Paper short abstract:

Communities in the circumpolar Arctic are experiencing increased risk due rapid environmental and related social change and are monitoring their environment through community-based initiatives. Resulting data are being shared as part of a global data ecosystem and risk reduction network.

Paper long abstract:

Communities in the circumpolar Arctic are experiencing increased risk due rapid environmental and related social change. Local community based monitoring programs, often based on Indigenous knowledge, are an important component of the comprehensive knowledge and monitoring system required to reduce risk related to disasters and extreme events.

The Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic's (ELOKA) mission is to provide data management and user support services to facilitate the collection, exchange, use and preservation of local observations and knowledge of the Arctic. Over the course of our projects, we have worked with partners to develop a modular, component-based system that is designed to enable cross-disciplinary research in physical and social sciences. The system is being leveraged to enable data access through easy to use interfaces as well as supporting interoperable data exchange and long-term archiving. End users can explore data using a variety of interactive, multimodal tools. Interactive maps allow users to visualize geographic data while at the same time linking to associated multimedia that provides an extended view and understanding of environment, society and risk.

Underlying the technical systems is a network of community members, Indigenous organizations, and researchers who are working together to understand how to develop interoperable systems in a way that respects community priorities. These activities are part of an emerging global set of standards and specifications and a "data ecosystem" that will be broadly useful to all actors in the Arctic and beyond.