The ACAF is build on five working packages (WPs).
WP 1: Identifying and describing partner networks related to the adaptation to climate change, strengthening their structure and carrying the principal responsibility for overall project coordination.
The project will compile information on international and national parties, as well as key parties active in the bioeconomy and circular economy partner network, especially in the Lapland, North Ostrobothnia and Kainuu regions: municipalities, towns, businesses, governmental bodies, research institutes, educational establishments, advisory organisations and other parties active in the area. Already existing networks will be strengthened especially through communication.
Actions: Collecting information on the active parties, communication, creating an open electronic platform and a plan on its maintenance, arranging workshops.
WP2: Arranging themed workshops to promote climate resilience.
In this work package, actions to mitigate climate change will be connected to actions to adapt to climate change to boost climate resilience. The workshops will be planned through Arctic cooperation on topics important to the member states and realised in at least three different member states. The workshops will be directed at experts from organisations doing practical work and representatives of educational and development organisations. Resilience materials on the best climate-resilient solutions generated during the Arctic Council chairmanship of Finland in 2017–2019 will be utilised when planning the workshops. The workshops will result in an international partnership network consisting of the active parties. Each workshop will create proposals on potential development and training needs.
The workshop themes will be further specified during the project period, based on topical issues in the partner network. The workshop themes may include the following, for example:
- Actions related to preparation for local weather and climate risks, such as the impact of silviculture on the prevention and mitigation of forest fires and forest decay, climate-resilient actions in the management and use of forests, adaptation to changing natural conditions, utilising open data and geographical information in the development of business operations and promotion of adaptation, as well as coordinating livelihoods based on forests (berry industry, other collected products, reindeer husbandry, nature tourism, hunting, fishing).
- Integrating climate change mitigation and adaptation to climate change, e.g. wood-based products and materials to replace fossil raw materials and the significance of forests in managing floodwaters. Developing sustainability indicators for parties doing practical work; acceptability of the utilisation of natural resources.
- Mainstreaming climate resilience by motivating established operators, creating interaction between parties active in the forest industry and multiple-purpose forestry (natural products, tourism), making existing good (sustainable) practices visible through communication, creating interaction with environmentally conscious young people (the operators of the future) in collaboration with educational establishments.
The project will cooperate with other projects to combine different means of climate change mitigation and adaptation. This action will be linked to the project Forest fires in Fennoscandia in changing climate and forest structures 2019–2020 coordinated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, for example. In practice, the network expertise of the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), other parties researching forest fires and practical operators in the management of forest fires will be put into practice as part of the Arctic bioeconomy and circular economy partner network. Furthermore, the project’s workshops will also involve cooperation with a project of the Ministry of the Environment on promoting wood construction and carbon sequestration.
Actions: Arranging workshops.
WP 3: Creating the Finnish hub as part of the Arctic Foods Innovation Cluster.
The work package is based on an initiative by Canada on the establishment of an Arctic Foods Innovation Cluster covering eight Arctic countries. The purpose of the cluster is to bring together parties active in the international food sector value chain to consider the challenges and opportunities brought on by climate change involving food security, among other issues, and to find new business models and innovations in the food chain. Another purpose of the cluster is to highlight business opportunities in the Arctic food chain and attract capital for the investments of businesses active in the Arctic.
This work package will create principles for the operation of the cluster and identify and bring together key actors in the food chain of Finland’s Arctic areas to create a national cooperation network (hub) as part of the international Arctic Foods Innovation Cluster coordinated by Canada to promote food security and food innovations.
Actions: Arranging workshops, facilitating operations, surveying financing options (the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the European Regional Development Fund, Business Finland, etc.), applying for any extended financing to continue the work package after the project period and participating in the preparation of the final report.
WP 4: Creating Arctic climate resilience tools and indicators describing climate resilience.
Developing and putting into practice new Arctic climate resilience tools and good practices to manage weather and climate risks. Developing indicators describing the climate resilience of the Arctic to allow for monitoring and development of the results of the activities.
Actions: Arranging international themed workshops and seminars, describing the indicators and participating in the preparation of the final report.
WP 5: Arranging other events/attending other events.
In connection with the Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit conference on 12–13 November 2019, the project arranged a session at which Finnish and international partners presented their climate resilience tools that were developed and deployed through Arctic collaboration. The theme of the 2019 event was climate change and young people, and the session highlighted the different perspectives of young people, such as the importance of adapting to climate change while mitigating climate change and the promotion of food security. The event was a good platform to share expertise and information, as well as to create new contacts to strengthen the Arctic bioeconomy and circular economy network.
During the Arctic Council chairmanship of Iceland, the project will attend events to exhibit the resilience work done in Finland. This will promote communication in the Arctic bioeconomy and circular economy network and the spreading of expertise, as well as allow the project to cooperate with Iceland, Sweden and the United States to build the next potential resilience forum.
Actions: Arranging and attending events, workshops and panels.