© baggis / flickr / CC BY-NC 2.0 A new format to strengthen Arctic wildland fire cooperation 1 March 2022Народы АрктикиАрктические данныеМеждународный совет гвичиновРабочая группа по сохранению арктической флоры и фауныРабочая группа по предупреждению, готовности и ликвидации чрезвычайных ситуаций The Arctic Wildland Fire Sharing Circle brought together diverse voices to share projects, tools and research to start new conversations and build networks to tackle Arctic wildland fires. “We have had a front row seat to an Arctic on fire – a precursor to a world of flame.” These words were spoken by Edward Alexander, Co-Chair of Gwich’in Council International, as he set the scene for scientists, State representatives, Indigenous Peoples, and other experts and interested parties that gathered to discuss an increasingly pressing issue – wildland fires in the Arctic. In recent years, Arctic wildfires have increased in frequency and intensity. While fire is a natural part of Arctic ecosystems, the changing nature of wildland fires has brought challenges that require greater collaboration, knowledge sharing and partnership around the circumpolar North. The Arctic Council is addressing the issue of wildland fires with several projects related to topics such as wildfire ecology, monitoring and emergency prevention, preparedness and response. To bring these often-intersecting topics together, and to learn about related projects and ideas, a Sharing Circle event was held at the end of 2021. The Sharing Circle consisted of keynotes, presentation sessions, questions and reflections spread over two days, with breakout sessions at the end of each day, enabling projects and organizations to learn and share highlights of their work, driving questions and opportunities for involvement. “This Sharing Circle is a unique opportunity for experts, knowledge holders, project leaders and interested parties to join together and share and discover the ongoing work and innovative projects related to our common issue of Arctic wildfires,” said Nikolay Korchunov, then Chair of the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials (2021-2023). “It’s an important effort to identify synergies between initiatives, bring the right minds and resources together to address this issue in a holistic and cross sectoral manner.” The Arctic Council Working Groups Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) and Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response (EPPR), in collaboration with Permanent Participant Gwich’in Council International (GCI) organized the Arctic Wildland Fire Sharing Circle. Miami University hosted and facilitated the Sharing Circle. See Edward Alexander's keynote introduction here, and watch all videos from the Sharing Circle on Vimeo: