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Human Security, Energy and Food
in the Arctic under Climate Change
Human Security, Energy and Food in the Arctic under Climate Change

Principal Investigator Hiroki Takakura
Principal Investigator:Hiroki Takakura (Tohoku University)

Overview

As changes in the Arctic environment influence energy resources, fisheries, and agricultural production, this shift impacts the food security of human societies in the Arctic region, including indigenous communities, as well as food consumption in societies outside the Arctic region.

In this research, we will work to evaluate the impact that global warming has on the Arctic region at a regional ecosystem level including soil and ecosystems, as well as to elucidate the effects from the perspective of human energy and food resources.

Our research will focus on the investigation of three areas: evaluation of the degree of degradation of permafrost and ecosystems, evaluation of the economic and social effects of energy resource development, and the social and cultural impact of changes in biological production on human life, primarily focusing on indigenous societies.

A brother and sister travelling by reindeer sled
A brother and sister travelling by reindeer sled (Oymyakonsky, Republic of Sakha, Russian Federation)
Photo: Hiroki Takakura (Tohoku University)

We will pay particular attention to the exchange between Arctic and non-Arctic societies, particularly that of East Asian nations including Japan, to analyze the impact of the Arctic region on East Asia, while also analyzing the influence that political and economic developments in East Asia have on environmental conservation in the Arctic region.

We will also aim to elucidate knowledge toward the realization of human security in the Arctic region, including freedom from threats, freedom from want, and freedom to live with dignity.

We will communicate related findings to stakeholders such as Arctic communities and local governments through media including workshops, exhibitions, and publications. In proceeding with this study, we will work to collaborate with not only Russian researchers, research institutions, communities and local governments, but also with researchers and institutions from other nations with track records in Arctic research, including Finland, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S., as well as researchers from China and South Korea for studying the region’s relations with East Asia.

Fish sold at an outdoor market in winter
Fish sold at an outdoor market in winter (Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha, Russian Federation)
Photo: Hiroki Takakura (Tohoku University)