ABSTRACT
The High Arctic represents one of the most challenging environments for safe operations, characterised by rapid climate change, extreme weather, and geographical remoteness. These conditions amplify risks such as avalanches, infrastructure instability, and communication failures, while also imposing unique human factors constraints on performance and decision-making. This chapter explores how technological development and human-centred design can enhance resilience and safety in High Arctic operations. Drawing on principles of Safety by Design and human factors engineering, the interplay among environmental hazards, workload (including cognitive), and system reliability is examined. It highlights the need for robust, adaptive technologies, such as sensor-based warning systems and autonomous solutions, that maintain meaningful human control under uncertainty. By integrating insights from human performance research and resilience engineering, the High Arctic emerges as a natural testbed for designing systems that succeed under extreme conditions and inform global safety practices.
