The Arctic is home to approximately 4 million people, with the share of indigenous and non-indigenous populations varying widely between the Arctic states. Larger settlements are usually located in resource-strategic positions. Rich deposits of natural resources are spurring industrial activity in the region. The Russian Arctic, for example, holds 1.5 of the country’s population, but accounts for 11% of its gross domestic product and 22% of its e...

Seven species of marine mammals live in the Arctic year-round – the bowhead whale, beluga whale, narwhal, ringed seal, beaded seal, walrus, and polar bear - and many more migrate to the Arctic seasonally. Many marine mammals aggregate in specific areas across the Arctic, for example to feed, or for whelping, pupping or moulting. A common feature of marine mammals in the Arctic is that they are associated with sea ice, although the ecological rela...

The averages of the scenarios in the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) are presented in this figure, for the year 2090, with the surface temperatures over land, the size of the polar ice cap, and the outer limits of permafrost.

Large-scale commercial harvests are restricted to harp and hooded seals, except for the hooded seal population in the Jan Mayen area of the Greenland Sea. Both species faced intense commercial hunting in the 19th and 20th centuries, first for oil, and later mainly for the highly prized pelts of pups.Seal products nowadays also include a significant aphrodisiac trade (particularly for harp seal sex organs), and seal oil has become a popular health...

The extreme climatic events of the Mesoamerican and Caribbean region show that there is a strong correlation (most likely non-linear) between greenhouse gas emissions, temperature increases, increased intensity of hurricanes and the rise in sea levels (IPCC 2007 and Stern 2007). For example, in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean sub-region, there were 36 hurricanes between 2000 and 2009, as against 15 and 9 per year in the 1980s and 1990s. Moreover, d...

Climate change manifests itself primarily through a gradual increase in the average temperatures of the earth’s surface, alterations in precipitation patterns, changes in the intensity and/or frequency of extreme climatic events, a slow but significant reduction in the cryosphere (including glaciers) and a rise in sea levels. Available scientific evidence associates the phenomenon of climate change with increased concentrations of anthropogenic g...

The Arctic is extremely diverse in terms of landscapes, varying from pack and drift ice to rugged shores, flat coastal plains, rolling hills and mountains surpassing 6000 metres above sea level (Denali, 6,194 m asl, in sub-arctic and boreal Alaska). The region has rivers and lakes, tundra and the largest forests in the world (the Russian Taiga).

The coastal Arctic food web is closely related to drift ice conditions and seasonal use of shorelines by both terrestrial and sea mammals. Numerous species depend upon each other and the transport of food to and from the marine areas to the coast and inland. Indigenous peoples use most of the food chain and traditionally use both environments for hunting, fishing and gathering.

Indigenous settlements in the Arctic. As in the past, today's settlements are usually located in resource-strategic positions, with territoriality and social networks adapted to the movements of reindeer/caribou or the seasonal abundance of sea mammals. Most indigenous settlements are small, consisting of only a handful of people, while others are communities of several thousand people. Notice that many dots simply represent seasonal settlements ...

The averages of the scenarios in the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) are presented in this figure, for the year 2090, with the surface temperatures over land, the size of the polar ice cap, and the outer limits of permafrost.

Industrial development in the Arctic. The Arctic has been opened up for increased exploration of petroleum, gas and mining activities. The Barents Sea, the Mackenzie Valley in Canada and the Alaskan North Slope, are the areas of chief interest at the moment. Please note that the shipping routes in Northern Canada are not open today for commercial shipping because of sea ice. The Northern Sea Route north of Russia is partly open today.

This oblique view of the Arctic polar ice cap in September shows the significant reduction that has happened over a time period just over 20 years, from 1979 to 2003. Future predicitions shows even more drastic reduction of the ice cap, thus opening new area for natural resources extraction and marine transports. Please also see an updated graphic at: http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/arctic-sea-ice-minimum-extent-in-september-1982-2005-and-2007

The potential impacts of sea level rise on the Nile Delta are expected to include a decline in water quality that would affect freshwater fish, the flooding of agricultural land and damage to infrastructure. This graphic shows the Nile Delta region as it is today (2002), the area as it would appear with a 0.5 m sea level rise, and the area as it would appear with a 1.0 m sea level rise.

Distribution and spawning areas of arctic cod, polar cod, herring and capelin in the Barents Sea region. The Barents region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway.

The Barents region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway. The Barents Sea has an average depth 230 m, bordered by the shelf edge towards the Norwegian Sea in the west, the island of Svalbard (Norway) in the northwest, and the islands of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya (Russia) in the northeast and east. (Please note that the The Barents Euro-Arctic Council has expanded the m...

The Barents region is a highly explored area for gas and oil. The corresponding areas of oil exploration and sea bird colony proximity are clearly shown on the map. The disputed area between Norway and Russia is also highlighted. (Please note that the The Barents Euro-Arctic Council has expanded the membership since 1998)

Climate simulations suggest continued rapid loss of Arctic sea-ice. The observations of indigenous peoples also indicate unprecedented change. The loss of the Arctic sea-ice will have vast impacts on climate, livelihoods and biodiversity.

Location and Climate: Unalakleet is a small coastal community on Norton Sound, at the mouth of the Unalakleet River, 395 miles northwest of Anchorage, Alaska. Unalakleet has a sub-Arctic climate with considerable influence of the nearby sea when Norton Sound is ice-free, usually from May to October. Winters are cold and dry.

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