Arctic Yearbook 2014
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Yet there is some hope that this can change. There is some indication that the worst aspects of
the resource dependence can be countered through the introduction of new policies and models
of development that increase local control of development and ensure a higher share of resource
rents and other benefits are passed on to northern communities. In certain areas of the Arctic
new land claims agreements, impact-benefit agreements, and co-management boards offer the
potential for the development of natural resources in a manner that increases the benefits of
these developments for local communities and helps ensure that development is done in an
environmental sound manner. New relationships between governments, communities, and
industry are increasing the possibility that more benefits from resource development can be
passed on to communities – including in the areas of human capital and increased capacity.
Finding answers to these questions is the reason behind the formation of the Resources and
Sustainable Development in the Arctic (ReSDA) project. Funded from 2011to 2018 by the Social
Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada as a Major Collaborative Research
Initiative, ReSDA is a partnership of Arctic communities and over 50 researchers from 29
institutions and all eight circumpolar nations. As the Arctic is increasingly the site of extractive
industry interest, the ReSDA network is looking for ways to increase the benefits of extractive
industry developments to communities and to mitigate negative impacts.
The initial research conducted by ReSDA is contained in a series of 14 gap analyses reports
(available at www.resda.ca) covering a number of areas where the potential exists for natural
resource developments to increase the capacity of Arctic communities. These include the
increased ability of communities to adequately measure and thereby control impacts, new impact
benefit arrangements between communities and industries, new regulations that allow
communities the ability ensure more sustainable environmental and social development, new
fiscal mechanisms to increase revenues flowing to communities, new education and training
programs that provide more long-term capacity building, new mitigation tools, and increased
integration of traditional knowledge into development and monitoring programs.
These gap analyses have led to a new series of research subprojects where ReSDA researchers
are currently trying to answer such questions as:
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how can we develop better, community controlled, indicators of change linked to
resource development;
how can we maximize the amount of money that stays in a region;
what are the various ways that funding is distributed within communities and what are
the impacts of these;
what are the best ways to mitigate the main social impacts of resource development on
communities;
what are the best options for Arctic communities in dealing with long distance
commuting;
how can we deal with the differing gender impacts of resource development;
what are the best ways to deal with negative impacts arising from current Impact Benefit
Agreements;
what can be done to ensure that resource development does not negatively impact the
subsistence economy of northern communities;
Mining in Greenland