Descrizione del progetto
Le comunità locali diventano più aperte nei confronti delle soluzioni per lo scongelamento del permafrost
Il permafrost si trova sotto il 22 % della superficie terrestre esposta dell’emisfero settentrionale e si sta scongelando a un ritmo allarmante come conseguenza diretta dei cambiamenti climatici. Quando si scongela, il permafrost rilascia nell’ambiente grandi quantità di materia organica e contaminanti. Inoltre, lo scongelamento del permafrost ha un impatto drammatico sulle infrastrutture delle comunità locali, con conseguenze di ampia portata per la salute, l’economia e la società. Il progetto ILLUQ, finanziato dall’UE, fornirà una risposta a queste complesse questioni. Riunendo un consorzio interdisciplinare impegnato nella ricerca partecipativa con le parti interessate e i titolari dei diritti locali, fornirà il primo sguardo olistico allo scongelamento del permafrost, all’inquinamento e al benessere umano e ambientale nell’Artico. Inoltre, fornirà alle parti interessate informazioni sui rischi derivanti dal rilascio di contaminanti, dal malfunzionamento delle infrastrutture e dai cambiamenti dell’ecosistema.
Obiettivo
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, including heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and microbiological agents 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. There is a need for an integrated and participatory approach to the complex issues at the overlap between climate change, permafrost thaw, infrastructure damage, contaminants, health and well-being and for solutions founded on the cultural, natural and social frameworks of local communities.
ILLUQ is an interdisciplinary project rooted in participatory research with local stake- and rightsholders. Its mission is to tackle this need by providing the first holistic approach to permafrost thaw, pollution, One Health and well-being in the Arctic and delivering timely products on the risks from contaminant release, infrastructure failure and ecosystem changes to stakeholders.
ILLUQ’s endeavor is a direct answer to the pressing needs of communities on potentially disappearing permafrost. It targets the missing link between studies performed by scientists, engineers and consultants in local communities and solutions with local stake- and rightsholders focusing on the long-term implications of decision-making in the context of permafrost thaw, a time frame generally overlooked in existing governance frameworks.
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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinatore
27570 Bremerhaven
Germania