March 15, 2024, 11am
Title: The Circumpolar Action Plan for Polar Bears: A qualitative inquiry into implementation dynamics and international collaboration
Committee members: Erika Wolters, David Bernell, Scott Akins
Abstract: Polar bears roam the top of our planet, following the sea ice that offers them access to a bounty of sea life below. Despite their impressive size and ability to thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments, polar bears are threatened by climate change and human activity. The transboundary nature of polar bears places the species on the international conservation stage.The Circumpolar Action Plan for Polar Bears (CAP) is a 10-year conservation plan, situated under a multilateral agreement between the five countries where polar bears live––Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the United States. Balancing local needs with international commitments is a common challenge in international environmental action plans. This research is structured as a qualitative case study that describes dynamics impacting implementation of the CAP, explores the fit of this international collaboration to on-the-ground conservation realities, and identifies opportunities for strengthening that collaboration in the future.