Foreword
Ice, snow and climate change are closely linked. The river flows and the recharge of aquifers in dry seasons.
Global Outlook for Ice and Snow investigates those con- Glaciers are melting, sea ice is shrinking, permafrost is
nections, the current situation of ice and snow and the thawing. These changes have widespread impacts, from
global significance of changes, now and in the years to collapsing infrastructure in the Arctic to increased flood-
come. The book was prepared for World Environment ing of small islands in the South Pacific.
Day 2007 to provide an up-to-date assessment on this
year’s theme: Melting Ice – A Hot Topic? The Global Out- Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
look for Ice and Snow is the second thematic assessment Change (IPCC), founded by UNEP and the WMO, re-
report in UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook series. flect our best understanding and knowledge on climate
change, and identify uncertainties and research needs.
It was written by teams of experts from different disci- March 1 of this year marked the start of International
plines and many countries and has included leading re- Polar Year (IPY) 2007–2008, the largest-ever internation-
search organizations in the preparation and the review- al polar research programme. Much IPY research is di-
ing of the book. rected to answering questions and resolving uncertain-
ties about the cryosphere and climate change.
Ice and snow on land, in the seas, and in the ground, col-
lectively known as the cryosphere, are defining compo- The IPCC’s 4th Assessment reports underline the far
nents of ecosystems in the northern part of the Northern reaching implications of changes in ice and snow. For
Hemisphere, in Antarctica and in the world’s mountain example a total loss of Himalayan glaciers could hap-
regions. Changes in ice and snow alter the distribution pen within the lifetimes of many alive today affecting
of Earth’s heat and water, and influence regional and the water supplies of hundreds of millions of people.
global ocean circulation. Climate change has indeed moved to the top of the glo-
bal sustainable development agenda. The Global Outlook
Many plants and animals such as the polar bear have evolved for Ice and Snow will serve as a reference publication in
to live on, in and around ice and cannot survive without it. the debate, contribute to effective decision-making and
Traditional cultures are intimately tied to ice and snow in the ultimately the action so urgently needed.
far North and in mountain areas. For many people in north-
ern and mountain regions, ice and snow are part of daily
winter life, a resource for recreation and income generation,
and an important part of national and regional identity.
Achim Steiner
In high mountain areas, particularly in the Himalayas United Nations Under-Secretary-General
and Andes, ice and snow are important sources of water and Executive Director,
for billions of downstream users; frequently maintaining United Nations Environment Programme
6 GLOBAL OUTLOOK FOR ICE AND SNOW
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