AMAP Greenland and the Faroe Islands 1997-2001

Preface

In 1989 a conference on protection of the Arctic environment was held in Rovaniemi with participation of all eight circumpolar countries (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and USA). This was the start of the “Rovaniemi” process, continuing with the First Arctic Ministerial Conference in 1991, as an important step in the international cooperation for the protection of the Arctic, leading to the adoption of the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS).

Some of the objectives of the AEPS are:

- to protect the Arctic ecosystems, including humans
- to review regularly the state of the Arctic environment
- to identify, reduce and as a final goal, eliminate pollution.

Different work groups have been formed to implement the AEPS objectives. One of the initiatives is the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP).

The Arctic region represents one of the last frontiers of relative pristine nature but also an area vulnerable to pollution. However, results from AMAP’s first phase (1994-1996) have shown that pollutants originating from anthropogenic activities at mid-latitudes are transported to the Arctic by atmospheric processes, ocean currents and rivers. Some of these pollutants accumulate in the Arctic environment.

AMAP’s responsibilities are to monitor the levels and assess the effects of anthropogenic pollutants in all compartments of the Arctic environment (atmospheric, terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, and human populations with respect to human health).

The work of AMAP has so far focused on three priority pollutants: persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, and radioactivity. Each country has defined its own national implementation plan to meet the AMAP monitoring requirements.

Very few monitoring programmes existed in Greenland, when the international AMAP programme was adopted. To fulfil participation in the international AMAP programme Denmark initiated a national AMAP programme covering all the selected compartments and the priority pollutants in different parts of Greenland and in the Faroe Islands. The national AMAP programme has been funded by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency since 1994 as part of the environmental support program Dancea – Danish Cooperation for Environment in the Arctic.

The results from the first phase of the national AMAP programme were inter alia published in:
“AMAP Greenland 1994-1996” (Environmental Project No. 356, 1997).
“AMAP Greenland 1994-1996, Data Report” (Working Report No. 29, 1997).

AMAP’s first scientific circumpolar assessment was published in:
“AMAP Assessment Report: Arctic Pollution Issues” Oslo 1998.

The present report is one of four containing the results and assessment of data from the second phase (1997-2002) of the national AMAP programme in Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The four reports are compilations of a number of chapters written by different authors from several institutes. The four volumes are:

Vol. 1: Human Health.
Vol. 2: The Environment of Greenland.
Vol. 3: The Environment of the Faroe Islands.
Vol. 4: Data Report.

Besides these reports scientific international AMAP Assessment reports covering the circumpolar region are prepared.