Arctic in Rapid Transition: Priorities for the future of marine and coastal research in the Arctic (original) (raw)
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(KMI) is a government-affiliated research organization under the umbrella of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Science (NRCS) in the Republic of Korea. Since its establishment in 1984, KMI has been a major think-tank in the development of national maritime and fisheries policies including shipping and logistics, port development, coastal and ocean management, maritime safety and security, and fisheries affairs. Currently, KMI is building research capacity on the new ocean industries, the so-called Blue Economy, for sustainable coastal and ocean resources development. KMI's international research network covers not only the Asian region but also other regions such as Africa, the Pacific islands, the Americas, Europe and the polar areas. The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the US Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options. The Center's 21-acre Honolulu campus, adjacent to the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, is located midway between Asia and the US mainland and features research, residential, and international conference facilities. The Center's Washington, DC, office focuses on preparing the United States for an era of growing Asia Pacific prominence. The KMI/EWC series on the Future of the Marine Arctic aims to provide an informal and inclusive forum where key individuals from various relevant countries and a range of stakeholders can develop relations of trust that will allow them to discuss complex and sometimes difficult emerging Arctic maritime issues in an open way with a spirit of problem solving rather than advocacy.
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Given the manifold developments at play in the changing Arctic region, we also need manifold disciplines to tackle the challenges on the way towards sustainable Arctic futures. For example, natural sciences observe and model the changing nature of the Arctic sea ice, environment and atmosphere. Social sciences like law, economics and political science can provide valuable input as to the likely development of, for example, the pace and extent of Arctic resource exploration and exploitation. This data informs natural science models as to the expected amount of pollutants and black carbon from Arctic sources and thus how we can expect Arctic air pollution to develop, the role of black carbon for the future development of Arctic sea ice, and the possibility of long-range transport of pollutants between Arctic and non-Arctic regions. It further provides data as to the possible and likely effects on Arctic societies and cultures. Multidisciplinary research work is also indispensable to disclose the ever-tightening connections between Arctic and non-Arctic actors, processes, systems and stake-and rights-holders. The involvement of more and more non-Arctic actors in Arctic governance on the one hand provides insights in the possible investments and social development of the region. On the other hand, it discloses the delicate relationship between opportunities and responsibilities that non-Arctic actors have in relation to Arctic changes. While multidisciplinary research is indeed indispensable to achieve advances in Arctic research, this should not be understood as replacing disciplinary research. State-of-the-art research from all disciplines is of course still invaluable and very often forms the very basis for fruitful multidisciplinary research or synergies between separate disciplines.