Welcome to the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment website. Here you will learn about the landmark scientific report, its findings and recommendations for policy. Photo: Carsten Egevang/ARC-PIC.com

Key finding 1: Arctic biodiversity is being degraded, but decisive action taken now can help sustain vast, relatively undisturbed ecosystems of tundra, mountains, freshwater and seas and the valuable services they provide. Photo: Lars Holst Hansen/ARC-PIC.com

Key finding 2: Climate change is by far the most serious threat to Arctic biodiversity and exacerbates all other threats. Photo: Ole J. Liodden

Traditional knowledge is used to observe, evaluate and form views about a particular situation on the land/sea. This knowledge reflects perceptions and wisdom that has been passed on to new generations right up to the present day. Photo: Jenny E. Ross

Key finding 5: Pollution from long-range transport and local sources threatens the health of Arctic species and ecosystems. Photo: Ole. J. Liodden

Key finding 3: Many Arctic migratory species are threatened by overharvest and habitat alteration outside the Arctic, especially birds along the East Asian flyway. Photo: Jan van de Kam

Watch the ABA video (2 minute version)

Press Release:

The Arctic Biodiversity Assessment released at the Arctic Council Ministerial

MAY 15, KIRUNA, SWEDEN- The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council has released the “Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA),” a report containing the best available science informed by traditional ecological knowledge on the status and trends of Arctic biodiversity and accompanying policy recommendations for biodiversity conservation.

Download the report

Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Synthesis Arctic Biodiversity Assesment: Full report

Please note that the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment Synthesis and Full Report are still under development

Key Findings

Key finding 1: Arctic biodiversity is being degraded, but decisive action taken now can help sustain vast, relatively undisturbed ecosystems of tundra, mountains, fresh water and seas and the valuable services they provide.

READ ALL KEY FINDINGS

Policy Recommendations

Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Report for Policy Makers

Climate change

Ecosystem-based management

Mainstreaming biodiversity

Identifying and safeguarding important areas for biodiversity

Addressing individual stressors on biodiversity

Improving knowledge and public awareness

READ ALL POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

PrefaceIntroductionIndigenous people and biodiversity in the ArcticSynthesisSpecies Diversity in the ArcticMammals

BirdsAmphibians and reptilesFishesTerrestrial invertebratesMarine invertebratesPlants

FungiMicroorganismsTerrestrial ecosystemsFreshwater ecosystemsMarine ecosystemsParasites

Invasive species: human inducedGeneticsProvisioning and cultural servicesDisturbance, feedbacks and conservationsLinguistics Arctic Biodiversity Assessment: Scientific Report

Acknowledgements

Steering committee

Mark Marissink, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency; (chair)

Tom Barry, CAFF International Secretariat;
Cindy Dickson, Arctic Athabaskan Council;
Vicky Johnston, Environment Canada;
Aulikki Alanen, Finnish Ministry of the Environment;
Inge Thaulow, Ministry of Housing, Nature and Environment, Greenland;
Evgeny Syroechkovskiy, Russian Institute for Nature Conservation;
Gilbert Castellanos, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Previous steering committee members

Bridget Larocque, Gwich’in Council International;
Trish Hayes, Environment Canada;
Risa Smith, Environment Canada;
Janet Hohn, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;
Ævar Petersen, Icelandic Institute of Natural History;
Esko Jaakkola, Finnish Ministry of the Environment;
Tiina Kurvitz, UNEP GRID-Arendal;
Christoph Zöckler, UNEP WCMC.

Lead countries

Canada, Finland, Greenland, Sweden and the United States

Funding and support

The Arctic Biodiversity Assessment has received financial support from the following sources: Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, United States of America, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and the Chief Scientist was financed by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency as part of the environmental support programme DANCEA.

We would also like to thank all CAFF countries and Permanent Participants to the Arctic Council, and all those who participated in this project for their support and contributions to the successful development of the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment.

About

The ABA, involving over 250 scientists has been produced by some of the world’s leading experts and has been presented to the Foreign Ministers of the Arctic Council countries at the Arctic Council Ministerial on May 15. The ABA synthesizes scientific findings on status and trends in Arctic biodiversity. This major circumpolar effort provides a much needed description of the state of biodiversity in the Arctic.

The ABA:

creates a baseline for use in global and regional assessments of Arctic biodiversity which will inform and guide future Arctic Council work;
provides up-to-date knowledge gathered from scientific publications supplemented with insights from traditional knowledge holders;
identifies gaps in the data record;
describes key mechanisms driving change; and
presents science-based suggestions for action on addressing major pressures on Arctic biodiversity.

Arctic Biodiversity Assessment

Status and Trends in Arctic Biodiversity