adapted to the ice and they will have major problems from the land – such as Saami, Arctic Athabaskan, Inuit
surviving if the ice should disappear. The same goes for and other Peoples – will face great challenges. This has
the tundra, where many species are completely depend- already become evident.
ent on an environment of snow and permafrost. If large
parts of the tundra are replaced by trees and shrubs, an Access to energy and mineral resources in the polar re-
expected result of global warming, many of the species gions will increase as ice melts. The sea ice is the main
that live on the tundra will lose much of their current barrier to maritime transport and access to the major
ranges
2
. Paradoxically, we can expect a greater biological continental shelves that surround the Arctic Ocean,
diversity because different species will migrate north where projections place a large part of the world’s re-
from the south. maining petroleum resources. The increased interest in
petroleum resources in the North is undoubtedly also
People who depend on the living resources in the north- linked to the decline of the sea ice. For example, it has
ern regions will have to adapt to major changes. Agri- been calculated that the length of navigation season
culture and the fishing industry may profit from a mod- through the Northern Sea Route along the Siberian coast
erate warming, while those who live in a traditional way will increase from 30 days to 120 days in this century, if
Snowfall in China.
Photo: UNEP/Still Pictures
CHAPTER 2 WHY ARE ICE AND SNOW IMPORTANT TO US? 25