Arctic PIRE: Promoting Sustainability in the Arctic
Fieldwork in the Arctic: Luis Suter, GIS Certificate ’17, MS ’18, was a research assistant on a department trip to measure climate change’s effects on the tundra and cities in Siberia.
The Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE): Promoting Urban Sustainability in the Arctic project was created to study the accelerated pace of change in the Arctic, both environmentally and socioeconomically. Launched in April 2016 with support from a National Science Foundation grant, the project’s ultimate goal is to develop an Arctic Urban Sustainability Index.
An international coalition of scientists and migration experts, including GW’s own geography faculty and students, examines environmental issues, such as thawing permafrost, as well as social factors, including economic and labor cycles.
The Arctic region has experienced urban growth and rapid change in recent years, with detrimental effects, including pollution, encroachment and contribution to climate change. These concerns have spurred an interest in measuring the state of urban centers, their promotion of sustainability and the efficacy of such projects. Arctic PIRE aims to serve as a model for other cities around the globe as they adapt to the effects of climate change.