ACIA Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. PROGRESS REPORT. March 2003.

Abstract

"Climate variability and change and increases in UV radiation have become important issues in the Arctic over the past few decades. It has become imperative to examine possible future impacts on the environment and its living resources, on human health, and on relevant economic sectors. The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment is expected to lead to useful information for the nations of the Arctic region, their economy, resources, and peoples. The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) is designed to evaluate and synthesize knowledge on climate variability, climate change, and increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation and their consequences across the entire Arctic region. The goal is to provide useful and reliable information to the governments, organizations, and resident communities of the Arctic to create the basis for more informed policy options to address such changes. Climate variability and change, and more recently, notable increases in UV radiation resulting from stratospheric ozone depletion, have become important issues in the Arctic over the past few decades. The results of scientific research and indigenous knowledge have increasingly documented climatic changes that are more pronounced in the Arctic region than in other regions of the world or are critical to our understanding of global-scale climatic processes. Observations from indigenous cultures of the Arctic indicate that the physical environment, as well as the flora and fauna, has been rapidly changing on time-scales of a few years to decades .The ACIA is examining possible future impacts and vulnerabilities on the environment and its living resources, on human well-being and health, and on buildings, roads and infrastructure. The ACIA is designed to develop fundamental and useful information, including policy recommendations, for the nations of the Arctic Region, their economies, resources, and the communities and residents of the Arctic." /.../