We are all tied to the Arctic

This article originally appeared in The Circle: Arctic Biodiversity: Where is it heading?. The Circle shares perspectives from across the Arctic, and the views expressed here are not necessarily those of WWF. See all Circle issues here.

Arctic biodiversity knows no borders—nor do the environmental drivers affecting it. But the carrying capacity of the Earth has limits, and they are not negotiable. MIA RÖNKÄ explains why the ongoing biodiversity and climate crises call for collaboration and co-creation—and how the Finnish chairship of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) from 2021 to 2023 will emphasize a sustainable, participatory approach and a just transition that acknowledges the knowledge, cultures and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

IN SEPTEMBER 2021, I walked the slopes of Saana Mountain in the Saami homeland in Finnish Lapland. The autumn colours were beautiful, but the creeks in the mountain were desiccated after an extremely dry summer, and there were none of the usual mushrooms. A local reindeer herder was concerned that as a result, the reindeer will struggle in winter. Similarly, a researcher I spoke to in the area pointed to the unique vegetation and described the delicate mosaic of microclimates and snow conditions, explaining that the effects of the climate crisis are threatening these highly specialized species.

Negative feedback loop threatens biodiversity

Climate change and biodiversity loss are affecting Arctic Indigenous Peoples and communities, compromising their well-being, health, safety, livelihoods, food security and culture. Pollutants and other environmental drivers that originate outside of the Arctic make their presence known in the far North, while climate change and biodiversity loss in the Arctic have global effects.

On top of that, climate change and biodiversity loss interact, fuelling a negative feedback loop. This issue needs to be addressed and halted collaboratively, internationally and holistically. Scientific research, Indigenous and local knowledge should be used together to guide our responses, such as by informing conservation decisions, land use planning and the sustainability of livelihoods. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the conservation of marine, coastal, freshwater and terrestrial biodiversity, and implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the Arctic.

The Arctic Council´s new strategic plan emphasizes biodiversity, climate change and the co-production of knowledge. These are also at the core of the Arctic Council’s CAFF Working Group.

Three central priorities

A key CAFF priority during Finland´s chairship is the new Action Plan for Arctic Biodiversity 2023–2030, which will provide a framework for cooperation on biodiversity conservation. It will offer a fuller picture of the state of Arctic biodiversity, its resilience to climate change and the state of its conservation in the global context. The action plan will link to the new Global Biodiversity Framework (currently being developed), the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Arctic Council´s strategic plan for 2021 to 2030.

A second priority for Finland’s CAFF chairship is to address the ecological, social and cultural effects of the climate crisis through a project focusing on the impacts on Arctic ecosystems and associated climate feedbacks—a collaboration between CAFF and the Arctic Council’s Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme Working Group. This project aims to combine knowledge systems to assess how climate change affects Arctic ecosystems and related feedbacks and to inform strategies for adaptation and resilience.

The third priority is the co-creation and communication of Arctic biodiversity conservation. CAFF is arranging calls and workshops to facilitate meaningful engagement of Arctic Council Permanent Participants and offering training on Indigenous knowledge and co-production of knowledge.

CAFF’s focus on youth is part of its co-creation and communication priority: CAFF has a Youth Advisory Committee, is implementing a Youth Engagement Strategy, and provides youth fellowships and internships. As well, the Finnish CAFF chairship plans to launch a writing competition for Arctic youth, conduct video interviews with school children to learn about their views, concerns and wishes for Arctic biodiversity, and provide learning materials about Arctic biodiversity. We will also plan the next Arctic Youth Summit.

During the Finnish CAFF chairship, most board meetings will take place in the Saami homeland in close collaboration with local communities. CAFF will also train journalists on Arctic biodiversity issues and produce a video series about Arctic biodiversity. The next Arctic Biodiversity Congress, scheduled for 2023 in Russia, will be an important forum for communicating the Actions for Arctic Biodiversity and other Arctic biodiversity topics.

Through collaboration and cocreation of conservation, we can achieve a just transition and biodiversityrespectful leadership, drawing a clear line from policy and economics to consumer choices. This transition is needed because the limits of the Earth are not negotiable. Ecological sustainability should not be viewed as parallel to the other dimensions of sustainability, but rather as the very basis of them.

***

MIA RÖNKÄ is chair of the Arctic Council’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group and of CAFF’s Circumpolar Seabird Expert Group. She is an adjunct professor in environmental ecology and works as a scientist, science writer and poet.