Encyclopaedia of the Barents Region

The International Polar Year 2007-2009 is not just about research. Also of great importance is the public engagement with polar science and the involvement of local groups and of ethnic minorities. This outreach project aims at making an important part of the polar regions, the Barents Region present in the minds of people and relates it to a circum arctic and global context. Its main result will be an Encyclopaedia of the Barents Region. This will be a unique joint effort of an international network of scholars and scientists in the true spirit of the IPY, providing highly-accessible out-reach of new and authoritative social, economic, indigenous and environmental knowledge. The production will coincide with the time-span of the IPY 2007-09 and contribu te continually to its out-reach by a website and a series of public presentations. The encyclopaedia will have a lasting importance and efficiently counteract the tendencies of previous IPY:s to be sudden burst of excellent work, covered by fine publicity , followed by all too often long periods of ill-funded data management, delayed publishing and thus neglect by necessity from the media and in the public sphere. The Barents Encyclopaedia will be a new tool of reference that makes possible a contextual in terdisciplinary outlook on the European Arctic. This is crucially needed for the sustainable management of northern natural resources both in fisheries, minerals and oil and gas. The encyclopaedic scientific outlook will be made complete by a full treatme nt of traditional knowledge including the modern enterprises of reindeer herding, costal fishing and quality tourism. School children, undergraduate students, advanced researchers, journalists and the public will all benefit and have their interest furthe red for natural and social sciences, technology and the environment of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region.