50 million for research on climate transition in mountain regions
The University of Gothenburg receives SEK 50 million by the research council Formas to establish FjellShape, a new national research centre focusing on the climate transition in mountain regions and Sámi cultural landscapes. The centre will develop new approaches to support decision-making about the future of mountain regions.
Climate change is rapidly transforming mountain regions. At the same time, growing demands on land use mean that the energy transition, nature conservation, tourism and infrastructure must coexist with other societal interests. This creates difficult trade-offs over how these landscapes should be used and developed in the future.
“Climate transition is not just about reducing emissions. It is also about making decisions that shape the future of our landscapes. In mountain regions, we need to find ways forward that take biodiversity, cultural values, livelihoods and Indigenous peoples’ rights into account,” says Robert Björk, Professor of Ecosystem Science at the University of Gothenburg and Director of the FjellShape research centre.
From climate change to future pathways
Much of the previous research on Sweden's mountain landscapes has focused on understanding how climate change affects the natural environment. FjellShape will take this research a step further by studying the interactions between climate change, biodiversity, reindeer husbandry and societal development.
By combining ecological and social science research with future scenarios and local knowledge, FjellShape will investigate how land-use decisions may affect both people and ecosystems over time.
“We want to create better conditions for long-term planning in a time of rapid change. Our goal is to help society understand the consequences of different courses of action – before conflicts arise or opportunities are lost,” says Robert Björk.
Sámi and local knowledge to play a key role
FjellShape will work closely with Sámi organisations, reindeer herders, public authorities and other stakeholders. The aim is to ensure that research on mountain regions and Sámi cultural landscapes is carried out not only about these areas, but also in collaboration with the people who live and work there.
An important part of the research will focus on the interactions between reindeer husbandry and mountain ecosystems.
“To develop sustainable solutions, we need to bring different knowledge systems together. We want to strengthen the opportunities for Sámi institutions and other local stakeholders to help shape the knowledge that informs decisions about future land use,” says Robert Björk.
Traditionally, the effects of climate change on mountain ecosystems and the role of reindeer grazing have often been studied separately. In FjellShape, researchers will investigate how these factors interact to influence vegetation, biodiversity, carbon balances and the future development of mountain landscapes.
For more information about the FjellShape research centre, please contact:
Robert Björk, Professor of Ecosystem Research, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg. robert.bjork@gu.se
Funding: SEK 50 million from the Swedish research council Formas.
Funding call: Pathways for Climate Transition, within the National Research Programme on Climate.
Host: University of Gothenburg, Department of Earth Sciences
Participating organisations: FjellShape brings together seven academic and four non-academic partner organisations in a joint research initiative. The partners include:
- Lund University
- Mid Sweden University
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
- Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
- Stockholm University
- Umeå University
- National Union of the Swedish Sámi People (SSR)
- Sámi Parliament
- the County Administrative Board of Dalarna
- the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten
Research focus: Climate change, mountain ecosystems, reindeer grazing, biodiversity, land use, governance and Sámi rights.