Download Measures to Protect the Biodiversity of the Arctic Tundra Region

Forum: The Environment Committee
Issue: Measures to Protect the Biodiversity of the Arctic Tundra Region
Student Officer: Astha Ranjan
Postion: Deputy Chair
Key terms defined:
biodiversity: Biological diversity is the variety and variability among living organisms and the
ecological complexes in which they occur.
Arctic Tundra region: A treeless area between the icecap that circles the north pole and extends
south. It is known for having a permanently frozen subsoil and supporting low-growing vegetation
such as lichens, mosses, and stunted shrubs. It covers 1/10th of the worlds land area.
Introduction
In the recent years, the biodiversity of the Arctic Tundra region has been worsening harming the
ecosystem of the region. It is a major issue and it is important to preserve the biodiversity of the
region because if species go extinct, it will disrupt the ecological cycle on a global scale and also
worsen the problems that already exist due to global warming.
History:
The problem with the biodiversity of the arctic tundra region started about the same time as global
warming started to become a major problem and started affecting the climate of our planet.
Although there is no specific date, this problem started in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Due to global
warming and the warming up of the earth, it has caused the permafrost - a layer of frozen soil to
melt. Permafrost initially prevented the decomposition of dead plants and animals, which prevented
more carbon dioxide to be released into the air, but since he permafrost is melting, dead plants and
animals are able to decompose. Also, this melting of the permafrost is causing species that couldnʼt
initially survive there to grow back causing a huge disrupt in the ecosystem. Plants and animals
who could survive in the cold harsh tundra are now finding it difficult as well.
Key Issues:
The arctic tundra is an environment that contains a lot of ecology and it is a fragile environment
that can be easily damaged or destroyed. Global warming is a major problem as it is melting the ice
in the tundra and the permafrost, which is through which the carbon dioxide is being blocked from
entering the atmosphere right now. The permafrost stops plants from decomposing as they get
nutrients from carbon dioxide, decompose, and then release the carbon dioxide back into the
atmosphere. However due to global warming, plants are starting to decompose, hence more carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere and this is worsening global warming. The tundra biome is one of the
most sensitive to climate conditions. The increasing temperatures that have resulted from global
warming are shrinking the tundra biome, leaving less habitat for the animals that have adapted to
living there. As global warming continues, it is possible that many of these species will become
extinct because they will not be adapted to the warmer biome that replaces the tundra. They will be
competing for resources against better-suited species that would migrate to the changed
environment.
Another threat is the spill of oils and tailings from mining operations and oil drilling and pipeline
leaks. By oil drilling, companies are destroying habitats for animals by clearing land for
construction. Often times, these sites disrupt the migratory routes for animals as they are in the
way, and this causes problems because the animals canʼt find their routes anymore. Oil spills
harm the aquatic wildlife. An example of this can be seen when the Exxon Valdez spilled ten
million barrels of oil in Prince William Sound, Alaska, 1989.
The depletion of the ozone layer is also an issue as this excess sunlight is not only causing the ice
and permafrost to melt faster but also damaging the plant life, which is as it is limited in the tundra.
Overhunting is another major issue for tundra animal species, some of which cannot be found
anywhere else on Earth. While hunting can be beneficial in controlling animal populations, too
much hunting of specific species can lead to the extinction of that species as well as any other
species that rely on it for survival. Tundra animals in danger of extinction due to hunting include
wolves, arctic foxes and moose.
UN perspective
The UN is keen on preserving the biodiversity of the arctic asap and believes that there are no
immediate solutions to the problem. All solutions are long term and will take time
but the general solution is to stop/slow down, and reduce the effects of global warming. There
are a lot of things on a personal level that can be done to help this, not just necessarily treaties
and agreements being formed between countries.
Major Parties Involved
UNEP - The United Nations Environment Program is the main UN group that is working on the
issue.
WWF - The World Wildlife Fund is also heavily involved in trying to conserve arctic
biodiversity.
Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna - Also known as the ʻCAFFʼ is an organization
specifically for the conservation of arctic flora and fauna.
Alaska Coalition - The Alaska Coalition, run by the Alaska Wilderness League, is concerned
with the protection of the country's wilderness areas, which include the Arctic tundra region as
well as areas such as the Tongass National Park.
Russia, Finland, Norway, Alaska, and Greenland are also nations really close to the arctic who are
quite involved in the conservation of arctic biodiversity as a
United Nations convention on Biological Diversity - this is a UN group that focuses on
conversing biological diversity across the globe, one of their focuses being the arctic.
Timeline of Events
In September 2006, a seminar on Multilateral Environmental Agreements and their Relevance to
the Arctic was organized by UNEP/GRID-Arendal and the Standing Committee for
Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (SCPAR), and co- sponsored by the Nordic Council of
Ministers. The objective of the Arendal Seminar was to identify gaps, challenges, and steps that
could be taken to make the global multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) more relevant
to the Arctic and more useful in ensuring sound environmental governance and sustainable
development.
The following are the MEAs that were formed:
- the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; •the
Convention on Biological Diversity;
• the UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural
Heritage (WHC);
• the Convention Migratory Species(CMS)and its associated agreements such as the Agreement
on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA); and,
•
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES).
The Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, the Montreal Protocol on
Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change and its Kyoto Protocol, and any successor agreements are all relevant to the protection of
Arctic biodiversity in that they attempt to eliminate or stabilize anthropogenic emissions that
interfere with the atmosphere and drive climate change which is altering Arctic habitats.
Similarly, the chemicals and hazardous wastes conventions, such as the Stockholm Convention
on Persistent Organic Pollutants, are relevant to Arctic biodiversity as has been shown by the
various assessments of Arctic contaminants conducted by the Arctic Monitoring and
Assessment Program (AMAP).
The Global Program of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based
Activities (GPA) and the Arctic Councilʻs Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME)
working group are closely related to the chemicals-related conventions on issues such as
agrochemicals, persistent organic pollutants, and heavy metals9, p.14. The global mercury
convention, which will regulate both the use and emissions of mercury, for which negotiations
began in Stockholm in June 2010 and expected to be ready for adoption in 2013, is also directly
relevant to Arctic biodiversity.
The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic
(OSPAR) is also concerned with the prevention and elimination of pollutants as well as ensuring
the sustainable use of the sea. While not strictly considered an MEA, the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a global agreement with a broad scope.
UN Involvement
The UNEP passed a resolution n 2008 to address the conservation of arctic biodiversity.
Although effective, this resolution has not been effective enough for a significant
difference/effect to be seen.
In October 2010, at the 10th Conference of the Parties of the CBD in Nagoya, Japan, decision X/13
on new and emerging issues invited the Arctic Council to provide relevant information and
assessments to the CBD's Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
(SBSTTA) on the topic of Arctic biodiversity, in particular, information generated through CAFF's
Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP).
Possible Solutions
As mentioned before, there are no immediate solutions to the problem. They all correlate with
global warming and the long term solution would be to reduce the impacts of global warming
and/or stop it.
1. Things that can be done at a personal level
- Take shorter shower, it will lower your water heating bills too.
- Use compact fluorescent bulbs, they use less electricity.
- Buy locally made products; it takes a great deal energy to get products to the store.
- Buy organic foods, it cuts down on water pollution.
- Turn off you computer when not in use! It still uses energy when idle.
- Reuse grocery bags or buy a cloth one
2. Things to be done at a global level
- Use of renewable energy resources
- Decrease the use of fossil fuels
- Better public transportation in countries where it doesnʼt exist to reduce the pollution caused
by cars
- More efficient treaties to be made between nations and their government to minimize pollution
from factories and/or otherwise
- Improved infrastructure to prevent oil spills and pipeline leakage
Works Cited
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"What Are Some Harmful and Beneficial Environmental Issues of the Tundra?"
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