The aim of the IASOS network is to monitor changes on the way to better (or worse) Quality of Life (QL) and sustainability, increase knowledge of trends in socio-economic, political and living conditions of residents (indigenous and non-indigenous) of the Russian North under the impacts of happening changes in climate, biodiversity, character of human impacts, socioeconomic and political changes and human responses (including strategic planning for climate change adaptation, etc.) The major objectives of the IASOS network are: - Identify main QL issues, factors effecting these issues; - Observe and analyze human-defined targets and solutions of arising QL issues taking into account local people’s perceptions and strategies developed at different scales (from local to national and circumpolar) in order to achieve better QL and sustainability; - Detect key indicators (most important from the QL improvement point of view) to be monitored and tested during long-term observations in case study regions (observation sites); - Carry out local observations of socio-economic and environmental trends impacting QL and human capital on the base of specially developed methodology, approaches and tools of socially-oriented observations; - Involve arctic residents (indigenous and non-indigenous), their local and traditional knowledge in QL observations; - Raise peoples’ awareness of happening changes in living conditions, policy and environment, help people to set targets in order to achieve better QL and sustainability. This is to be done with the help of participatory observations, information-educational workshops and other tools; - Consolidate national and international collaborations in the Russian North on socially-oriented observations and research; - Translate better experience of the Arctic states in achieving higher quality of life and sustainability into local, national policies and adaptation strategies. Network type: - Thematical observations - Community-based observations
Quality of life, sustainability, human capital development and socio-economic issues and indicators. Main variables are structuralized according to main types of quality of life, sustainability, human capital development and socio-economic issue revealed in the Russian North as to March 2010. Common issues and indicators for further observations identified for all our sites ( although there are some local distinctions in specific sites of observations) are: 1. Material well-being (wages, disposable incomes, etc.) and level of income differentiation among the poorest and the richest groups of the society; 2. Unemployment level is becoming more and more important issue and indicator, especially youth unemployment; 3. Life expectancy (especially men), child mortality and sickness; 4. Quality of health-care system; 5. State of the natural environment impacting quality of life and sustainability (climate change variability, seasonal uncertainties in river ice melting, pollution and quality of drinking water, etc.); 6. Quality of administration control from the local government; 7. Peoples’ participation in decision making, capacity to control their fate; 8. Quality of education; 9. Quality of socio-cultural service; the share of education, health and social services in GRP; 10. Migration especially youth migration and the overall population aging.
Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG)
Yes