This session addresses topics concerning social-ecological resilience in Alaska and the
Far North. As the Arctic is undergoing significant social-ecological change at a rapid pace,
dynamic drivers of change, such as climate warming and political-economic globalization,
are challenging the adaptive capacities of arctic communities, ecosystems, and governance
institutions. Because high latitude change is so pronounced, Alaskan systems are some of
the closest to regime shift compared to other systems in the world. We explore the dynamics
of vulnerable systems to first document their characteristics, and secondly to see what
lessons could be learned that are broadly applicable as other systems around the globe become
increasingly vulnerable. From climate-forced migration of traditional communities to
the arctic oil and gas boom, Alaska provides a plethora of pressing questions for applied
resilience studies. There will be ten speed-talk presentations on flashpoint issues in the areas
of natural resource governance for sustainability, education and knowledge sharing to
enhance community wellbeing, and perceptions and responses of local-scale stakeholders to
social and ecological changes. Presenters will approach the session by placing emphasis on
finding real-world solutions for the challenges of social-ecological change through multi-scale
interdisciplinary research. Anyone interested in the future of the Arctic is encouraged to
attend.
