NICH-Arctic proposes transdisciplinary investigations of Human, Cultural and Environment interactions in the Arctic-subarctic North Atlantic in a context of climate change and industrialization. The Arctic-Subarctic coastal regions are subject to large amplitude changes of climate and sea ice conditions, which play a vital role in accessibility through navigation and livelihood of the cultural communities since prehistoric times. The history of this regions is however poorly documented from instrumental data. Disciplinary knowledge has been developed, but with limited communication across disciplines, and between scientists and stakeholders. Hence, it appears urgent to improve sectorial exchanges to develop an integrated perspective on climate, habitat, archeology and culture in the context of accelerated changes in the Arctic and subarctic areas. With the aim to assess on resilience and vulnerability of the Arctic-subarctic North Atlantic the project will integrate multidisciplinary information according to three foci: (i) natural variability of sea ice, climate and vegetation, (ii) adaptation of local human populations to their habitat and (iii) cultural representation and perceptions of the natural environments by local and outside-of-the-region populations. The target areas include the regions of northern Nunavik, Nain in Labrador, Nuuk in Greenland and Svalbarðshreppur, Iceland, where NICHArctic team members have gained experience and are willing to further conduct transdisciplinary studies. The variety of different climatic and environmental conditions in the study areas will permit to compare adaptation strategies and cultural representations of climate changes in polar settings. Expected outcomes include (i) the setting of a well-documented database of climate and ecological changes in the study area, (ii) an integrated documentation of climate, environmental and cultural variations over decades to centuries, (iii) resilience assessment in the study areas from both environmental and human points of view, (iii) a series of workshops and conferences involving researchers and local populations, and (iv) dissemination (translation, publication of books and articles, website, videos, etc.) of knowledge to scientific communities and the general public.

What? In a globalized world, the market economy and its ecological consequences extend beyond national borders, while international law remains rooted in the idea of fixed territories. This project explores the apparent paradox in international law between these two forces: The fixed territorial boundaries of states and capitalism’s boundless strive for expansion. Why? As the market economy is fueling both the ecological crisis and a deepening global inequality, it is crucial to understand if international law can effectively address these urgent challenges of our time, or if international law is rather enabling them. This requires that we understand how the power of territorial states and global corporations correlate. How? The project blends legal theory with insights from legal geography. Using a critical spatial lens, it examines territory as both a geographical and judicial space. By studying how this space enables or restricts movement of capital, commodities, and people across borders, the project illuminates the intricate relationship between capitalism and territoriality, and how it shapes international law.