Traditional Environmental Knowledge in the Arctic cities Igor Esau Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen, Norway Concept of TEK • Introduced in Ecology as the concept of Traditional Ecological Knowledge: • "a cumulative body of knowledge, belief, and practice, evolving by accumulation and handed down through generations through traditional practices and beliefs. It concerns the relationship of living beings (including human) with their traditional groups and with their environment." [1] • TEK is commonly used in natural resource management as a substitute for baseline environmental data to measure changes over time in remote regions that have little recorded scientific data [2] • Originally applied to aboriginal population and mixed with “native knowledge” about everything • Connects rational, objective (scientific) knowledge and subjective (cultural) concepts of the environment • Materializes in environmental practices in the Arctic cities populated by recent migrants from the South
[1] There are many different definitions of TEK [2] Freeman, M.M.R. 1992. The nature and utility of traditional ecological knowledge. Northern Perspectives, 20(1):9-12 Urbanization and migration in Arctic
Arctic population is heavily dominated by non-indigenous urban population
Flourishing by the end of 1980s, may Arctic cities are now in decline but some important cities continue to grow TEK system of the urban migrants from the South
Consider the TEK of migrants and its physical implementation in the another • Soil/permafrost destruction (more severe) bioclimatic zones through • Green areas, trees landscape and ecological changes • Agriculture, specifically urban agriculture • Introduced TEK practices change the local climate and ecology • Urban heat pollution • Provide an opportunity to look at the future Arctic environment
Soil/Permafrost destruction Sewage and thermokarst
Thermokarst depression on the edge of the Geophysical Institute UAF parking lot (Fairbanks, Alaska). Surface disturbance related to the parking lot construction triggered permafrost degradation and ground ice melting.
Recently recognized phenomenon of permafrost thaw by running water (sewage leakages, channeled runoff etc) Trees
Arctic climate is hostile for trees Densely forested (cold and wet soils, low summer park area around temperatures, short vegetation the central hospital season) in Novy Urengoy (forest-tundra biome) Trees are deeply connected with the cultural traditions of urban migrants
Migrants recreate the forested environment in the Arctic cities Trees on a cemetery in Nuuk, Greenland (tundra biome)
Planting seedlings in Norilsk (southern tundra biome) Urban agriculture
The environment and resources in rural areas Resources in the rural areas of northern Norway represent an area of great potential for agriculture-based business, although there is a high level of conflict between the various stakeholders (by Bioforsk North)
Garden in northern Norway (photo: P. Grabhorn)
Poteto field in Greenland
Agricultural plots in Kolyma area (forest- tundra) Vegetation change in West Siberia 2000-2014
100,00%
80,00%
60,00%
40,00%
20,00%
0,00% Tundra Forest-Tundra Northern Taiga Middle Taiga Negative Positive
Difference within the forest type 100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0% ED EL Brd DN MNM M MBM UF Negative Positive With Victoria Miles (NERSC) Urban heat pollution (winter)
6
5
4 o 3 2 Intensity 1 0 C Degree LST
Year
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
With Victoria Miles (NERSC) Objective measure of the urban environmental change Conclusions: Positive effect of introduced TEK practices
• 95% of the Arctic population are urban dwellers • The major part of them are migrants from the South • They came with their traditional environmental knowledge systems, which are incompatible with the severe realities of the Arctic climate • Migrants attempt to implement the key elements of their TEK in infrastructure, agriculture, tree planting • This activity leads to modification and frequently to destruction of the Arctic environment • Arctic vegetation is sensitive to the temperature and soils • Urban heat pollution and use of send are unique factors with large positive effect on the vegetation cover productivity • Next … 60 years long environmental change experiment 60 years long experiment: GULAG project 501 - 503
Railway Salekhard (66N) – Igarka (70N) Construction by GULAG 501 – 503 in 1947-1953 Suddenly stopped and left for natural factors 60 years long experiment: GULAG project 501 - 503 Railway Salekhard (66N) – Igarka (70N) Construction by GULAG 501 – 503 in 1947-1953 Suddenly stopped and left for natural factors What changes do we observe 60 years after the human interference?
Soil warming (send); bogging (other areas); enhanced tree growth