Empowering Communities
- Taskscape Associates
- Sep 3
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 2
New Publications Showcase the Power of Citizen Science in Nature Management...
New project-supported reports from FRAMEwork partner NORDECO demonstrate how local knowledge and citizen engagement are informing conservation practices across the Arctic
In an era where environmental challenges demand innovative solutions, two publications from our partner NORDECO, co-authored by project participant Finn Danielsen, are helping to chart a new course for nature management in the Arctic. These reports reveal how citizen involvement isn't just beneficial but can be central to creating sustainable, effective conservation strategies that work for both people and nature.
Local Voices, Global Impact
The first report, "Strengthened locally based monitoring and management of living resources in the Arctic," presents a compelling narrative of how communities across Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands are revolutionizing nature management through citizen participation.
Drawing from a workshop held in Sandavágur, Faroe Islands, in May 2024, and informed by in-depth discussions with local hunters across four settlements, the report demonstrates how local knowledge can do more than just fill data gaps. It can fundamentally improve the quality of environmental decision-making. Where centralised authorities might overlook crucial observations, local citizens can provide eyes and ears on the ground, capturing nuances that come from daily living alongside the nature around them.
Why Local Involvement Matters
The report's findings are particularly striking in the context of the Faroe Islands, where nature is more than a resource and is woven into the cultural fabric of identity and tradition. Citizen dialogue proved invaluable in addressing modern challenges around the islands - like speedboat traffic impacts on wildlife, and respecting traditional practices around seabird hunting.
Key insights from the report include:
Enhanced decision-making quality through observations that might otherwise go unnoticed
Greater legitimacy and ownership of resource management decisions within communities
Improved resilience in facing environmental and economic challenges
The critical need for long-term frameworks, capacity-building, and technical support for local monitoring systems
A Practical Roadmap for Change
The second publication, "Guidance for strengthening citizen involvement in the management of nature in the Arctic," moves from theory to practice, offering a concrete five-step model for implementing community-based monitoring and management:
Identify responsible authorities for coordinating citizen involvement
Hold public meetings to explore how local knowledge can contribute to management
Establish locally based monitoring through citizen science initiatives
Support continued engagement with formalized cooperation mechanisms
Link local efforts to global goals by integrating community data into UN biodiversity monitoring
This strategic framework transforms the concept of citizen science from an abstract ideal into an actionable plan. In the Faroe Islands, the guide showcases how hunters, landowners, communities, and authorities can collaborate to share valuable insights on everything from bird populations to hunting patterns, helping to create more legitimate and effective management practices.
By participating directly in nature management, Arctic communities can enhance both their economic sustainability and environmental stewardship, gaining: better data quality through continuous local observation, increased community buy-in for conservation measures, more adaptive and responsive management strategies and stronger connections between traditional knowledge and modern science.
A Collaborative Achievement
The work represents a collaborative effort, led by the University of the Faroe Islands, Umhvørvisstovan staff, and NORDECO, working in close dialogue with Jagtforeningen Lonin on Sandoy. The project received support from multiple sources, including The Nordic Council of Ministers' Working Group for Biodiversity, The UArctic Thematic Network on Collaborative Resource Management and the EU Commission through the H2020 FRAMEwork project, European Citizen Science, and more4nature initiatives.
Looking Forward: Recommendations for a Sustainable Arctic
The publications conclude with actionable recommendations that could help improve nature management and conservation in the Artic, to:
Strengthen shared Nordic experiences through cross-border collaboration
Ensure better data sharing and public engagement mechanisms
Establish formalized cooperation models between authorities and local actors
Build long-term support structures for community-based monitoring
These steps are building blocks for securing a sustainable future for the Arctic, where local communities are empowered as active stewards of their natural heritage.
Join the Conversation
As one local participant noted in the project discussions, "We cannot make a plan for the future because it's so unpredictable." This uncertainty makes citizen involvement not just valuable, but vital. By combining traditional knowledge with modern science, and local observations with global monitoring systems, people can build more resilient, adaptive approaches to conservation that truly work for Arctic communities and ecosystems.
These publications from NORDECO and project participant Finn Danielsen demonstrate how the path to sustainable conservation runs through local communities. When citizens become scientists, and traditional knowledge meets modern monitoring, we create powerful synergies that benefit everyone - from local people to global sustainability and conservation goals.
The FRAMEwork project has supported innovative approaches to biodiversity monitoring and citizen science across Europe. Explore more updates on how local knowledge can improve nature management and conservation.
