Dept. of Environment and Mineral Resources

How to apply

The Department of Environment and Mineral Resources comprises biologists and engineers from the world of research and from engineering consulting firms. We study environmental chemistry, environmental microbiology, environmental impacts from the mining and oil industry, soil contamination, and we teach.

Transfer of remit and start up

The Department for Environment and Mineral Resources was established in 2014, when responsibility for the mineral resources area was transferred from the Danish Government to the Greenland Government, and following Greenland’s wish to be able to provide its own advice on mineral resources. The department received start up support from the non-profit Oak Foundation domiciled in Switzerland and from the WILLUM Foundation in Denmark.

Advisory services to the Government of Greenland

The department advises the Government on protecting the Arctic environment in connection with exploitation of Greenland’s subsurface. The advisory services are based on research, monitoring and cooperation with other institutions. The objective of the advisory services is to maintain favourable biological development and secure the continued existence of Greenland’s traditional food sources, while at the same time surveying and exploiting mineral resources in a sound and sustainable manner.

We monitor the environment

The Department for Environment and Mineral Resources conducts environmental monitoring; that is, we monitor soil, water, air, flora and fauna. The purpose of this monitoring is to safeguard against the spread of pollution that exposes humans, plants and animals to toxic substances.

We cooperate with the DCE

We monitor the environment around several former and existing mines in Greenland in cooperation with the Danish Centre for Environment and Energy (DCE) at Aarhus University. Typically, this is by analysing water samples and samples from animals and plants in the water.

Competences

The Department for Environment and Mineral Resources has a wide range of competences in the areas of:

  • Advice on the consequences of oil and mining activities in the Arctic environment.
  • Assessment of reports by external licence holders on the impact of mineral resource activities on the environment.
  • Preparation of analyses and reports on environment and nature conditions in the Arctic.
  • Risk assessment for heavy metals and hydrocarbons.
  • Cooperation with relevant partners on advisory services and reporting.
  • Monitoring of the low Arctic environment.
  • Cross-disciplinary production and analyses of geographic data, GIS.

Cooperation partners

The Department for Environment and Mineral Resources wants to cooperate even more with universities and organisations working with environment-related issues in Arctic settings. Current and former cooperation partners include:

Contact

Head of department Josephine Nymand: jony@natur.gl or telephone no. +299 36 12 34.