ILLUQ

About the project

ILLUQ is an interdisciplinary research project on climate change, permafrost, pollution and health, and adaptation in Arctic coastal communities. The project is field-based and includes extensive fieldwork in three case study regions: Disko Bay, West Greenland, Svalbard, and the Mackenzie River Delta in Canada.

ILLUQ involves close collaboration across disciplines and sciences among many international partner institutions and is rooted in participatory research with local stake- and rightsholders. At SAI the research is led by Dr. Joan Nymand Larsen, senior scientist and research director, and professor, faculty of social sciences, University of Akureyri.

Permafrost underlies 22% of the Northern Hemisphere's exposed land surface and is thawing at an alarming rate as a direct consequence of climate change. Permafrost thaw releases large quantities of organic matter and contaminants into the environment. Contaminants locked in permafrost are a risk for both human and animal health. In addition, permafrost thaw dramatically impacts infrastructure in local communities with wide-ranging consequences for health, economy, and society.

Yet the social, physical and health components of permafrost thaw have traditionally been studied in isolation, leading to inadequate policy options that ignore the holistic nature of the threat. ILLUQ investigates the risks from contaminant release, infrastructure failure and ecosystem changes to stakeholders from a holistic approach. It targets the missing link between studies performed by scientists, engineers and consultants in local communities and solutions with local stake- and rightsholders.

The work includes facilitating mechanisms and processes by which Arctic communities can make informed decisions and find solutions for adaptation to permafrost thaw, focusing on the long-term implications of decision-making.

The ILLUQ consortium includes 16 international partner institutions from 10 countries and is led by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Science in Germany (Prof. Hugues Lantuit).

ILLUQ is funded by the EU’s Horizon Research and Innovation Action Fund.

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For further information, please feel free to contact Prof. Joan Nymand Larsen, jnl@unak.is.