The Arctic plays an essential role in sustaining ecosystems worldwide. At the same time, economic, political, scientific and touristic interests in the Arctic are growing and leave a far-reaching impact on local ecosystems and residents.
The DÁVGI project aims to provide a basis for the exchange of knowledge and expertise to improve collaboration between Indigenous rights holders, environmental and other non-governmental organizations, local stakeholders, researchers, and policymakers, in order to strengthen the conservation and restoration of biocultural diversity in the Arctic. Commissioned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, this project is a combined effort of the Saami Council, Ecologic Institute, and IASS.
It is planned to enable the exchange of the different stakeholders on three levels. Firstly, part of the project is to establish a network consisting of environmental and other non-governmental organizations, institutions, universities, and Indigenous rights organizations in Europe, to provide the foundation for improved collaborative practice and knowledge exchange. Secondly, there will be workshops and an international conference. Based on these activities, academic publications, presentations, guidelines, and other forms of output will be published, to create wide knowledge. The third level is the creation of a platform for knowledge exchange with Arctic communities, to enable deeper reflections and mutual learning on the needs and possibilities for improved collaboration.