14. Resilience of High Latitude Social-Ecological Systems in Conditions of Rapid Change Chair: Gary Kofinas, Resilience and Adaptation Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks, USA Lil Alessa, Resilience and Adaptive Management Group, University of Alaska Anchorage, USA Panel members: See below Description: The high latitudes encompass vast areas with low human population densities but contain some of the largest industrial resource extraction sites in the world. The North is also populated with a diversity of Indigenous Peoples, many of whom continue to hold traditional relationships with land and animals, and have livelihoods based on a mixed subsistence-cash economy. Today the high latitude regions of the globe are experiencing rapid change in climate, land-use, and socio-economic and political conditions. This session involves scholars and graduate student researchers from North America, Fennoscandia, and Russia who discuss the current dynamics of global-local interactions in the North and their implications to a future trajectories of change. The panel addresses several dimensions of social-ecological resilience of particular relevance to the northern latitudes, such as the problem of boom-bust economies, the collapse of state governance systems, the challenges of high uncertainty in resource governance, the persistence of hunting and herding practices in the face of globalization, and the connections between forced acculturation, individual resilience and community well being. Methodological challenges associated with applying resilience theory to real world challenges both in research and adaptive co-management are considered. The session begins with a set of short presentations and progresses to an open discussion involving attendees. Panel participants and organization: Introduction: Gary Kofinas, Univ of Alaska Fairbanks Introductions by graduate students of thesis research projects: • Jennifer Rohrs-Richey, Univ of Alaska Fairbanks -Infectious disease and climate change • Jordan Lewis, Univ of Alaska Fairbanks - The role of elders in the social resilience of Alaska Native communities • Chanda Meek, Univ of Alaska Fairbanks – Comparing co-management institutions with a resilience lens • Meagan B. Krupa, Univ of Alaska Fairbanks- The Urban Fishery: An Application of System Robustness Senior Researchers’ Perspectives • Peter Schweitzer, Univ of Alaska Fairbanks – Infrastructure Traps • Andrew Kliskey, Univ of Alaska Anchorage – Social-ecological mapping of hotspots • Bruce Forbes, Univ of Lapland – Resilient herders and tundra in the face of hydrocarbon development and climate change • Stephanie Martin, Univ of Alaska Anchorage – Comparing Community Well Being of Alaska and Chukotka • Konstantin Klokov, St Petersberg Univ – Indigenous responses to the Soviet Union collapse Concluding Comment: Lil Alessa, Univ of Alaska Anchorage