Nordic seminar on Megatrends in the Arctic

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Global climate change has created great pressure on the nature and the people living in the Arctic. The average temperature in the Arctic rises, glaciers and the sea ice are melting and the availability of natural resources is increasing. This creates concerns for the nature, the communities and the people living in the Arctic, but also new opportunities are arising.

The Nordic countries emphasize that the new possibilities in the Arctic must be explored with respect for the nature and the environment, while the Arctic peoples' welfare and development must be secured. The development of modern welfare societies focusing on the people in the Arctic is the overarching focus of the Nordic Cooperation Programme for a Sustainable Development in the Arctic.

At the Ministerial meeting at the Arctic Council in Nuuk in May 2011 the book Megatrends was presented as Denmark ended its chair-manship of the Arctic Council.

The Megatrends described in this book are trends deemed so powerful that they have the potential to transform society across social categories and at all levels, from individuals and local-level players to global structures, and eventually to change our ways of living and thinking!

A main objective of this seminar is to address the most substantial Megatrends, namely: Demographic challenges; Human capital and the knowledge economy; and Green growth.

The results from the seminar will hopefully lead to developing exciting new projects and cooperation on a Nordic level. Another objective is to discover relationships and possible synergies between the activities of the participating agencies in the areas defined by Megatrends.

The seminar is arranged by Nordregio and the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Participation in the seminar is free of charge. The number of participants at the seminar is limited.

Deadline for registration for the seminar is 25 May 2012