Categories: Human-Environment Interactions, Iceland, Research Centres, The Arctic
The Stefansson Arctic Institute (SAI), established in 1998 and located in Akureyri, Iceland, is an independent governmental research institute within the Icelandic Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources.
The SAI takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding human-environment relations in the Circumpolar Arctic. Particular emphasis is on research and scientific assessments concerning economic systems and human development, marine-resource governance, political ecology of agricultural systems, and the impacts of and adaptation to past and present climate change. Akureyri is Iceland's Capital of the North and a growing centre of arctic activities and events. This friendly town is gaining a reputation for hosting workshops, conferences and lectures on arctic issues. Two of the Arctic Council's secretariats are located in the same building (Borgir) as the Institute: Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) (http://caff.is/) and Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) (http://pame.is/). Also the Icelandic Arctic Cooperation Network (http://arcticiceland.is/en/) and, from 1 January 2017, the secretariat of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) (http://iasc.info/) is situated in Borgir.
