Monitoring Climate Change

(Photo: Getty Images)The Arctic region is currently facing rapid environmental and social transformations due to climate change. However, cultural, political and economic ramifications can be also observed.

According to the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, in the past four years air temperatures in the Arctic have increased, level of the Arctic sea ice declined significantly, permafrost extent has been rapidly thawing and the surface waters in the Arctic Ocean have became warmer.

The international trend is nowadays to move away from trying to decipher causes of climate change, but rather to move towards development of not only solution strategies, but also monitoring and adaptation systems.

Current monitoring systems for climate change include interdisciplinary approach, recognizing Arctic states and local communities' policies on sustainable natural resources management.