The second volume of the “Arctic Human Development Report: Regional Processes and Global Linkages” (AHDR-II) provided an update to the first AHDR (2004) and appeared at its tenth anniversary. This most current assessment of human development in the Arctic has shown that the region continues to face significant challenges, e.g., outmigration from local communities, emerging health challenges, emerging threats related to climate change, persistent disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous standards of living, continued gaps in education between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and between males and females, growing human and fiscal capacity challenges, violence and discrimination, and threats to traditional livelihoods. At the same time, Arctic success stories are many – and should be underscored. While the region is facing rapid change and complex challenges, we can distinguish adaptation, innovation and resilience as characterizing many northern communities. This assessment has noted the many contrasts between and within regions across the Arctic, between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, between males and females. As emphasized in our focus on Arctic community viability and adaptation, many factors come into play in determining the success and ability of communities to adapt to change. Examples include the increasing use of Indigenous knowledge; the increase in Indigenous participation, control and ownership; the continued growth of innovative governance arrangements; and that the emergence of Arctic identities and a sense of Indigenous identity have become an asset rather than a hinderance.

Each of the ten topical chapters of the AHDR-II provide an overview over the state of the art, and offer policy-relevant conclusions. For example, the chapter on “cultures and identities” concluded that “interest in and awareness of the Arctic is growing, and Indigenous culture is increasingly seen as a resource in the North. Great cultural variation and complexity characterize the Arctic. For Arctic Indigenous peoples the challenge is not of choosing between ‘modernity’ and ‘tradition,’ but to find a fulfilling combination of the two.” (p. 478). The chapter on “economic systems,” on the other hand, concluded that “the Arctic will remain a high cost region. The effects of environmental changes in the Arctic may in some cases benefit economic development, but in others will make resource development more costly. Natural resource production will continue as a driving force of the Arctic economy, although expectations of higher prices and lower costs for Arctic resources may be overly optimistic.” (p. 480). Crosscutting trends across all domains and topics include urbanization, a dramatic increase of interest in the Arctic from beyond the region, as well as continued disparities in formal educational achievement in the northern regions of the Arctic states, compared to national averages. Likewise, trends toward the increase in legitimate participation in Arctic decision-making and continued innovation in governance, as well as growing expectations for resource extractive industries, coupled with an increased interest in economic diversification, can be seen as crosscutting trends.

At the same time, gaps in knowledge have been identified. These include understanding the needs of Arctic youth and the elderly; the gendered dimensions of Arctic change; “soft securities,” such as food, water, and energy; as well as the role of Arctic settlements and communities. The identification of these gaps led to a number of suggestions for follow-up activities. These included dissemination activities, such as a series of well-targeted “townhall” meetings in Northern settlements. On the other hand, an Arctic youth focused AHDR, that is a report targeting the next generation of Arctic residents, was suggested. The majority of funds of funds of this grant have been spent to provide travel support for lead authors and early career scholars, enabling their participation in completing and disseminating the AHDR-II, as well as in laying the groundwork for a future Arctic Youth report.

Last Modified: 07/29/2018
Modified by: Peter P Schweitzer