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laration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 41 the par-
ticipatory approach has helped build a foundation of trust
with and among local partners.
The project has also elicited positive feedback from other
UN agencies and programmes, such as the UNFCCC and
UNESCO, which requested GRID-Arendal to provide a
case study for its work programme, and content for an
upcoming Arctic publication, respectively. In addition,
the Arctic Council Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna
(CAFF) Board has been sensitized and will consider for-
mal endorsement at its Board meeting in February 2012.
A clear spin-off of the Nomadic Herders Project is a new
initiative on reindeer herding and youth that will be imple-
mented by the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development
Working Group, where GRID-Arendal is also a partner. The
project will apply the latest scientific data, knowledge and
experience on land use change – including indigenous
knowledge (IK) – to build the capacity of and create a
dialogue of understanding between, indigenous reindeer-
herding youth and industrial developers.
Although the remainder of GRID-Arendal’s polar and cryo-
sphere work is funded from outside the Framework Agree-
ment, 42 the overall programme has been developed holisti-
cally in order to maximize synergies between projects and
partnerships. The status of the rest of the programme as of
the end of 2011 is summarized below to show the many op-
portunities for possible leverage around recurring themes.
As UNEP’s Polar CentreGRID-Arendal maintained regular
dialogue with the UNEP Polar Team throughout 2011 and
continued to assist UNEP with its Polar Strategic Action
Plan 2011-2013. Eye on the Arctic, a quarterly newsletter
established by the Polar Centre in 2010, proved a useful
internal coordination and information-sharing tool, pro-
viding UNEP colleagues with timely updates on GRID-
Arendal and wider UNEP-led activities in the polar region.
Through GRID-Arendal, UNEP is an official observer at
the Arctic Council (AC) where GRID-Arendal also partici-
pates in its capacity as UNEP’s designated Polar Centre,
working closely with relevant AC working groups.
Throughout 2011 GRID-Arendal strengthened its collabo-
ration and networking with existing and emerging Arctic
stakeholders, such as the European Union, and was pro-
active in identifying new opportunities to contribute its
specialised expertise in polar and cryosphere initiatives,
many of which are relevant to UNEP’s programmatic ar-
eas. The selection of 2011 outputs presented below dem-
onstrates a diverse, forward-looking project portfolio that
effectively integrates GRID-Arendal’s work with interna-
tional initiatives:
• A film, to be completed in 2012, was commissioned
by the AC Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna
Working Group (CAFF) based on the findings of the
Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010 report;43
• The Polar programme consulted regularly with part-
ners of the International Polar Year (IPY) to support
the legacy of this initiative and discuss continuation
of existing climate-related projects.44
• In collaboration with ECORYS Netherlands, GRID-
Arendal is coordinating the establishment of a new
41.
42. The Many Strong Voices and Himalaya Climate Change Adaptation
Programme (HICAP) are both funded indirectly, via CICERO, by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. GRID Arendal will report jointly on these
projects through CICERO, as required by MoFA.
43.
44.
IPD_workshop_final_report.pdf
The Arctic Council’s Senior Arctic Officials meet in Luleå, Sweden,
2011 (photo by Melinda Ballard)
Mapping out the challenges and opportunities for reindeer
husbandry in the West Taiga (photo by Lawrence Hislop)