Reconstructing stock size of Norwegian spring spawning herring and blue whiting
Applicant: Marine Research Institute, Faroe Islands
Countries: Iceland, Norway
The project will estimate the population size of NVG herring and blue whiting back to the 18th and 19th centuries from pilot whale catch residues and seabirds. It will collect samples in the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway. The project results are expected to improve the management of these fish stocks and to increase knowledge about the interplay between pelagic fish species in the North - east Atlantic and their response to climate and climate change. The results will be published in scientific journals.
Improved collection of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in Arkhangelsk region
Applicant: Nordic Waste Group, Sweden
Countries: Russia, Norway, Finland
The overall objective of the project is to improve the collection of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in Severodvinsk Municipality in the Arkhangelsk region. The specific objectives of the project are 1) to introduce a pilot project for separate collection of hazardous household waste in the city of Severodvinsk, and 2) improving the collection of source separated waste. An important part of the project will be to involve and engage the local population in the project and motivate them to deliver their waste to the new pilot collection.
Pilot scale cultivation of kelp in Greenland
Applicant: Aarhus University, Denmark
Countries: Greenland, Faroe Islands
The project aims to implement the cultivation process of selected seaweed species, including Alaria esculenta, in Greenland in a pilot study to investigate whether this is possible under the circumstances and whether the production is promising in terms of both quantity and quality. The cultivation of seaweed has never been tested in Greenland. This project will also assess whether the cultivation of seaweed on the liner is a real alternative to harvest the naturally occurring seaweed. This knowledge is fundamental to the future use and management of Greenland seaweed resources and biodiversity conservation in the Greenland kelp forests.
Access to plant genetic resources as a fundament for local food production in the Arctic
Applicant: Nordic Genetic Resource Centre, Sweden
Countries: Iceland, Norway, Faroe Islands, Greenland
The purpose of the project is to help maintain access to and use of plant genetic resources in the context of climate change in the Arctic. The project will initiate networking between institutions in the field by organizing a workshop on plant genetic resources in the Arctic; provide a better picture of access to plant genetic resources for the production of cereal, assorted vegetables, potatoes, etc.; produce a common vision for the future by studying the need of adapted varieties for local food production, and suggest priority areas and action plans that can provide input to national policy in the Nordic countries.
Wastewater treatment in Nordic Arctic areas: Northern Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland – is it sufficient?
Applicant: Environment Agency, Faroe Islands
Countries: Norway, Iceland, Greenland
The project will bring together actors from institutions responsible for wastewater treatment together. The group will provide a forum for exchange of experience, and will also include persons with expertise in environmental issues. Analyzes of samples at different distances from the discharge point and in different seasons will be performed. The goal of the project is to describe the extent to which the current level of wastewater treatment is sufficient to protect the marine environment of towns and villages surrounding area. The project will present opportunities to improve wastewater treatment, which will subsequently form the basis for policy decisions regarding improvements in waste treatment systems.
Marine resource governance in the Arctic
Applicant: Syddansk Universitet, Denmark
Countries: Iceland, Norway, Greenland
The project will bring together researchers with expertise on the living marine resources and the Arctic Ocean to resource managers and policy makers. The aim is to identify and advise on how the main challenges of a reduced ice cover can be handled in relation to governance of marine resources. An ecosystem and marine biodiversity approach will be used to analyze harvesting practices, invasive species and pollution issues, and to describe opportunities for marine conservation. The project will produce "peer-reviewed" articles, organize workshops and produce a "white paper" to policy makers.
Nordic Arctic NGO Co-operation
Applicant: Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature
Countries: Norway, Iceland, Russia, Finland, Greenland
The objective of the project is to strengthen the currently poor co-operation between the member-driven environmental organisations in the Nordic region. The main activity will be to arrange a strategy workshop, where the Nordic environmental organisations will meet to identify common challenges and develop a strategy for co-operation on Arctic environmental issues. The Nordic and Russian organisations will prepare discussion topics for the workshop, on the basis of their various focus areas. The media in each of the participant countries will then be used.
Arctic Resilience Report
Applicant: Stockholm Environment Institute
Countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland
The project will identify potentials for shock and other changes in the ecosystem and analyse how drivers of change interact in ways that influence the ability to withstand shock. Six workshops will be held between 2012 and 2015. In 2012 the focus will be on developing a course on 'Arctic Resilience', under the University of the Arctic.
Network on environmental impact assessment of industry contaminated areas in the Arctic
Applicant: Umeå University
Countries: Sweden, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Canada
The project will develop the work of an existing University of the Arctic network. The purpose of the network is to start and develop initiatives for environmental assessment of Arctic areas contaminated by industry, with focus on soil and water pollution relating to mining activity, forestry and other industrial and urban circumstances.
Arctic Historical Plants – Part 2
Applicant: NordGen
Countries: Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Faroe Islands
The project is an extension to a previous project financed under the 2011 Nordic Council of Ministers Arctic Programme, and examines historical plant materials and associated cultural history. In this follow-up project, relic plants will be collected in the Arctic areas. Their cultural history will be examined to ensure their preservation and to ensure that any use of them is sustainable. Information will be disseminated to relevant authorities and people particularly involved in the environment and the cultural history sector. This will stimulate collaboration between these bodies.
Best practices prevention of marine oil pollution in the Arctic
Applicant: Norwegian Coastal Administration
Countries: Norway, Sweden, Denmark
The project is run under the auspices of the Arctic Council working group EPPR, which in 2011 decided together with other working groups to identify best practices to prevent oil pollution in the Arctic region. This will involve a focus on shipping, land-based sources, and oil and gas activities. Maritime surveillance is also included, as this is regarded as having a preventative effect. The best practices identified in the project will be published in a report, where they will be presented as recommendations.
Arctic Ocean Review (AOR) Phase II
Applicant: PAME International Secretariat
Countries: Iceland, Norway, Russia, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Finland, Sweden, USA, Canada
The project was approved as part of the Arctic Council PAME work plan in 2009. The project considers marine and land-based legislative instruments that influence the marine environment in the Arctic. The project resulted in the report, AOR Phase 1, about existing measures (2011), and now a final report is being prepared with recommendations to the Arctic Council.
Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA)
Applicant: CAFF International Secretariat
Countries: Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Finland, Norway, Sweden
The project is a continuation of the project with the same name, which received funding from the Arctic programme in 2010. A report, 'The Arctic Biodiversity Trends – 2010: selected indicators of change', was issued in 2010. The report contains trend indicators for Arctic biodiversity based on indicators developed by the CAFF Circumpolar Biodiversity Programme. The purpose of this project is to produce a scientific publication that will comprise chapters written by leading researchers in all Arctic Council member countries. It will result in policy recommendations to the Arctic Council.
Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme (CBMP)
Applicant: CAFF International Secretariat
Countries: Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Finland, Norway, Sweden
The CBMP project is based on the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment, and will evaluate status and trends in Arctic biodiversity. CBMP will develop the circumpolar infrastructure for existing and future assessment of biodiversity, in collaboration with the EU FP7-financed INTERACT project. The project will include development of background material, two workshops will be held, and a web-portal will be developed that will handle data and show the results of the monitoring plan. In 2012 the 'Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Monitoring Plan' will be completed.
Arctic Conference in the Nordic-Baltic Wetlands Initiative (NorBalWet)
Applicant: Århus University
Countries: Denmark, Greenland, Finland, Iceland
The principal objective of the project is to strengthen the regional collaboration in NorBalWet and other existing initiatives in the Arctic relating to wetlands and climate change. This will be achieved by arranging a conference in Greenland that will produce a conference report. In addition, a literature study will form the basis of a draft of a Nordic Council of Ministers report, for which an application will be made for funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers Terrestrial Co-operation Programme.
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