Policy Implications of Warming Permafrost

• Main Authors: Schaefer, Kevin, Lantuit, Hugues, Romanovsky, Vladimir E., Schuur, Edward A.G.
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: United Nations Environment Program 2012
• Subjects: Cryosphere; permafrost
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/1730/; http://library.arcticportal.org/1730/1/Policy_implications_of_Warming_Permafrost.pdf; http://www.unep.org/pdf/permafrost.pdf

This report seeks to inform a broad audience about permafrost and communicate to decision-makers and the general public the implications of changing permafrost in a warming climate. It defines basic terminology and describes fundamental physical and biological processes that shape the permafrost landscape using the best scientific information available from published literature. The report discusses the impacts of a changing climate on ecosystems and human infrastructure in regions with significant presence of permafrost, as well as the impacts of thawing permafrost on global climate. Graphics, illustrations and photographs help explain complicated concepts and ideas in a way that is easily understood and visualized by a non-scientific audience.