Assessing Resilience in the Arctic: Annika E. Nilsson 14 August 2012Climate Annika E. Nilsson is Senior Research Fellow at Stockholm Environment Institute, where she is project leader for the ongoing Arctic Council-approved Arctic Resilience Report (ARR). Her PhD in environmental science covered the science-policy interface with regard to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), a landmark scientific assessment of the Arctic Council. Annika E. Nilsson has over 20 years of professional experience as a science writer focusing on environmental change and its implications for society. She has furthermore participated in several Arctic assessments, discussing pollution and human development. Her current research addresses Arctic change and its implications for international relations. The ARR aims to provide a scientific framework for assessing risks, understanding the implications of simultaneous social and environmental changes, and identifying strategies for building strong societies that can face the challenges of increasing social and environmental change in the Arctic. The initiative was approved at the meeting of the Senior Arctic Officials in Luleå in November 2011 and is led by Stockholm Resilience Center and Stockholm Environment Institute. Assessing resilience when change is the only given is a challenge and the ARR process is designed to create links between scientific knowledge and policymakers to ensure that the assessment can help to guide crucial decisions. “The Arctic Resilience Report is about preparing for change. We need to better understand both the risk posed by the many interacting drivers of change in the Arctic and the capacity in society for adaptation and transformative change”, says Annika E. Nilsson.