15 March 2016: The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) Project, the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) have released a summary report, titled ‘The Arctic Freshwater System in a Changing Climate,’ which outlines the effects of the changing Arctic atmosphere on the region and beyond.

The report consists of 11 sections that address, inter alia: why the Arctic Freshwater System is important; ways in which climate change is affecting the Arctic Freshwater System; and impacts of the changing water cycle on Arctic landscapes and ecosystems, as well as on the coast and nearshore environments.

According to the publication, changing freshwater flows into the oceans are affecting ocean currents and ocean biology. It estimates that the ability of the Arctic to provide the ecosystem services on which humans rely will be impacted, and the changing hydrological cycle will influence the role of the Arctic as a store of carbon. The report concludes that changes to the Arctic Freshwater System will have important positive and negative implications for the economy in the Arctic.

The report provides a number of recommendations for policymakers, including to: promote the understanding of the interlinkages between key processes, such as the effects of changing freshwater fluxes into Arctic oceans on currents and climate, and the effects of reduced river and lake ice on atmospheric and ecological processes; facilitate deeper understanding of the physical, biological, ecological and climatic consequences of a more intense freshwater cycle; assess the potential for some parts of the Arctic to become a future source of freshwater for water-poor regions; provide additional resources to improve access to safe drinking water and waste treatment facilities for smaller communities in the Arctic; and continue to support outreach and education about the state of the Arctic environment, its effects on people in the region and its importance to the climate and oceans.

The report arises from the Arctic Freshwater Synthesis (AFS) project, led and coordinated by the WCRP CliC Project in partnership with the IASC and AMAP. The AFS is a contribution to the third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP III), the WCRP’s Grand Challenges and AMAP’s 2016 update assessment of Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic (SWIPA). [Publication: The Arctic Freshwater System in a Changing Climate] [AFS Webpage] [IASC Website] [AMAP Website] [WCRP CliC Project Webpage]