Peter L. Pulsifer (1), Heidi McCann (1), Chris McNeave (1), Elizabeth Sheffield (1), Shari Gearheard (1), Colleen Strawhacker (1), Henry Huntington (2)
1 Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic, National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
2 Huntington Consulting, Eagle River Alaska, USA
The Arctic region is experiencing rapid environmental change that is being driven by a number of forces including climate change and related increases in human activities, particularly in the resource extraction sector. Significant and rapid changes in weather patterns and food webs are giving rise to economic, social, and cultural changes most notably in the area of subsistence harvesting and food security. The magnitude and rate of change is increasing the importance of sharing observations and knowledge within and between communities and the broader world. Even in the North, where access can be a challenge, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is an important component of the data and knowledge sharing process. Mobile tools are being used in Community Based Monitoring programs and day-‐to-‐day activities to record and disseminate observations. Social media and other online tools are providing a very effective platform for discussing and analyzing observations and sharing knowledge. Advanced web-‐based mapping systems bring together spatio-‐temporal data and other types of representation (e.g. multimedia) to provide a holistic account of a changing world, including species range shifts and changes in populations. In this presentation we share experiences gained through almost a decade of activity under the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA) project. The use of ICT to mediate diverse data and knowledge in support of social, economic and cultural adaptation to change is highlighted.