Mapping weather, water, ice and climate (WWIC) information providers in polar Regions: who are they and who do they serve?
Haavisto, Riina
Finnish Meteorological Institute
Lamers, Machiel
Wageningen Univ & Res Wageningen
Thoman, Rick
University of Alaska System
Liggett, Daniela
University of Canterbury
Dawson, Jackie
University of Ottawa
Ljubicic, Gita
McMaster University
Stewart, Emma
Lincoln University - New Zealand
Journal
Polar Geography
ISSN
1088-937X
1939-0513
Open Access
hybrid
Volume
43
Start page
120
End page
138
Environmental conditions in Polar Regions are becoming more dynamic due to climate change. As sea ice melts, the range of human activities in Polar Regions are projected to increase, while weather conditions are becoming more extreme and unpredictable. Provision and use of weather, water, ice and climate (WWIC) information plays a key role in ensuring that polar activities are conducted as safely as possible and can contribute to a reduction of the environmental footprint of human activities. In this article, we explore the WWIC information provider landscape in a polar context, drawing on a database we compiled to characterize the diversity of providers. The database is built on available literature and on an extensive desk-based research of WWIC information provider websites. We analyse the 374 providers categorized by (a) institutional background (public vs private), (b) the position of the provider relative to activities in the WWIC information space, and (c) the users they serve. While governmental institutions have a strong presence in information provision, new types of providers are now entering the scene. Scientific actors seem to play a substantial role as users as well as major providers of WWIC information services.