Objectives

The aim is to identify the needs and challenges of working and living in the rapidly changing Arctic and explore how space-based services might help to meet those needs. Increased activities in the northern areas could be foreseen as a consequence of climate change, especially related to oil and gas production, changing fisheries patterns and new shipping routes. The workshop will investigate how space infrastructure can facilitate communication, environmental monitoring and early warning, navigation and vessel tracking. The contribution of future operational Galileo and GMES services will be included.

The event will be organised along the following main themes

1.     Climate Change & Environment
2.     Transport safety and security
3.     Sustainable exploitation

The workshop is being held under the auspices of the Swedish Presidency as part of a commitment to face the challenges of climate change and increased human activity. The contributions from ongoing activities in European projects such as MyOcean, Polar View and Damocles will be summarised. It will explore how lessons learned in setting up operational services for the Baltic area can be applied in a new setting with similar information requirements.

The workshop will allow participants to feedback their own experiences and contribute towards workshop recommendations as to how operational space-based services could help in monitoring and adapting to climate change and ecosystem management, maintaining safe transportation and ensuring sustainable development in the vulnerable Arctic.