Scientists and other experts from across the North met at Arktikum, University of Lapland, in Rovaniemi, Finland to address issues of climate change and human security, in a workshop organized for University of the Arctic Institute for Applied Circumpolar Policy (led by Dartmouth College and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks), in conjunction with the University of Lapland and the UArctic Thematic Network on Geopolitics and Security.

Held from September 6th to 8th, 2010, the workshop's aims included disseminating scientific knowledge about impacts of climate change and exploring the real impacts of climate change on northern peoples and societies and their (human) security. The structure and participants were designed to promote dialogue between the scientific and policy communities on these critical issues, and produce material for decision-making.

Discussions during the workshop highlighted the need to see climate change as a phenomenon not just existing in computer models and scientific reports, and risks, but as a current reality that is already changing environments, livelihoods and societies in the North. These changes inevitably transform our perceptions of security, pose significant challenges for how we can adapt and react to face them and finally, what might be human responses.

The main organizer Lassi Heininen from University of Lapland and the NRF (NRF Steering Committee Chair) remarked on the success of this workshop in building on earlier meetings "The main aim to seek fresh thinking and bold new ideas on climate change and human security based on multidisciplinary discussion was successfully reached. This means on one hand, deeper understanding on the interrelationship between them like for example, that climate change might mean a change in problem definition on security paradigm, and on the other, new ideas and concepts for human responses which are among the main findings of a final report.

The discussion of the workshop served as a follow-up to two earlier conferences organized by the Institute, "The Arctic Climate Change and Security Policy" in Hanover, NH December 2008, and "Considering a Roadmap Forward: The Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment" in Fairbanks, Alaska in October 2009, and also from the design and experiences of the Open Assemblies of the Northern Research Forum.

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