The Circumpolar Map of Resources at Risk from Oil Spills in the Arctic synthesizes existing information on sources of spills and internationally important biological resources that could be at risk in the event of an oil spill. The series of maps provides a tool for considering special precautions when oil operations are being planned close to sensitive areas – such as those containing high priority species that may be experiencing population threats in one form or another. The maps also identify resources at risk that have special implications for the peoples of the Arctic. The maps serve as a first-order overview of risks posed by potential oil spills for governments, international organizations and the general public.
Project Period: Completed 2002
Lead Country: Norway
Two projects were proposed at the EPPR Working Group meeting in April 2004. Based on discussions during the meeting, it was agreed to work towards combining the two projects, and possibly others within the Arctic Council. Once the pilot studies and any workshops have been completed, recommendations will be made concerning future directions for mapping within the EPPR Working Group. For the time being, the two projects are presented separately.
1. Interactive Maps and Environmental Information from Arctic Council Programmes on the Web
Region: Circumpolar
Project Period: 2004 2005
Funding: Norway, Canada, Finland, Russian Federation, Sweden, US, AMAP Secretariat, GRID Arendal
Local Counterparts: Norway Norwegian Coastal Administration, Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority; AMAP Secretariat; GRID Arendal; US – Office of International Emergency Management and Cooperation, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy
Brief: The EPPR Working Group (lead Norway) is moving forward on a pilot study with GRID Arendal and the AMAP Secretariat to develop an interactive web-based map series based on the completed EPPR product, ‘Circumpolar Map of Resources at Risk from Oil Spills in the Arctic’. The Circumpolar Map consists of static maps which are available on CD or the web site it is not interactive and does not include all the data collected. The current proposal involves a shared Arctic Council web server where each group could have its own web site but still use the data of other groups. Based on the results of this pilot study, a workshop will be held and recommendations made at the next EPPR meeting in 2005.
2. Radioactivity in the Arctic Map and Information
Region: Circumpolar
Project Period: 2004 2005
Funding: US, Canada, Finland, Norway, Russian Federation and Sweden
Brief: The Working Group will develop a map to provide a full picture of the information on radioactive sites in the Arctic. The map would link to data on the status of all sources of radioactivity. The EPPR lead (Norway) for the circumpolar map and the AMAP Secretariat will conduct a pilot project to make an interactive web-based map that will include the AMAP data on radioactivity sources. A path forward will be determined based on comments received on the pilot project.