© antonyspencer / iStock
Biodiversity and NATURE
We depend on nature for the air we breathe, the water we drink and the insects that pollinate the food we eat. Nature sustains us and everything around us. In the Arctic, unique ecosystems provide food, livelihoods and cultural identity for the four million people living in the region.
Nature also plays a key role in regulating our climate, storing carbon in our oceans and in plants on land.
Why are we concerned?
Over the past four decades, Arctic temperatures have surged nearly four times faster than the global average.
The Arctic’s ecosystems are rapidly changing due to the climate crisis and increased industrial activities. Summer sea ice is rapidly disappearing, causing extensive habitat destruction and declines in the populations of species that depend on the snow and ice.
For Arctic inhabitants, many of them Indigenous, the crisis is immediate, impacting their environment, economies and societies. But changes in the Arctic have global consequences: higher temperatures, rising sea levels and extreme weather events affect people and nature worldwide.
What are the biggest threats to Arctic biodiversity?
© Sindre Kinnerød / WWF
Climate change is melting Arctic sea ice
Arctic summer sea ice extent is shrinking by 12.2 per cent per decade due to warmer temperatures. This also means that Arctic sea ice cover is becoming younger and thinner, which makes the sea ice even more susceptible to melting. Studies show that the first complete loss of Arctic summer sea ice will most likely occur in the 2050s and potentially as early as in the 2030s.
Loss of multi-year sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is putting ice-dependent animals—such as narwhals, polar bears and walrus—at risk. Fish are changing their ranges, while southern species of whales, such as orcas, are pushing further north. Even the most optimistic global warming scenarios project that the climate crisis will result in an Arctic transformation that will be irreversible for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
© naturepl.com / Sue Flood / WWF
The climate crisis threatens Arctic biodiversity
As the climate crisis progresses, the Arctic’s unique biodiversity and intact ecosystems face an uncertain future. Varied seascapes and landscapes – from sea ice to wetlands, tundra, mountains, rivers, and the sea – sustain abundant Arctic wildlife. Climate change is the primary driver of change in Arctic ecosystems, impacting both terrestrial and marine life. Extreme weather events exacerbate pressures on Arctic species, along with declining snow and ice cover.
This “Arctic squeeze” alters species interactions, with populations either decreasing or increasing, leading to ecosystem shifts. While our understanding of Arctic biodiversity improves through scientific research and Indigenous Knowledge, significant gaps persist, demanding further studies.
© NOAAS’s National Ocean Service / Flickr
Rising Arctic shipping and extractive industries disrupting habitats
As sea ice diminishes, global interest in the Arctic and its resources grows. Industries such as oil and gas, shipping, and fisheries are key players.
Road and pipeline construction create fragmented landscapes, and change vegetation and water systems. Increased shipping creates more underwater noise pollution, black carbon emissions and raises the risk of oil spills. Unsustainable fishing practices compound these challenges, highlighting the need to balance economic growth while protecting ecosystems. The mining sector is also lobbying governments to approve deep sea mining from the Arctic’s seabed, an ecosystem we know little about. These activities endanger Arctic biodiversity by fragmenting habitats, displacing wildlife, and disrupting crucial breeding and feeding areas.
Solutions
© Elisabeth Kruger / WWF-US
Protect Arctic nature and biodiversity
The Arctic, warming rapidly and drawing industrial attention, requires space to adapt to this shifting environment. Protecting Arctic nature and biodiversity is vital to bolstering Arctic resilience against ongoing changes.
Arctic nations must create expansive and well-managed networks of Protected and Conserved Areas across the Arctic Ocean. These areas safeguard iconic wildlife and cultures, aiding to protect them from the harsh effects of climate change and securing the Arctic’s legacy for generations to come. ArcNet, a WWF supported framework, has the answer.
© European External Action Service
Urge government action to halt the climate crisis
WWF urges Arctic governments to take bold action, aligning climate efforts with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
This means swiftly transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Yet, time is running out. Countries must unite to protect Arctic biodiversity, understanding that fighting climate change goes hand in hand with preserving nature. By working together, we can tackle these challenges, safeguard biodiversity, adapt to changes, and build resilience for both ecosystems and communities.
© Sindre KINNERØD / WWF
Chart a sustainable path in the Arctic
Sustainable development begins with healthy, functional ecosystems, essential for communities to exist and flourish. Policies that encourage investment in industries such as oil, gas, and deep-sea mining harm the environment and exacerbate climate change. Halting new oil and gas projects and phasing out existing ones is vital. Arctic shipping also needs to transition from fossil fuels to eco-friendly alternatives and adhere to strict environmental regulations.
Protecting the Arctic’s delicate ecosystem is essential for a sustainable future.
What is the WWF Global Arctic Programme doing?
© WWF Global Arctic Programme
Implementing ArcNet—a readymade conservation framework
ArcNet, an Arctic Ocean Network of Priority Areas for Conservation, is a readymade framework that outlines key areas for conservation across the entire Arctic Ocean. By designing a network of priority areas, ArcNet helps strengthen the resilience of Arctic biodiversity.
Our goal is to ensure the protection of 30 per cent of the Arctic Ocean by creating a network of Protected and Conserved Areas. This framework, complete with a map, a guide, tools and methods will help Arctic nations fulfil their commitments.
© Henry Harrison / WWF
Protecting the Last Ice Area: A vital habitat for Arctic wildlife
Over the four decades, 95 per cent of Arctic multi-year sea ice has disappeared. Sea ice remnants are confined to the Last Ice Area, located in the central Arctic Basin above Greenland and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is a crucial component of sea ice ecosystems and food webs, as well as multi-year sea ice is essential habitat for the future for species that rely on sea ice for their survival, such as polar bear, walrus and Arctic whales.
This is why WWF’s work to protect this region is so important.
© Jenny Leonard
Advancing the Arctic Conservation Forecast Initiative
This WWF initiative unites climate scientists, oceanographers, ecologists, and conservationists to study how climate change affects the Arctic. Data on temperature, snow, sea ice, and glacier melt is used to predict how ecosystems and species will be affected in the future. Using the latest climate models, they create scenarios to plan conservation efforts that match expected changes in the Arctic’s land and sea.
The initiative aims to reduce environmental risks and safeguard Arctic biodiversity.
© Kevin Schafer / WWF
Contributing to the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement
Less Arctic sea ice is expected to spur increased commercial activities like fishing. To prevent overfishing, 10 nations ratified the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement (CAOFA) in October 2018. This legally binding pact regulates fishing in the central Arctic until 2039, providing an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the region’s biodiversity and fisheries potential.
WWF actively participates as an observer, offering recommendations aligned with global biodiversity frameworks and the High Seas Treaty.
