RCN: Co-creating Research for Just Arctic Future Infrastructure Transformations, Resilience, and Adaptation (CRAFT)

Arctic infrastructure is rapidly changing under the impact of climate change, socioeconomic and political shifts. Its existence varies by different regions and countries. In some places it is outdated and inadequate, while maintaining or upgrading poses significant challenges. In other places there is a need in new roads, airstrips, Internet and utilities. And for some places and communities’ concerns exist about negative impacts of infrastructure on cultures and ecosystems. This issue is especially important among Indigenous Peoples as infrastructure development has traditionally served interests of external groups to exploit resources without local approval. As the Arctic undergoes transformations, and climate-induced damages, such as flooding and erosion accelerated by thawing permafrost and sea level rise, understanding where and what infrastructure demands the most attention becomes highly important for building resilient and sustainable infrastructure. Development of this understanding requires collaborative efforts to learn from past mistakes, ensure just transitions, and construct Arctic infrastructure that fosters a more equitable and sustainable future. The project brings together researchers working in the Arctic (e.g., Alaska, Norway, Greenland, and Canada) and Indigenous community members (in particular, residents of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Region) to collaboratively identify the challenges and good practices of co-production of place-specific and theoretically grounded knowledge of Arctic infrastructure. The project will promote transdisciplinary research inclusive of diverse ways of knowing, experiencing and perceiving the world. This project aims to formulate locally and regionally relevant questions for future research on just infrastructures through the following objectives: 1) Map existing expertise developed by academia, Indigenous Peoples, communities and other stakeholders and learn from each other about infrastructure planning, managing, maintaining and adapting to climate conditions and how it involves/excludes stake-, rights- and knowledge holders; 2) Identify prospects for knowledge convergence and co-production on studies of different forms of infrastructure in the Arctic; 3) Start creating a self-sustaining experts network that could be utilized for decision making, research and other purposes related to critical infrastructure planning, construction, maintenance, and removal of abandoned objects. The project will begin development of a knowledge platform to help decision-makers assess solutions designed to facilitate the equitable and just development of critical infrastructure. The project provides learning opportunities by including Indigenous knowledge holders and early-career scholars in planning, implementing, and reporting research projects. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.