Methodology of socially-oriented observations and the possibilities of their implementation in the Arctic resilience assessment.

Abstract

The methodology of socially-oriented observations (SOO) started to be developed within the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007–2008 PPS Arctic project. The main objective of SOO is to increase knowledge and observation of changes in quality of life conditions and to reveal trends in human capital and capacities. SOO are needed also to assess and monitor trends in resilience and sustainability of coupled socio-ecological systems and to predict changes. Moreover they should help to identify and monitor the implementation of local plans and adaptation strategies that will stimulate human capital improvement and act not only as the agent of economic modernisation, but as important directions for building resilient socio-ecological systems. The first experiments to implement SOO methodology were carried out in the municipal regions of the Russian north in different biomes (from coastal tundra to southern taiga zone) of Murmansk, Arkhangelsk Oblast and the Republic of Komi. SOO approaches, based both on local people's perceptions and statistics, help to identify the main issues and targets for life quality, human capital and environment improvement and thus to distinguish the most important changes and trends for further monitoring. Key issues were identified in the state of human capital and quality of life conditions: depopulation, increasing unemployment, aging, declining physical and mental health, quality of education, loss of traditional knowledge, marginalisation etc. Human induced disturbances such as uncontrolled forests cuttings and poaching are increasing while observed changes in climate and biota have become additional factors influencing land use and overall sustainability. The main aim of this paper is to show how the methodology of SOO may help to delineate main thresholds arising within socio-ecological systems for their resilience assessment.

Responding to Climate and Environmental Change Impacts on Human Health via Integrated Surveillance in the Circumpolar North: A Systematic Realist Review

“…Using guidelines for public health surveillance attributes set by the ECDC, the CDC, and other relevant literature, ten attributes of integrated surveillance systems in the Arctic and Subarctic regions were identified within the included articles: acceptability (48%; e.g., [66,90,91]), data quality (48%; e.g., [86,92,93]), stability (47%; e.g., [94,95,96]), reliability (39%; e.g., [75,81,88]), relevance (38%; e.g., [89,97,98]), representativeness (36%; e.g., [74,99,100]), timeliness (34%; e.g., [89,91,101]), scalability (28%; e.g., [76,102,103]), flexibility (21%; e.g., [104,105,106]), and simplicity (12%; e.g., [58,73,90]) (Appendix C, Table A2). Surveillance attributes described and/or recommended in the literature were related to the purpose and intended uses of integrated surveillance systems and data, as well as to each system’s operational context.…”

“…For instance, in articles that described integrated surveillance systems used for the identification of changes in human risk of exposure to environmental contaminants over time, considerations for attributes such as system stability and relevance were often reported (e.g., [103,107]). Stability was a particularly important attribute when a consistent, context-specific supply of surveillance information was needed to help address or explain environmental shifts that had slower, gradual effects on human health (e.g., [100,108]).…”

Future changes in the supply of goods and services from natural ecosystems: prospects for the European north

“…Moreover, socially-oriented observations (SOO) based on local people's perceptions and statistics, help to identify the main issues and targets for life quality, human capital, and environmental improvement, thus setting targets for further monitoring. SOO in the Russian European North show that human-induced disturbances, such as uncontrolled forests cuttings and poaching, are increasing while observed changes in climate and biota have become additional factors influencing land use and overall sustainability (Vlasova and Volkov 2013).…”

Indigenous peoples' control over contemporary challenges of traditional subsistence socio-ecological systems sustainability: The case from the taiga zone of Siberia

“…These negative trends in population dynamics is the signal of TSSES insustainability in this region where people do not want to live. According to sociallyoriented methodology of the sustainability monitoring, the state of human and social capital, the consideration of the IPRN perceptions on the base of their traditional knowledge are the main pillars of TSSES sustainability and resilience (Vlasova et Volkov 2013, 2016. In the next section we will try to analyze the issues of communities sustainability at the Evenkia administrative district viewed from indigenous peoples perspectives and at the end of the paper we will propose ways for these issues solution.…”