Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic (a). Draft. Synthesis Report.

Abstract

"The coming decades are projected to bring a number of changes across the Arctic. These changes pose unprecedented challenges and emerging opportunities for human societies, their economic foundations and government institutions. A particular challenge in the Arctic includes having appropriate adaptation strategies and actions to effectively address multiple environmental stressors that include, for example, climate variability and change, human demographic shifts, industrialization, and increasing demands for energy and natural resource extraction. Changes associated with these stressors will have significant social, economic and policy implications for all Arctic nations, their peoples and the conservation and protection of the Arctic environment. Arctic nations are developing adaptation strategies which require appropriate information, expertise and tools to better inform and implement adaptation decisions in relation to multiple stressors operating at a range of spatial and temporal scales. The Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic (AACA) initiative was adopted at the Arctic Council (AC) Deputy Ministers’ Meeting on May 15th, 2012 to address these changes. The overarching goal of the AACA is to “enable more informed, timely and responsive policy and decision-making related to adaptation actions in a rapidly changing Arctic”." /.../