DeskIndigenousIn October 2024, Indigenous Knowledge Holders gathered in Kirkenes, Norway, to urge integration of their climate expertise into global governance and address Arctic livelihoods.
Arctic wildland fires are accelerating, releasing vast permafrost carbon, disrupting Indigenous communities, and prompting the Arctic Council to launch a Wildland Fires Initiative to coordinate prevention and response.
Inuit communities in Greenland and Canada are establishing an Inuit‑led management regime for the Pikialasorsuaq polynya, backed by a Letter of Intent and joint steering committee to safeguard the region’s ecosystem amid climate change and growing commercial interest.
Salmon stocks in Arctic rivers have collapsed, leading a seven‑year fishing moratorium on the Yukon River and threatening the food security, cultural practices, and economic well‑being of Indigenous communities across the circumpolar North.
The Arctic Remote Energy Network Academy trains leaders in renewable energy, fostering collaboration across Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Iceland to reduce diesel dependence and build resilient Arctic energy systems.
The Arctic Council’s SAON ROADS initiative is developing a wildfire observation system that integrates indigenous knowledge, local inputs, and new modeling tools to improve fire risk warnings for Arctic communities.
The Arctic Council’s Permanent Participant model gives Indigenous peoples a seat at the table, enabling them to shape policies on climate, resource development, and cultural preservation in the Arctic.
The Saami Council’s co‑production projects link Sámi reindeer‑herding knowledge with science to improve climate adaptation, biodiversity management, and data stewardship in Sápmi and the wider Arctic.
Denmark will chair the Arctic Council from 2025‑2027, setting the agenda on Indigenous rights, sustainable development, oceans, climate change, and biodiversity.
The 14th Arctic Council meeting, held virtually on 12 May 2025, closed Norway’s chairmanship and launched Denmark’s, issuing the Romssa‑Tromsø Statement and outlining priorities on climate, shipping, Indigenous participation, and sustainable development.
Rain‑on‑snow in November 2021 killed hundreds of sheep in South Greenland, prompting NSIDC’s AROSS study to share adaptive strategies with Inuit herders as Arctic weather shifts.
The Saami Council claims the EU's raw‑materials strategy threatens Indigenous land and culture, raising concerns about Arctic community rights.
On 27 Jan 2025, the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials met with Indigenous Permanent Participants in Tromsø to discuss youth priorities, working‑group updates, Norway’s Chairship progress and prepare for Denmark’s incoming chair, strengthening inclusive Arctic governance.
The Arctic Council’s Wildland Fires Initiative will hold a side event at COP29 in Baku to highlight Indigenous fire management practices as a key tool for mitigating and adapting to rising Arctic wildfire risks.
CAFF Chair Inge Thaulow discusses nearly 20 years of work, including the CBMP, ABA, and upcoming 2025‑2035 biodiversity strategy aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework, and highlights forthcoming reports on invasive species, marine conservation, and ArcticFIRE.
Climate‑driven shifts in Alaska’s wildfire season are reshaping boreal forests, accelerating permafrost thaw, and prompting a reevaluation of fire‑management strategies, including pilot projects aimed at protecting ancient Yedoma permafrost and reducing carbon emissions.
The Arctic Council’s 2023‑2025 Norwegian Chairship launched a Wildland Fires Initiative to coordinate science, policy, and indigenous knowledge on Arctic wildfire impacts, following Canada’s worst wildfire season, and has organized events across the Arctic to address risks and
Arctic communities battle health and environmental risks from unmanaged solid waste, prompting ACAP and SDWG to launch surveys, pilot projects, and toolkits that empower local, community‑driven solutions.
Faroese studies on mercury, POPs, and PFAS in pilot whales led to health‑based dietary bans, illustrating the Arctic dilemma of contaminant‑driven erosion of traditional food and culture.
On 28‑29 May 2024 Norway’s Arctic Council Chair met with six Indigenous Permanent Participants in Bodø, discussing stronger involvement in Working Groups, youth‑raised priorities, and strategic planning for the next chairship.
Norway’s first year as Arctic Council Chairship saw the resumption of Working Group meetings, launch of a Wildland Fires Initiative, and key conferences on marine ecosystems and youth engagement, advancing Arctic governance amid climate challenges.
From May 29‑June 3, Bodø hosts the first joint UArctic, IASSA, and High North Dialogue Congress, aligning with Norway’s Chairship to bring researchers, Indigenous youth, and policymakers together for a broad, bottom‑up agenda.
The Arctic Council, with its eight member states and Indigenous Permanent Participants, agreed in February 2024 to gradually resume virtual Working Group meetings to advance project work and strengthen its role in environmental protection and sustainable development.
Saami‑inspired start‑up Gobmi, founded by sisters in 2021, received the Laurence Trân Arctic Futures Award in Brussels for its sustainable fashion and support of Arctic community development.
Norway’s Arctic Council chairship has launched a Wildland Fires Initiative to boost circumpolar cooperation, knowledge sharing, and Indigenous participation, aiming to better understand and respond to escalating Arctic wildfire risks.
