The Arctic is characterized by a harsh climate with extreme variation in light and temperature, short summers, extensive snow and ice cover in winter and large areas of permafrost. Its terrain varies from high mountains to flat plains, wide tundra and great expanses of sea, snow and ice. The plants and animals of the Arctic have adapted to these conditions, but this has rendered them in some cases more sensitive to increased human activities.

The lives of indigenous and other Arctic peoples are closely linked to local resources, particularly by their dependence on wildlife harvesting. However, a combination of several factors makes the Arctic and its inhabitants among the most exposed populations in the world. The biggest concerns today are the effects from long-range air and sea transport of contaminants and certain human activities such as interference with ancient animal migration routes, oil and chemical spills into the sea, and the unforeseen impacts from climate change causing the melting of the ice cover. Many of these impacts will take a very long time to reverse: the low temperatures mean slow chemical breakdown of contaminants, whereas populations of large mammals can be slow to recover.

The Arctic Council was established at Ottawa in 1996 to help improve international cooperation and consultation on Arctic issues, and to further the well-being of the inhabitants of the Arctic, particularly with regard to sustainable development and environmental protection. One focus of the Council is to oversee and coordinate the programmes established under the 1991 Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy. Among these programmes is the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME), established in 1993.

PAME member countries include Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States. Indigenous groups organizations, termed “Permanent Participants” also participate, as well as observer countries and organizations.

At its First Ministerial Meeting in 1998 the Arctic Council identified several priority tasks for PAME directed towards pollution prevention and control measures for the Arctic marine environment. PAME’s role is to coordinate implementation of the regional programme of action for the protection of the Arctic marine environment from land- and sea-based activities through coordinated action programmes and guidelines, complementing existing binding and non-binding arrangements.

PAME won’t be doing all this alone, however, as close cooperation is maintained and expertise sought from the other working groups of the Arctic Council on Arctic-related issues such as monitoring and assessment; conservation of Arctic flora and fauna; emergency prevention, preparedness and response; and sustainable development.

Looking ahead, the central priority will remain to ensure the health and well-being of Arctic peoples, which includes protecting their environment from disruption and their food from accumulating contaminants. However, a new threat has begun to demand our attention. Scientists studying the Arctic and native peoples living there have both reported changes in the wind, temperature, ice, and currents of northern seas, i.e., the possible climate change effects. These shifting patterns are reflected in the plight of Arctic animals dependent on the quality of snow, the durability of the ice pack, and the reliability of food sources. Many of the species most affected are important natural resources for the region’s human communities.
Discovering what has caused this environmental upheaval, and what it means to all of us is destined to become a major preoccupation of all those concerned with Arctic issues.

Soffia Gudmundsdottir is Executive Secretary,
Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME)