EuropaWorld 13/7/2001WWF Highlight New Evidence of Permafrost Melt

New evidence from the Russian Academy of Sciences suggests that large areas of the frozen Siberian tundra are thawing under the impact of global warming say WWF, the Conservation Organisation. The Academy report shows that that the flow of large Siberian rivers, such as the Yenisey and the Lena, has significantly increased, even though their catchment areas have received less rain and snow over the past years. The report suggests that this increased flow is the result of the gradual thawing of the permafrost - that part of the ground below the surface which, until now, has remained permanently frozen all year round.

The report, first presented at a recent WWF-sponsored Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) conference in St-Petersburg, Russia, was discussed this week at the tenth meeting of the Arctic Council in Rovaniemi, Finland.

"The meltdown of the Russian tundra will have serious consequences for both humans and the environment," points out Stefan Norris, Conservation Officer at WWF's Arctic Programme. "For example, settlements built on ground thought to be solid will disappear under the mud, leaving inhabitants homeless."

Increased freshwater flowing into the sea from the major rivers will also change the salinity of the Arctic ocean, destroying habitats for existing species, and introducing new and changing sea currents, say WWF.

WWF is calling on the officials of the Arctic Council to put pressure on their respective governments to contribute positively to the finalisation of the Kyoto Protocol at the Climate Summit in Bonn, in July. "Ten years ago, the Arctic countries were pioneers when they initiated the first large scale cross border environmental initiative ever. Now, they can show the way again," said Claude Martin, Director General of WWF.