This fall, we launched our research activities in Svalbard with consultation meetings in collaboration with our sister projects, ICEBERG and ArcSolution. By aligning our efforts, we aim to minimize research fatigue, foster collaboration, and amplify the impact of our work.
The week began with participants from all three projects arriving in Longyearbyen on Monday. To set a collaborative tone, we gathered for a welcome dinner, where team members had a chance to connect and discuss the exciting week ahead.
On Tuesday, we held a hybrid meeting (both in-person at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) and online) to exchange knowledge on existing permafrost research in Svalbard. Svalbard is a hub for permafrost studies in various disciplines, an opportunity that ILLUQ will take to build new research on existing knowledge. This meeting was important to strengthen connections with researchers, many of whom live on Svalbard.
The meeting gathered representatives from 11 permafrost research projects, who shared updates on their work. We later introduced the three EU projects—ILLUQ, ArcSolution, and ICEBERG—and outlined our planned activities in Svalbard. This session provided an excellent overview of ongoing research and set the stage for future collaborations.
On Wednesday afternoon, we organized a consultation meeting at UNIS, inviting local organizations, authorities, and businesses. A total of 11 participants attended. We introduced the objectives and activities of ILLUQ, ArcSolution, and ICEBERG, and gave the participants the chance to get to know both the projects and the researchers. During the discussion, we gathered valuable feedback on key local concerns related to permafrost thaw, pollution, and health. Participants shared their thoughts on how these issues could be addressed within the projects and provided input on how they would prefer to receive research results. The consultation proved insightful, offering a clearer understanding of the community’s needs and how our research can align with these priorities.
Later in the evening, we held a public meeting at UNIS, which attracted 34 attendees. After presenting the three projects, we opened the floor for a broader discussion focused on two central questions:
1. What are your concerns regarding pollution, health, and permafrost?
2. How can our research projects benefit you? (e.g., through involvement, data sharing, or results dissemination)
This session revealed significant community concerns, particularly regarding Longyearbyen’s drinking water, which has recently been contaminated with legionella and treated with fluoride. Residents also expressed worries about the Isdammen water reserve, whose dam is made of permafrost, raising concerns about safety should it thaw. Other concerns raised include waste and wastewater management, resident safety (especially regarding landslides), plastic pollution, impacts on wildlife and ecosystems, and pollution from both the mining industry and emissions from the diesel-powered plant.
Participants emphasized the need for research results to be shared in an easily accessible way, using existing platforms and formats that are familiar to the community. They also stressed the importance of building on existing knowledge. With the high turnover of residents in Longyearbyen and many research projects coming and going, valuable information is often forgotten or not passed on. Visual tools, such as maps showing permafrost thaw risks or pollution hotspots, were suggested as an effective way to communicate findings. Participants also expressed a wish to integrate scientific findings into local education, ensuring that knowledge is passed on to future generations and remains embedded in the community.
After the meeting, participants were invited to contribute to a participatory mapping exercise led by the ILLUQ team. The aim of the exercise was to map local land-use practices and important places to the community in and around Longyearbyen. The collected information was complemented in the following days with an online participatory mapping survey.
Several ILLUQ team members remained in Longyearbyen to hold follow-up meetings and continue fieldwork. The feedback we've gathered highlights the community's strong interest in addressing pollution, health, and permafrost concerns. Our efforts to coordinate with our sister projects were well-received, and we are grateful to our ICEBERG and ArcSolution colleagues for their valuable collaboration, which we are eager to continue as we begin our research in Svalbard.
Looking ahead, we are committed to maintaining an ongoing dialogue with local residents and stakeholders. We aim to build on the existing knowledge while ensuring that our findings are shared in ways that are both meaningful and accessible to the community.
