RISING TEMPERATURE OF THE ARCTIC

1. Background

• New observations show that the increase in Arctic average surface temperature between 1979 and 2019 was three times higher than the global average during this period – higher than previously reported - according to the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP).
• Climate change impacts on Arctic communities, ecosystems and species, especially when associated with extreme events, are considerable and accelerating. Sea ice loss, glacier retreat and reduced snow cover remobilizes previously deposited contaminants. 
• While climate change is mainly driven by carbon dioxide emissions, changes in emissions of air pollutants such as short-lived climate forcers also affect the climate as well as human health. 
• Globally, such air pollution is a major cause of premature deaths and reducing air pollution from particles and ozone could prevent hundreds of thousands of premature deaths in Arctic Council Member and Observer countries, it said.

2. Scientific Reports

• The study published by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute in the journal Scientific Reports. 
• It said the region around the northern Barents Sea has been warming two to two-and-a-half times the average warming of the Arctic region and five to seven times the warming in the rest of the world.
• In just the last 20 years, the average temperature northeast of the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard has increased by more than five degrees Celsius.
• The researchers from the institute collected and analysed a new large dataset of observations from weather stations on Svalbard and the Russian archipelago of Franz Josef Land in the northern Barents Sea.
• The dataset has temperature observations from northern and eastern Svalbard for the first time and in general, the observations go further back in time than ever available before.

3. ARCTIC as the fastest melting zone of the Earth

• It was already well known that the Arctic is the fastest warming region in the world with estimates ranging from two to four times the rate of warming in the rest of the world.
• The reason for this is a closed loop of melting sea ice and faster warming.
• As the Arctic region warms, the sea ice melts and exposes the ocean surface below. The surface absorbs more energy than sea ice would have and enhances the warming, making more sea ice melt, forming a feedback loop.
• The rapid warming of the Arctic region has already thrown up weird weather such as the first recorded rainfall at the Summit Station of Greenland in August 2021 and back to back storms in July.

4. Need of the Hour

To set Goals with respect to 

4.1 Goal 1 – Arctic Climate: monitor, assess and highlight the impacts of climate change in the Arctic to encourage compliance with the Paris Agreement and support stronger global measures to reduce greenhouse gases and shortlived climate pollutants, while strengthening circumpolar cooperation on: climate science and observations; reduction of emissions; climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience; and exchange of knowledge and innovative technologies in support of these efforts

4.2 Goal 2 – Healthy and Resilient Arctic Ecosystems: promote pollution prevention, monitoring, assessment, conservation and protection of Arctic biodiversity, ecosystems and species habitats, based on best available science, and respecting the importance of sustainable development for all current and future generations of Arctic inhabitants;

4.3 Goal 3 – Healthy Arctic Marine Environment: promote conservation and sustainable use of the Arctic marine environment for the benefit of all current and future generations of Arctic inhabitants, encourage safety at sea, prevention of marine pollution and cooperate to improve knowledge of the Arctic marine environment, monitor and assess current and future impacts on Arctic marine ecosystems, work together to enhance cooperation on marine issues and promote respect for the rule of law and existing legal frameworks applicable to Arctic waters;