The Arctic: a region of conservation opportunities
Protected areas in the Arctic. Boreal forest, marine and freshwater ecosystems are poorly represented in the current protected areas networks of the Arctic.
Click on the image to enlarge.
© UNEP - WCMC / WWF
© UNEP - WCMC / WWF
Protected areas in northern Russia.
This map reveals an
under-representation of marine,
coastal and freshwater habitats in
the protected area system of
northern Russia.
Click on image to enlarge.
© WWF
© WWF
WWF is working to ensure that a representative network of protected areas is created and properly managed in the Arctic.
Through the Arctic Council the eight arctic nations have already committed to creating a circumpolar protected areas network (CPAN). WWF is a strong supporter of the CPAN initiative.CPAN’s goals are:
- to maintain the biodiversity of the arctic region;
- represent the widest variety of arctic ecosystems possible;
- contribute to maintaining viable populations of all arctic species and
- maintain ecological and evolutionary processes.
At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), these commitments were reiterated at the global level, as the nations present agreed to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity through development of national and regional ecological networks and corridors, both on land and at sea.
Not all key biomes represented
Despite these commitments, arctic nations have yet to move from promises to action. Most of what is currently protected is arctic desert or permanent ice or bedrock.
In the current protected areas networks of the Arctic there is serious under-representation of key biomes:
- boreal forests
- marine
- freshwater ecosystems
