The main objective of PRISM is to create a multidisciplinary dialogue to better understand the risks of permafrost thaw on nature and society.
The secondary objectives are:
- Educate and train early career researchers to conduct cross-disciplinary research in understanding permafrost thaw risks.
- Provide opportunities for collaborative efforts between natural science, engineering, social science and stakeholders to find future solutions for permafrost thaw risk mitigation.
Background information: Permafrost is the only part of cryosphere inhabited by people, thus, permafrost thaw and pertinent land surface change is a multi-dimensional problem of environmental, economic, and social relevance. Widespread thawing of permafrost is expected in a warmer future and modeling studies suggest large scale degradation of near-surface permafrost at the end of the 21st century. Concurring evidence from recent studies suggests that permafrost landscapes will undergo significant transformations, with unprecedented consequences for Arctic societies and direct impact on human infrastructure
PRISM is coordinated by NORCE (PI: Hannah vickers) and financed through the INTPART programme (#309625) by The Research Council of Norway.