD194-195; Renewable energy sources; TJ807-830; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Climate change
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052651; https://doaj.org/article/60b2141e5faa474ea27faa15592af482

Thawing permafrost creates risks to the environment, economy and culture in Arctic coastal communities. Identification of these risks and the inclusion of the societal context and the relevant stakeholder involvement is crucial in risk management and for future sustainability, yet the dual dimensions of risk and risk perception is often ignored in conceptual risk frameworks. In this paper we present a risk framework for Arctic coastal communities. Our framework builds on the notion of the dual dimensions of risk, as both physically and socially constructed, and it places risk perception and the coproduction of risk management with local stakeholders as central components into the model. Central to our framework is the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration. A conceptual model and processual framework with a description of successive steps is developed to facilitate the identification of risks of thawing permafrost in a collaboration between local communities and scientists. Our conceptual framework motivates coproduction of risk management with locals in the identification of these risks from permafrost thaw and the development of adaptation and mitigation strategies.