New North-to-North project strengthens Arctic community resilience

Communities across the Arctic are increasingly confronting the combined pressures of climate change, infrastructure gaps, and limited emergency preparedness. To address these challenges, the Arctic Mayors’ Forum have launched the project Enhancing Northern Connectivity which aims to strengthen community resilience across northern regions by connecting municipal leaders, Indigenous organisations, researchers, and local partners, creating platforms for collaboration and shared learning.

“Arctic communities are already facing and managing wildfires, floods, and other crises – but by working together, we can develop shared best practices and make sure no-one has to reinvent the wheel.”, says Patti Bruns, Secretary General of the Arctic Mayors’ Forum. 

The project runs through March 2027 and is led by the Arctic Mayors’ Forum, with partners including Nordregio, the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN), KRK Inua, and the Harvard Arctic Initiative, and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Western Partnership Programme.

“Societal Security is top of mind for all Nordic Governments, especially in these uncertain times. Robust societies are not built by any one state alone. The Nordic Council of Ministers drive shared political priorities and added Nordic value to national preparedness work. This is a top political priority,”  says Karen Ellemann, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers. She highlights the people-focused approach:

“By adding a North-to-North perspective to this work, local Arctic municipalities across the Nordics and North America will learn from each other and be better prepared to face potential crises in a changing world.”

The project integrates local experience and scientific insight to improve both digital and social connectivity and promotes inclusive planning processes. Its main goal is to help communities anticipate and respond to crises, from wildfires and floods to permafrost thaw, by learning from each other instead of working in isolation. A core emphasis is on community empowerment: municipal leaders, Indigenous representatives, youth, and first responders will participate in workshops, digital exchanges, and collaborative planning to co-create practical preparedness strategies. Deliverables will include policy briefs, a resilience toolbox, and validated methods for local preparedness planning, all designed for direct use by communities.

Since 1996, the Nordic Arctic Programme has strengthened North-to-North cooperation, resilience, and civil society across the region — helping communities adapt and thrive amid rapid environmental and social change. By prioritising community-level cooperation and knowledge sharing, this new initiative reflects the Nordic Council of Ministers’ long-standing commitment to sustainable, people-to-people cooperation in the Arctic.