SWIPA Summary for policymakers. (DRAFT).

Abstract

"This report presents AMAP‟s new assessment of the impacts of climate change on Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic (SWIPA). It brings together the latest scientific knowledge about the changing state of each component of the Arctic "cryosphere‟. It examines how these changes will impact both the Arctic as a whole and people living within the Arctic and elsewhere in the world. "Cryosphere‟ is the scientific term for the part of Earth‟s surface that is seasonally or perennially frozen. It includes snow, frozen ground, ice on rivers and lakes, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets and sea ice. The cryosphere structures the physical environment of the Arctic. It provides services to humans such as freshwater supplies and transport routes. The cryosphere is an integral part of the climate system, and affects climate regionally and globally. The SWIPA report follows on from the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), published in 2005. It aims to update the findings from ACIA and to provide more in-depth coverage of issues related to the Arctic cryosphere." /.../