Polar Alert: Information delivery and policy support for European governments on the Polar Regions
This report is a deliverable of the EUROPOLAR ERA-NET which finished in February 2009.
Introduction
Photo Credit : M Munoz - IPEV
Both of the worlds Polar Regions are undergoing rapid environmental changes while human activities are on the rise creating major uncertainties and environmental and human threats (ACIA) (EEA and UNEP 2004; Frenot, Chown et al. 2005). These threats pose important policy questions at various European governance levels, such as individual European member states and the European government level. Commitment and importance of polar issues has been voiced numerous times in the past years by European agencies and the European Commission (EEA and UNEP 2004).
As the EUROPOLAR project illustrated, European investments in polar research are significant and initiatives to integrate the European polar research capacity are well underway. Within the European Research Area, but also internationally, great efforts are being made to network polar stations, to synchronise research services, and to support the monitoring of climate and environment in both the Arctic and Antarctic Regions. A good example of this is the INFRAPOLAR Platform: a proposal of the European Polar Board to network the polar research facilities of a large consortium of European and non-European countries with the purpose of cost-effectiveness and intelligent utilisation. For concerted observations at Antarctic stations, as well as bipolar observation, there is no standardized approach. The importance and power of communicating key environmental threats to policy makers and legislators through the European Polar Consortium cannot be overstated. However, mechanisms for generating policy relevant information, or translation of data to the policy makers, are not adequately developed. There clearly is an opportunity to act within the frame of the European polar funding agencies (Polar RTD programmes).
The European Science Foundation/European Polar Board and Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) are currently planning for a next phase of Polar Alert in the Autumn of 2009 and are examining possible funding and coordination instruments to develop the operational aspects of this system. Further information can be requested by emailing the European Polar Board at epb[at]esf.org.
ESF provides the scientific, administrative and technical secretariat for COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).