Human Responses to Climate Change in Polar Ocean Systems: IPCC’s SROCC

The climate change signal in polar regions, among the strongest found on Earth, is now affecting the regions' cryosphere, hydrological systems, ecosystems, and society. In response, humans are coping, adapting, and transforming social-ecological systems in an effort to sustain livelihoods and wellbeing. In several cases humans are also taking advantage of emerging economic opportunities. The forthcoming IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) assesses recent and possible future human responses to climate change in polar regions as occurring in several sectors of activity. Changes in the distribution of some fish stocks have resulted in commercial, sport, and subsistence fishing modifying the timing and spatial extent of harvesting activities. Loss of sea ice has created higher risk in traditional whaling. Sea ice loss along with thawing permafrost has resulted in erosion, which as forced coastal communities in several regions to actively plan for relocation. And with less sea ice, arctic marine transportation has increased, adding more risks to ecosystems and local cultures. In spite of an increase in polar scientific research on climate change, effective human responses to climate change is limited because of inadequate information and high uncertainty. In many cases, however, innovative efforts have been implemented to address these conditions of rapid change. Adaptive management of fisheries is now practiced in several regions, monitoring and research are more frequently drawing on multiple knowledge systems such as local and traditional knowledge, new marine protected areas have been established, and a broad suite of international institutional arrangements are in place that allow for cooperation among nations states and other stakeholders. As well, new practices and tools that provide for development of resilient pathways are being used and further developed, such as participatory scenario analysis and decision-support tools. In spite of these advancements, society faces significant challenges as polar regions face a future of unknowns.