Ministers heading north

Written by Anita Thorolvsen Munch, Journalist og press release

Published: 22.04.2009

klode-ing (Ingressbilde)

Next week former Vice President Al Gore, foreign ministers and climate change scientists are heading for the town of Tromsø in Northern Norway to discuss the impacts of melting ice in Antarctica, the Arctic and mountain areas worldwide.

On April 28. a number of foreign ministers from the Arctic Council states and several observer states are expected in Tomsø for the conference Melting Ice: Regional Dramas, Global Wake-Up Call.

The event, wich will be co-hosted by former Vice President Al Gore and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, takes takes place the day before the Arctic Council's annual ministerial meeting.

Melting mountains
The parties meet to discuss the impact of melting ice in Antarctica, the Arctic and mountain areas worldwide.

The Arctic is already being affected by climate change, with temperatures rising twice as fast as the global average. A changing Arctic in turn affects the global climate.

Scientists say that over the next few decades, 1.3 billion people will be threatened by more serious flooding, followed by the loss of drinking water, as their rivers swell and then dry up. Many of the world's main rivers depend on meltwater from the mountains for part of the year.

Foto: Elise Strømseng


Scientists also predict that ice and snow in the mountains that feed these rivers will melt away because of global warming. Rivers flowing from the Himalayas, the Andes Mountains, the Rocky Mountains and the Alps will be affected. In Asia, the Himalayas are the source of seven of the continent's largest rivers. These and other rivers from the mountains of Central Asia are vital to the livelihoods of 40% of the world's population.

Mr Gore and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will make a statement on the topic addressing the need for policy responses at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen later this year.

Ministrial meeting
The Arctic Council's biennial ministerial meeting, which are held back to back to the conference also marks the end of the Norwegian Chairmanship. Denmark is going to take over the chairmanship for the next two years. Last Ministerial Meeting was held in Salekhard, Russia in the autumn 2006.

The Arctic Council states are the United States, Russia, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway.

Click for more information on the Arctic Council meeting

Last updated: 28.04.2009

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