A directorate under the Ministry of the Environment, the Norwegian Polar Institute is Norway’s principle institution for research, environmental monitoring, topographical and geological mapping and advice to the authorities regarding Norway’s polar regions. The Institute carries out expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica, maintains research stations in both polar zones and runs a research vessel fit to sail in icy waters.
Tromsø has a polar identity as it is historically linked with fishing, hunting and exploration in the Arctic. The city is home to the world’s northernmost university, where faculty and students are involved in diverse areas of Arctic research. Relocated in 1998 from Norway’s capital, Oslo, to Tromsø, the NPI anchors the specially built Polar Environmental Centre, which houses several institutions dealing with research, outreach and advisory services regarding the Arctic, including co-operation with Russia. The Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs has recently declared the northern regions Norway’s main focus for strategic development, demonstrating the wisdom of the decision to move the NPI.
The North remains, in some respects, a pristine region. Nevertheless, the environment is subject to pressure from several sources. Pollutants transported with air and sea currents from distant parts of the world and a rapidly changing climate are the main challenges of the natural environment in the Far North. Another point of concern is an increasing exploitation of oil and gas resources in the Barents Sea – a sea which is home to millions of seabirds and where many of our fish species spawn and grow.
The Norwegian Polar Institute’s research programmes seek to gather knowledge to enhance our understanding of the climate, biodiversity and ecotoxicology in the polar regions. Populations of seabirds, walrus, seals and polar bears are monitored and studied in the archipelago of Svalbard and adjacent waters. Terrestrial species, such as, Arctic foxes, Svalbard reindeer and geese, are also studied. The movements, character and extent of the sea ice, together with sea currents and the composition of the water, are focal points for the Institute’s oceanographic research.
The rapid climate changes that the Arctic is experiencing will affect the rest of the world, mainly through a rise in sea level, but also because (in the short term) climate change will facilitate access to the Arctic with respect to oil and gas exploitation, utilisation of marine resources, transportation and tourism. Increased activity in the Far North will most likely also intensify the geopolitical focus of this region. To achieve sustainable management, government authorities require knowledge gained through scientific research. The NPI has been given the task of leading the work on an integrated management plan for the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea, and it is the wish of the authorities that the framework also can be applied by our neighbours in Russia. The Institute leads polar climate research in Norway and hosts the national Arctic Climate Impact Assessment secretariat. The Institute is also involved in several research projects in the International Polar Year that begins in 2007.
Current developments in the North demand attention and understanding. The Norwegian Polar Institute and other research institutions in Tromsø aim at being in the forefront in the search for knowledge that will help us understand the processes shaping the Arctic. It is imperative to co-operate, not only nationally, but on an international scale. We have exciting and challenging years ahead!
Jan-Gunnar Winther
Director, The Norwegian Polar Institute