Addressing Permafrost Thaw Through Science and Stakeholder Collaboration
On April 7-14, Joan Nymand Larsen, together with two co-researchers in the ILLUQ permafrost project ( https://illuq.eu/), Leneisja Jungsberg and Peter Schweitzer, conducted fieldwork in Ilulissat, Disko Bay, West Greenland, on the impact of permafrost thaw on cultural ecosystem services.
Permafrost and Cultural Ecosystem Services
The team engaged with local stakeholders in a variety of settings to create opportunities for dialogue about future visions for the region in the context of change and thawing permafrost. The fieldwork explored the impacts of thawing permafrost, and key themes related to cultural ecosystem services, including recreational practices, cultural traditions, and the interlinkages between work, education, and everyday life. In addition, attention was given to current governance challenges associated with the rapid expansion of Ilulissat in the context of thawing permafrost.
Focus on Collaboration
A core element of ILLUQ is its strong emphasis on collaboration with local and Indigenous knowledge holders. This latest fieldwork brought together scenario workshops, a focus group, and engagement with Indigenous Greenlanders on the land, to explore and envision possible futures of permafrost thaw environments and the resulting impacts on cultural ecosystem services.
The ILLUQ research investigates the risks associated with thawing Arctic permafrost from a holistic One Health perspective, including the release of contaminants, infrastructure instability, and ecosystem change, with a focus on ecosystem services to better understand how climate change is affecting local and Indigenous livelihoods.
The Stefansson Arctic Institute is partner in the ILLUQ project, which is EU‑funded international and interdisciplinary permafrost project led by AWI - the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research.
ILLUQ: EU Horizon Europe, HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01
Project no. 101133587
Read the blog post here: https://illuq.eu/news/wp8-fieldwork-in-ilulissat-in-winter-2026
