The well-being and sustainability of Arctic and other cold region environments and societies rely highly on marine, coastal, and terrestrial ecosystem services, which also are necessary for achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Arctic and cold region societies share unique characteristics and challenges in the process of achieving SDGs. For example, typically low human population densities, abundant natural resources, and geographic isolation make them highly dependent on national and international trade. There is often strong cultural and economic dependence on fishing, hunting, and tourism for prosperity. Finally Arctic and cold region environments are among the most vulnerable in the world to rapid climate change.
In this special issue, we welcome contributions that address:
- The underlying physical, chemical, geological, or ecological underpinnings of ecosystem services including climate feedbacks in cold region environments
- Case studies that address the socioecological, economic, or policy implications of achieving Sustainable Development Goals in the Arctic.
- Improved methodological approaches for quantifying or upscaling ecosystem services or nature’s contributions to people in the Arctic.
- Studies that draw on multiple ways of knowing, including the use of local and/or Indigenous knowledge, to ask questions about any aspect of ecosystem services or sustainability in cold region environments.
