Extreme heatwave in Siberia

A current extreme heatwave in Siberia is bringing new record temperatures daily. Heat records are being broken... READ MORE

UPDATE Greenland Heatwave

The early warning we issued on May 25th for the first heatwave in #Greenland has occurred on May 31st to June 1st with a temperature anomaly event and high ice melt... READ MORE

NEW – Near Real-time Pan-Arctic Alerts (ARP-PAAS)

The Arctic Risk Platform has a new Pan-Arctic Alert System (PAAS) using operational weather forecasting, satellite and ground observations to deliver updates of a real-time view of unfolding climate extremes. This is... READ MORE

GREENLAND HEATWAVE FORTHCOMING

The first moderate heatwave is forecast for Greenland around June 1,... READ MORE

One of Greenland’s largest glaciers is actively melting from beneath

Below the surface, the Petermann Glacier, one of Greenland's largest, is actively melting--from... READ MORE

COUNTDOWN

CO2 Budget Depletion

UN SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS

SDG 8 - DECENT WORK & ECONOMIC GROWTH

 

In 2020 alone, costs from extreme weather reached roughly US$190 billion across the world. By 2300, Arctic warming is estimated to induce global economic impacts of more than US$66 trillion. In Sápmi, reindeer husbandry is dependent upon predictable environmental conditions in which there is consistent access to food sources and migration routes. 

GLOBAL

Warming in the Arctic causes economic impacts that extend well beyond the region itself, which is why it will be more difficult to secure decent work and economic growth without protecting the Arctic. Extreme weather and sea level rise affect agricultural yield and productivity, labor productivity and work intensity, work safety, GDP growth, and individual and household income (particularly affecting daily wage earners and outdoor workers). 

 Impacts from climate change are concentrated in climate vulnerable regions across the tropics, which bear the brunt of exacerbated extreme weather and climate-change impacts such as labor and agricultural productivity loss.  

 Between 2010 and 2019, tropical cyclones, floods, wildfires and other climate-related hazards caused US$2.98 trillion in loss and damages, making it the costliest decade in modern history in terms of extreme weather. In 2020 alone, costs from extreme weather reached roughly US$190 billion across the world. By 2300, Arctic warming is estimated to induce global economic impacts of more than US$66 trillion (Yumashev et al, 2019). 

ARCTIC

Arctic Indigenous peoples’ economic growth requires successful mitigation of climate change. Across Sápmi, unpredictable snow and rain conditions make it challenging for reindeer to access lichen–a critical food source. This, in combination with other factors such as the fragmentation of their traditional lands due to renewable energy projects, tourism, and forestry, forces the Sámi to introduce modern technologies and supplementary fodder to ensure herds’ survival. In effect, this is changing Sámi culture (Arctic WWF, 2019). For over 11 years, the Sámi have claimed to be reaching “the limit to resilience”, due to an accumulating amount of stressors including but not limited to climate change (Furberg, Evengård and Nilsson, 2011).  

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ARCTIC RISK INDICATORS

The following gauges show up-to-date data regarding key indicators in the Arctic. These indicators clearly point to the crisis at hand.

Greenland rate of ice loss
4.5 hundred thousands l/s
on average in 1986-2015
4.5 tons per second
on average in 1986-2015
Worldwide number of disasters
265 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1970s
183 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1980s
100 disasters
more events in 2022 in comparison to 1990s
Arctic Sea Ice Extent
605,499 km²
below 1981-2010 average on 04-Jun-2023
233,783 mi²
below 1981-2010 average on 04-Jun-2023
Arctic Amplification
2.82 times
faster than global average in last 30 years
2.57 times
faster than global average in last 50 years
2.54 times
faster than global average in last 70 years
Arctic Wildfire emissions
0.60 megatonnes CO₂e
CO₂e emissions in 2023 so far
Arctic Air Quality (PM2.5)
5.50 microgram per cubic meter
on 05-Jun-2023