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Åbo Akademi University joins major research project on the future of Finland’s Arctic regions

Nina Tynkkynen, Professor of Environmental Governance and Policy at Åbo Akademi University, has been awarded €455,108 by the Research Council of Finland for research into how communities in Finland’s Arctic regions can adapt to climate change and other major changes in their operating environment.

Tynkkynen is a partner in the six-year consortium project NAFAS (Building Antifragile Arctic Systems through the Resources Nexus Approach), which forms part of the Research Council of Finland’s new strategic research programme on the changing Arctic region.

The project examines how communities, public authorities and businesses in northern Finland can better prepare for the changes brought about by climate change.

The research focuses on the areas around Lake Inari and the Kemijoki River basin, where changes in the climate, energy production, land use, tourism, fishing and reindeer herding affect both local communities and natural environments.

“The Arctic is warming faster than other parts of the world, and climate change is already affecting both the natural environment and people’s everyday lives. The consequences are particularly significant for ecosystems, communities and people’s livelihoods. We therefore need research that helps communities not only manage change, but also learn from it and strengthen their capacity to meet future challenges,” says Nina Tynkkynen.

The project combines environmental monitoring, satellite-based observations, modelling and strategic foresight with Sámi and other local knowledge. Åbo Akademi University will analyse how governance, decision-making, local knowledge and monitoring systems influence the way risks are managed, and how governance can be developed and adapted as circumstances change.

The project is led by the University of Oulu and carried out in collaboration with Åbo Akademi University, the University of Turku, the Finnish Environment Institute, the National Land Survey of Finland and the Sámi Education Institute. The project will begin in autumn 2026 and run at least until 2029.