Arctic Climate Impact Assessment
ACIA
Geographical coverage
| Geographical scale of the assessment | Regional |
|---|---|
| Country or countries covered | Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Russia, Iceland, Norway, United States, Finland, Faroe Islands, Sweden |
| Any other necessary information or explanation for identifying the location of the assessment, including site or region name |
Geographical scale of the assessment
Regional
Country or countries covered
Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Russia, Iceland, Norway, United States, Finland, Faroe Islands, Sweden
Any other necessary information or explanation for identifying the location of the assessment, including site or region name
Conceptual framework, methodology and scope
Assessment objectives
To provide a comprehensive and authoritative scientific synthesis of available information about observed and projected changes in climate and UV radiation and the impacts of those changes on ecosystems and human activities in the Arctic. The synthesis also reviews gaps in knowledge and the research required to fill those gaps.The intended audience is the international scientific community, including researchers and directors of research programs.The ACIA Scientific Report fulfills this goal.
To provide an accessible summary of the scientific findings, written in plain language but conveying the key points of the scientific synthesis.This summary, the ACIA Overview Report (ACIA, 2004a), is for policy makers and the general public.
To provide policy guidance to the Arctic Council to help guide the individual and collective responses of the Arctic countries to the challenges posed by climate change and UV radiation.The ACIA Policy Document (ACIA, 2004b) accomplishes this task.
Mandate for the assessment
Conceptual framework and/or methodology used for the assessment
Other (please specify)
scientific assessment, similar to the IPCC
URL or copy of conceptual framework developed or adapted
System(s) assessed
- Marine
- Coastal
- Inland water
- Polar
Species groups assessed
Ecosystem services/functions assessed
Provisioning
- Food
- Energy/fuel
- Minerals
Regulating
- Climate regulation
Supporting Services/Functions
Cultural Services
- Recreation and tourism
Scope of assessment includes
Drivers of change in systems and services
Yes
Impacts of change in services on human well-being
No
Options for responding/interventions to the trends observed
No
Explicit consideration of the role of biodiversity in the systems and services covered by the assessment
Yes
Timing of the assessment
Year assessment started
Pre 2000
Year assessment finished
2004
If ongoing, year assessment is anticipated to finish
Periodicity of assessment
One off
Assessment outputs
Website(s)
Report(s)
Communication materials (e.g. brochure, presentations, posters, audio-visual media)
Journal publications
Training materials
Other documents/outputs
Tools and processes
Tools and approaches used in the assessment
- Modelling
- Scenarios
Process used for stakeholder engagement in the assessment process and which component
Key stakeholder groups engaged
The number of people directly involved in the assessment process
Incorporation of scientific and other types of knowledge
- Scientific information only
- Traditional/local knowledge
Supporting documentation for specific approaches, methodology or criteria developed and/or used to integrate knowledge systems into the assessment
Assessment reports peer reviewed
No
Data
Accessibility of data used in assessment
Policy impact
Impacts the assessment has had on policy and/or decision making, as evidenced through policy references and actions
Independent or other review on policy impact of the assessment
No
Lessons learnt for future assessments from these reviews
In responding to climate change, Member States are taking two sets of actions: mitigation and adaptation. Both kinds of actions require extensive communication and education about climate change and its impacts. Further research, observations, monitoring and modelling is needed to refine and extend the ACIA findings.
