Emergency preparedness and crisis management in the High Arctic

The High Arctic is at the forefront of global warming, with significant effects on local communities. The region, north of the 66th parallel, is home to around 4 million people spread across a vast landmass. Emergency preparedness and crisis management in the High Arctic are challenged by remoteness, limited resources of all kinds, and a constantly changing environment. Thus, what is considered a relatively manageable incident further south quickly escalates into a crisis in isolated communities in the High Arctic. High Arctic preparedness and response research is fragmented across multiple, dispersed sites, making it challenging to present well-researched solutions to the complex problems communities face. Thus, we need to improve our understanding of how crisis management is practised in the High Arctic. This paper explores the literature on emergency preparedness and crisis management in the High Arctic by reviewing research conducted in the region, and aims to answer the following research question: What is the current state of the art in research on crisis and emergency preparedness in the High Arctic? Data stems from document analysis of articles discussing emergency and/or crisis management in the High Arctic. A review reveals seven themes: Maritime Safety and Emergency Response, International cooperation and emergency response, Climate change and community resilience, Environmental risks from pollution, Training and exercising, Infrastructure and resource vulnerability, and, finally, Organising and management. We recommend that research adopt a more holistic approach, discarding the dogmatic approaches used in more populated, betterconnected areas in favour of an Arctic-centric system. Research on preparedness and response in isolated settlements in the High Arctic, which are at the forefront of climate change, may also help us better understand these challenges further south, in communities that have yet to experience the full effects of climate change.

Keywords: High Arctic, preparedness, crisis management,.