News
The CliCNord Special issue on Place attachment and climate-related hazard
The Special Issue Place Attachment and Climate-related Hazard in Small Remote Communities by The Climate Change Resilience in Small Communities in the Nordic Countries project (CliCNord) is finally out!
Published in Regional Environmental Change, this issue explores how small, remote communities in the Nordic region perceive and respond to climate-related hazards, including wildfires, floods, avalanches, and storms.
Published: 05.11.2025
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Experiences onboard the Arctic Future Pathfinders – One Ocean Expedition II course.
During August 2025, PhD candidate Laurien de Korte was part of the crew onboard the tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl, which attempted to sail through the Northwest Passage. During the journey, Laurien participated in the course “Arctic Future Pathfinders – A journey through the Northwest Passage” hosted by UiT- The Arctic University of Norway.
While sailing through Baffin Bay, it was decided to turn around, as the ice conditions make it unsafe to continue through the Northwest passage.
Why did we change course?
Due to climate change more ice is melting from our glaciers, resulting in an increase in icebergs at sea, this can be very dangerous for ships trying to navigate Arctic waters. When the ship reached the latitude of Pont Inlet it became clear that there was too much ice in the Northwest passage to ensure a safe journey. The crew therefore decided to turn back and redirected our course to St. Johns, Canada. This change shortened the voyage by about a week, leaving us with three weeks onboard Statsraad Lehmkuhl.
Photo credits Andreas Altenburger Foto: xxx
How was the experience on board?
During the voyage, we were far out at sea, which meant there was no internet access onboard – except for the permanent crew to safely navigate the ship. The lack of internet and the close quarters of the ship fostered a strong sense of community and many lasting friendships. Without the distractions of daily life, participants had the time to exchange ideas about their research and discuss visions for a sustainable Arctic future.
Because students, lecturers, professors, and researchers all lived and worked together the voyage created a unique environment for deep, cross-disciplinary conversations.
Life onboard followed a routine of sailing shifts (four hours on, eight hours off), lectures, group activities, meals and rest. A key element of the course was its focus on indigenous perspectives and knowledge, with several indigenous knowledge-holders joining the expedition. This offered students a valuable opportunity to learn directly from indigenous experts about arctic environments, experiences and worldviews.
If you like to read more about the course, visit: https://en.uit.no/arctic-future-pathfinders
What is the One Ocean Expedition?
The One Ocean expedition is a 12-month circumnavigation aimed at raising awareness of the future of our oceans. Throughout the voyage scientific research is conducted onboard, and during various legs of the journey, students join to take part in university leg courses hosted by Norwegian institutions. To learn more, visit: https://www.oneoceanexpedition.com/https://www.oneoceanexpedition.com/
Published: 30.10.2025
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Internal UiT CCA workshop: Exploring Climate Adaptation Across Disciplines at UiT
Yesterday, several UiT researchers came together to discuss climate adaptation from a range of disciplinary perspectives. The session brought together expertise from law (Lene Sandberg), geohazards (Christopher D'Amboise), and energy security (Clara Good).
Our research group was represented by Are Sydnes, who presented the Bered project, Kamalesh, who shared insights from his previous work on climate finance, Laurien de Korte, who presented her PhD research on municipal networks and local adaptation, and Maria Sydnes, who offered a perspective from organizational theory.
The discussions highlighted several pressing themes: how law and finance can strengthen decision-making tools for climate adaptation; how to address emerging hazards such as flash floods, which are difficult to predict and prepare for; and how local capacity-building, combined with integrating energy security, can enhance resilience—particularly in Arctic Norway.
This was the first session of its kind, and our research group plans to host such events twice a year. The aim is to build strong collaborative ties across disciplines at UiT and bring together diverse perspectives on climate change adaptation.
Published: 23.09.2025
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