86 Items

Men haul sections of whale skin and blubber as a bowhead whale is butchered

AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File

Policy Brief - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

The Arctic Warning: Climate-Related Challenges for Community Health

| Aug. 30, 2023

As the biosphere is altered by anthropogenic climate change, the fundamental sources of human health are at risk. Climate change is a healthcare emergency. While this is true globally, the Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average which
puts Arctic populations who are already at special risk, at further risk. This policy brief provides an overview of the climate-related changes that are impacting Arctic citizens’ health now.

flooding in Nome during Typhoon Merbok

AP Photo/Peggy Fagerstrom

Policy Brief - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Climate Change Adaptation Issues for Arctic and Sub-Arctic Cities

| Aug. 30, 2023

Arctic and sub-Arctic cities are already experiencing the impacts of rapid climate change in the region, which pose severe risks to urban infrastructure and the health and livelihoods of urban residents. Environmental changes and extreme weather events compound existing social, economic, and political stressors faced by northern cities. Given these challenges, local authorities are increasingly hard-pressed to provide and maintain safe living and environmental conditions for residents. By learning from these experiences and challenges, decision-makers at various levels of
government can implement further actions to enhance cities’ resilience locally and globally in the face of the adverse effects of climate change.

U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker Healy

Devin Powell/NOAA via AP

Policy Brief - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Ocean Issues in Alaska: From Fisheries Management to Public Safety and Security

| Aug. 23, 2023

Alaska is an important region for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), given the
Department’s statutory authority and responsibilities. This reality applies with particular force to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), with its jurisdiction over fisheries enforcement, drug interdiction, marine safety, oil spill response, search and rescue, and more. This policy brief provides an overview of the challenges facing the USCG in its domains of operation around Alaska—the Arctic Ocean, the North Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, the
Chukchi Sea, and the adjacent communities.

Russian icebreaker makes a path for a cargo ship

AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

Policy Brief - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Arctic Shipping: Trends, Challenges and Ways Forward

| Aug. 23, 2023

The Arctic is continuing to warm three to four times faster than the global average and the sea ice extent is declining precipitously during all months of the year. Due to these trends, shipping activity in the region has expanded significantly over the past two decades. This brings new challenges to maritime safety, sensitive ecosystems, and local people.

Flags of the 8 Arctic states and 6 Permanent Participants

Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs/Gunnar Vigfússon

Policy Brief - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Opportunities for Multilateral Cooperation on Climate Change in the Arctic

| Aug. 16, 2023

This policy brief provides an overview of the importance of and opportunities for multilateral cooperation in the Arctic on issues related to climate change.

pharmacist administers COVID-19 vaccine to patient

AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

Journal Article - Arctic Yearbook

The State of Research Focused on COVID-19 in the Arctic: A Meta-Analysis

| July 20, 2023

The Arctic region faces unique risks and challenges as a result of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions taken to respond to it. Research offers an important opportunity to understand the region’s unique conditions and characteristics for pandemic management. This article contributes to this knowledge building effort by surveying the literature that explicitly focuses on COVID-19 in the Arctic between 2020 and 2022. The authors analyze this emerging body of work with a focus on identifying overarching trends and map the themes and topics considered in this literature with a focus on highlighting topics that are prominent and those that are conspicuously underrepresented.

Russian navy missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov

Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

Analysis & Opinions - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

The Geopolitics of Climate Change: Scenarios and Pathways for Arctic 2050

| July 06, 2023

In May 2023, the Arctic Initiative held a closed-door workshop for climate scientists, regional experts, Indigenous and youth leaders, and national security officials from six Arctic states, with the goal of identifying the most plausible scenarios and pathways for how geopolitics linked to climate change in the Arctic might evolve and actionable steps that the U.S. government might consider taking today to manage emerging risks. Eyck Fremann summarizes his key takeaways from the event.

bald eagles and crows at Juneau dump

Wikimedia Commons/Gillfoto

Analysis & Opinions - New Security Beat

Solving Municipal Solid Waste Management Challenges in Arctic Cities

| June 26, 2023

Unlike industrial and other forms of pollution, the long-standing, pervasive problem of municipal solid waste in Arctic cities receives comparatively little attention. As rapid warming in the region compromises existing waste disposal methods such as landfills, Arctic cities will need to develop comprehensive solid waste management strategies for the health of residents and the environment.