Towards a Holistic Cross- Border Environmental Governance in the European Arctic

Purpose-It is the purpose of this paper to show that holistic, interdisciplinary research has a key role to play in the study of cross-border environmental governance. This will be shown by using the example of the northernmost regions of continental Europe, in particular the border regions between Norway and Finland and between Sweden and Finland, respectively. This text is meant to inspire a debate on the modalities of future research related to Arctic governance and to suggest that Arctic governance research requires a broader research philosophy that transcends the dominant views from the perspectives of law and political sciences. This paper argues that effective governance research needs to be inclusive, emphasize the needs of local communities, and be interdisciplinary by including not only political and legal sciences but also know-how in fields such as such as anthropology, geography, history, administrative science, regional studies, etc., in order to provide benefits for local communities. Hence, academic literature from different areas of social sciences will be utilized. Design, Methodology, Approach-The authors introduce the reader to existing research on different aspects of cross-border environmental governance in the European High North and show the feasibility and potential impact of interdisciplinary research on cross-border schemes for environmental governance and biodiversity protection. Findings-This paper is not so much meant as a recapitulation or summary of research but rather contains a call for action by establishing the outlines for a new approach in international and interdisciplinary research into cross-border environmental governance, with a particular view to the protection of biodiversity in the Arctic. It is shown that such an approach can be developed based on already existing research. Practical implications-Across the circumpolar Arctic, residents are highly dependent on a healthy natural environment. This protection is at the heart of international cooperative efforts to govern the region. Using the example of cross-border environmental governance in the European High North (EHN), it will be shown that it is essential to consider the needs and interests of local communities beyond political constraints, such as national borders. Such interdisciplinary research has the potential to contribute to strengthening the position of local stakeholders in the area in question. This includes rural, indigenous, and underrepresente