Mr. Nikolaj BockEuropean Environment Agency

Overview of presentation• The European Environment Agency and the Arctic

• What are the main trends & issues?– Climate change– Arctic pollution– Biodiversity

• Arctic challenges– Hydrocarbons & minerals– Shipping (incl. Tourism)– Changing living conditions

- Established by European Council Regulation (1210/90) - Operational in Copenhagen, Denmark since 1994 - Annual budget 2009 of approx. 40 MEuro - Approx. 180 staff members

- EEA has 32 member countries and 6 cooperating countries in the West Balkans.

- EEA is an EU institution - Not part of the European Commission.

- EEA is dedicated to providing sound, independent information on the environment for decision makers (EC/EP/MS) and the public.

- EEA is coordinating the European Environment Information and Observation Network (EIONET) - A network of 900 experts from 38 countries across Europe in more than 300 national organisations.

EEA Arctic relevance: Of the 32 EEA member countries: - 5 are member countries in the Arctic Council - 6 are permanent observes in the Arctic Council - European Commission (+EEA) has ad hoc observer status in AC

32 Member countries

6 Cooperating countries in Western Balkans

EEA - Arctic publications

1997 2004

2010: State and Outlook of the Environment Report

The Arctic - Antarctica Water surrounded by land - Land surrounded by water

Source: UNEP GRID-Arendal

Arctic human population: 4 Million Arctic penguins: 0

Source: UNEP GRID-Arendal

Antarctic human population: 0Antarctic penguins: 20 million pairs

Source: British Antarctic Survey

Changes in deep water formation (thermohaline circulation) influenced by sea ice and fresh water

Increased uptake of heat

Actual observations of September Arctic sea ice, in red, show a more severe decline than any of the eighteen computer models, averaged in a dashed line, that the 2007 IPCC reports reference.

Arctic Sea Ice extent

Source: NOAA

Reduction 1978 - 2008:

• 2,9% per decade (year)

• 9,1% per decade (summer)

2007: Dramatic new minimum

2020: No summer ice?

Source: UNEP GRID-Arendal

Source: Steffen, K.; Nghiem, S. V.; Huff, R. and Neumann, G., 2004.

Area of Greenland ice sheet melting 1979–2007

The area of the Greenland ice sheet where there is at least one day of surface melting in summer increased to a new record extent in 2007.

Transportation of pollutants into the Arctic

Source: AMAP 1997

Air – the fast route Rivers, oceans & sea ice

PCB and DDT in Ringed seal

Source: AMAP

PCB contamination in Arctic people

Highest levels are found in maternal blood from communities that depend on traditional diets that include marine mammals.

Source: AMAP, 2002

Vegetation zones in the Arctic Bird migration

Fish migration

Hydrocarbons +

Minerals

European Environment Agency

Shipping is likely to increase

Arctic Tourism increasing

Cruise ship arrivals in Greenland ports and harbors, 2003 – 2008

YearArrivals Number

of cruiseships

Averagenumber ofarrivals/ship

Average passenger capacity/ship

2003 164 14 13 490

2004 195 24 8 468

2005 115 25 5 714

2006 157 28 6 546

2007 222 35 6 671

2008 375* 39* 10* 641*

*= Estimates for 2008 Source: AMSA/Greenland Tourism

Source: AMSA

Challenges facing the Arctic

• Climate Change• Long range pollution (air/ocean currents)• Exploitation or damage to natural resources• Overharvesting of certain key fish stocks• Mismanagement of areas of arctic forest and unsustainable

logging practices • Pollution from mining activities and metal ore processing plants• Impacts of infrastructure developments • Operational accidents in the oil and gas sector• Land fragmentation• Loss of biodiversity• Overall quality of surface and marine waters

Thank you for your attention!