Better Future for the Arctic
This project looks at the Arctic Frozen Commons (FC), which includes the ice, snow, and frozen ground that many communities and groups share. It connects the science of the frozen Arctic with the cultural and social importance it holds for local and Indigenous people in Alaska and Mongolia. By bringing together art, science, and Indigenous knowledge, the project helps us understand how to protect and sustain these frozen areas as the Arctic changes. This teamwork across different fields is key to planning a better future for the Arctic.
Our study focuses on the Tsagaannuur and Bayanzurkh soums in Mongolia’s Khovsgol Province and the rural and urban communities of McGrath and Nikolai in Alaska, USA. These regions share challenges such as transportation accessibility, reliance on natural resource extraction, and climate change impacts, including shifting snow depths and variations in permafrost conditions.
Funded in part by the National Science Foundation Award Number 2127346. Collaborative research partners include George Washington University, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Northern Iowa, and the University of New Hampshire, and Arizona State University.
