Arctic Monitoring and Assessment
Programme (AMAP)
HTAP Meeting
Potsdam, 17-19 February 2016
Martin Forsius (AMAP WG Chair) (martin.forsius@ymparisto.fi)
Simon Wilson (AMAP Secretariat) (s.wilson@inter.nl.net)
amap@amap.no
www.amap.no
Arctic Council and AMAP
Arctic Council: “a high-level forum for political discussions on common issues to the
governments of the Arctic States and its inhabitants. It is the only circumpolar forum for
political discussions on Arctic issues, involving all the Arctic states, and with the active
participation of its Indigenous Peoples.”
AMAP: "provides reliable and sufficient information on the status of, and threats to, the
Arctic environment, and provides scientific advice on actions to be taken in order to
support Arctic governments in their efforts to take remedial and preventive actions
relating to contaminants and adverse effects of climate change“
The Arctic Council have mandated AMAP to support the development and
implementation of international agreements including the UN ECE Convention on Longrange Transboundary Air Pollution
National implementation
Regional coordination
Based on national activities (e.g. Canada
NCP, Greenlandic AMAP MP);
Harmonization where necessary
High degree of coordination with other
relevant regional monitoring
programmes
Arctic (background) air monitoring
Alert, Ellesmere Island, Canada
Stórhöfði , Iceland
Station Nord, Greenland
Zeppelin, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard
Pallas, Arctic Finland
AMAP Assessment 2006: Acidifying Pollutants,
Arctic Haze and Acidification in the Arctic
Recommendation:
Future AMAP assessments view
acidification and arctic haze in the wider
context of air pollution and climate change.
The issues addressed in this more
integrated type of assessment should
include hemispheric transport of air
pollutants, emissions from forest fires,
particulate matter, and climate change
effects.
AMAP Assessment 2009: POPs in the Arctic
Recommendation:
Encourage countries that
have not yet done so to
sign and ratify
the Stockholm
Convention and LRTAP
POPs Protocol.
AMAP Assessment 2011: Mercury in the Arctic
Recommendations:
• A legally-binding global agreement to control
mercury emissions must be established ...
• Existing international agreements such as those
under the UN ECE LRTAP Convention, should
continue to receive the support of the Arctic
Council to ensure that the best-available
scientific information from Arctic studies is
made available to these processes.
• Implement monitoring of mercury in air and
mercury deposition at additional Arctic sites
and to extend mercury measurements in the
central basins of the Arctic Ocean.
AMAP Assessments of Human Health in the Arctic
Focus to date:
• Contaminant effects on the Arctic general
population.
• Dietary exposure (to POPs and metals
(mercury)).
• Health effects in areas around smelters in
north-western Russia.
• Combined effects on health of contaminants
and other stressors (including climate change
related)
AMAP Assessments 2015: Methane, Black carbon
and Ozone as Arctic Climate-Forcers
Identify the need to continue to improve the scientific
basis for Arctic Council work on SLCPs … future work
should:
•
Improve the spatial, temporal, and sectoral resolution
of anthropogenic emissions
•
Include increased monitoring, research, and
modelling.
•
Consider SLCP mitigation options in an integrated
manner that takes into account SLCPs, greenhouse
gases, and co-emitted air pollutants
•
Include in this integrated work the assessment of the
cost-effectiveness of measures to reduce SLCPs and
co-emitted air pollutants.
•
Address the co-benefits to human and ecosystem
health from actions on carbon dioxide, SLCPs, and
other air pollutants.
Upcoming AMAP Assessments
Provides information
for Convention
Committees
responsible for
listing new chemicals
Presence in the
Arctic is recognized
as a criterion for
classification of
substances as as
(environmentally)
Persistent
Chemicals of
Emerging Arctic
Concern
(2016)
2.1 PFAS
2.2 BFRs
2.3 CFR
2.4 PFRs
2.5 Phthalates
2.6 SCCPs
2.7 Siloxanes
2.8 PPCPs
2.9 PCNs
2.10 HCBD
2.11 CUPs
2.12 PCP and PCA
2.13 Organotins
2.14 PAHs
2.15 Byproduct PCBs
2.16 HNPs
2.17 Plastics
Thank you
www.amap.no