Best practice for Social and Environmental Impact Assessment of infrastructure projects in the Nordic Arctic: Popular participation and local needs, concerns and benefits (Best practice )

Abstract:

Guided by a research question asking what is a good process for involvement in Social, Environmental or Human Rights Impact Assessment (IA) from the citizen’s perspective, this workshop (WS) series will advanceknowledge on best practice for IA processes with local participation suited to Nordic Arctic contexts. Growinginfrastructure (including industry) development in the Nordic Arctic generates needs for assessing the impactsof such projects in order to live up to legal obligations and ensure that social and environmental sustainabilitytravel hand in hand with economic development. The project will collect empirical information throughacademic engagement with communities, practitioners and firms, and develop this into research, publicationsand larger research projects on best practice. The WS series combines three social science fields that rarely interact like this: Arctic anthropology, law, andsocio-technical planning. The workshops will evolve as interaction between academic presentations anddiscussions and conversations between communities, practitioners and academics.