Sweden
The Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka Biosphere Reserve stretches from the mountains along the Vindeln River to the coast and the Umeälven delta landscape. Within this large territory, ArcticKnows focuses on small coastal communities where tourism forms part of local livelihoods and where rapid environmental and social changes are reshaping everyday life.
The area is highly sensitive to climate change, including sea-level impacts, warmer winters, and changes affecting marine life and fish — all of which matter for close-to-nature tourism. At the same time, the region is experiencing broader green-transition and reindustrialisation pressures linked to external investment, which may affect local democracy, labour markets, and the long-term resilience of local communities.
People and livelihoods
In Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka ArcticKnows brings together residents, youth, women, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other local actors to explore how tourism can contribute to a just and regenerative future. The pilot includes mapping tourism structures and actors, studying decision-making processes, and developing serious games to understand interactions, tensions, and future scenarios.
The aim is to raise awareness of future climate impacts, strengthen local resilience, and co-create new tourism scenarios that are rooted in community culture and knowledge. The methods developed here may also be useful in other places seeking to connect tourism, local empowerment, and sustainability in practical ways.