The Arctic Institute’s 2026 Polar Disaster Risk Reduction and Response Series: An Introduction

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Winter weather in St. Petersburg, Russia. Photo: Ilan Kelman

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Are the polar regions dangerous for humanity? Rather than manufacturing the notion of nature versus humanity or of an enemy in the environment, the characteristics of the north and south of our planet offer plenty for thriving while dealing with and avoiding disasters. In particular, preventing catastrophe through disaster risk reduction in tandem with preparedness so that people and society make it through adversity.

The Arctic Institute’s 2026 Series Polar Disaster Risk Reduction and Response examines long-standing knowledges of all forms of disaster-related activities for the Arctic and the Antarctic. The articles show many of the difficulties faced in the high latitudes alongside the wealth of knowledges, experiences, and wisdoms producing ideas and actions for saving lives by averting and responding to disasters.

In doing so, we highlight that ‘disasters’ are not natural events. They are social processes, caused by societal and/or structural vulnerabilities that are typically historically produced. The phrases ‘natural disaster’ and ‘disaster event’ are misnomers to be avoided. As such, this series supports the baseline in disaster-related work of moving from managing disasters to drawing attention to, and implementing risk reduction solutions for, the conditions that create disaster-related risks.

Jacob Taarup draws on crisis management and crisis response principles and practices to modify and apply them to the Arctic, revealing resource constraints and adaptive responses. Teresa Barros Cardoso selects Greenland to exemplify how one Arctic territory considers and acts on such constraints and responses, creating opportunities and highlighting key components of risk reduction. A major aspect is supporting Arctic Ocean governance. From a pan-Arctic perspective, Nikita Agarwalla and Shashi Bhusan Kr Vishwakarma provide an overview of risk analysis of infrastructure vulnerability and sustainable resource exploitation.

For the shipping sector, Jack Gallagher and colleagues explore the time required to reach the rescue stage when ships get into trouble and what needs to be done ahead of time to ensure that sailors survive while waiting. For the Antarctic, Alvaro Scardilli and colleagues also look at planning ahead. For them, the focus is changing ice regimes, particularly ice floating north where shipping might not be used to drifts and bergs. A pair of articles from Kat Farrell-Ginsbach covers the health sector, highlighting the One Health framework. One article examines legal pathways for preparedness around the Arctic with a complementary piece detailing legal preparedness for strengthening disease surveillance.

Many other points related to thinking ahead of disaster are examined by Ana Prados and colleagues presenting six characteristics of how to avoid disasters and applying those characteristics to the Arctic. This work helps to expand concepts of disasters beyond narrow and focused presumptions about what disasters are and how they ought to be characterised and dealt with. Re-considering ideas of disaster, connections among different forms, and morphing many typical approaches are epitomised by inspiring work around the polar regions.

Cameron Essex and Barry Cameron focus on Iceland, describing possibilities for climate change augmenting volcanic eruption rates, notably for volcanoes under ice. All aspects of the Earth are connected, rather than separating the atmosphere and the geology. Evidence for the variety of disasters and techniques for overcoming them emerges from Svalbard as well. Cherry Jackson documents “quiet violences” in Longyearbyen, referring to everyday difficulties and long-term changes requiring informal approaches to survive. Dina Brode-Roger and Patrizia Duda offer a series of photographs and analyses to describe diverse disaster risks around Svalbard.

The Arctic Institute’s 2026 Series Polar Disaster Risk Reduction and Response builds an overall picture of polar disaster risk reduction and response, in terms of the many challenges faced, the multiple and simultaneous changes influencing those challenges, and the variety of actions and opportunities proffered for resolutions. Rather than expecting that polar regions inevitably produce disasters, the authors here demonstrate what can be done to reduce disaster risks and to respond safely and effectively – as well as questioning what constitutes the meaning of ‘disaster’.

Ilan Kelman is Professor of Disasters and Health at University College London and Professor II at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Jeevan Toor is a PhD Student at the Institute for Global Health, University College London, and a Research Associate at The Arctic Institute.