Arctic Council - Arctic Biodiversity Assessment

In November 2006, Ministers to the Arctic Council endorsed the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA), a follow-up project to the well-known Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. All work on this project is carried out by the Arctic Council working group, the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF).

Simply put, biodiversity is the variety of life. The ABA will combine and evaluate data on biodiversity from across the Arctic. This information is necessary for governments, organisations and Arctic residents to help ensure sustainability of Arctic biodiversity and Arctic communities. For this assessment, the AAC is gathering information on biodiversity that member nations have due to their close contact and attachment to the land. The AAC is encouraging first nations can share their concerns about impacts to biodiversity in the Arctic and subarctic regions.

So far, the AAC has been actively involved in planning this project and has contacted communities requesting their participation in this project. A coordinator, Colleen Henry, has been hired to facilitate community participation. As part of that task, Colleen has begun gathering published data from communities, libraries, archives and the internet. She is also asking communities to actively participate in this assessment by holding group interviews with community members to include in the report.

It is very important that First Nations include their Traditional Knowledge (TK) into this international assessment as TK will be integrated with scientific knowledge. This assessment cannot be solely based on scientific knowledge. It must include TK to form a complete picture of the changes and wide ranging impacts of those changes to our natural world and importantly, to the people who live here. Community members have said time and time again that changes are occurring. It is very important that communities have a fair opportunity to share their concerns and suggestions since people in these communities are most susceptible to environmental changes.

The ABA will be used to inform governments, policy makers, scientists and residents in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. It will also be used as a “springboard” for future related project. Multiple products will result from the ABA, namely:

  • A 2010 summary report for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
  • An in-depth scientific report to be completed by 2012
  • An overview report, for policy makers and conservation managers to be completed by 2013
  • A policy recommendations report to be completed by 2013
  • Multimedia productions and translations to follow in 2014

First nations will be able to use the results from the ABA for land use planning and resource management and conservation.

Financial Resources

The AAC has secured funding from the Walter Duncan and Gordon Foundation and the Northern Strategy Trust Fund to procure content and to author chapters for the ABA. The AAC is continuing its efforts to inform member nations of this important work and to gather data to include in the ABA. This work will be ongoing until 2013.

Next Steps

Since changes in biodiversity affect the traditional lifestyles and food sources of our member nations in Alaska, Yukon and Northwest Territories, it’s necessary for members to contribute input to the ABA. This assessment will have the attention of national leaders in the circumpolar north and thus provides an excellent medium for Indigenous Peoples to share their concerns, observations and recommendations to governments, scientists and policy makers. To complete the ABA we must:

  • Continue to encourage communities to participate in this assessment
  • Gather existing data showing changes to biodiversity and their effects on traditional lifestyles, food sources and culture
  • Identify lead authors to develop the AAC’s section of the assessment
  • Compile and analyze the data and begin planning the written submission to the CAFF working group
  • Send out the authored section to member nations for review
  • Revise as directed by reviewers.

If you have ideas, input or questions, please contact Colleen Henry at (867) 393-9241 or email Colleen.