Documents

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Attachment 18 to Working Paper 23 (WP023)

ATT018 to WP023: SCAR Code of Conduct for Activity within Terrestrial Geothermal Environments in Antarctica

Summary:

This SCAR Code of Conduct provides guidance when planning or undertaking field activities within terrestrial geothermal environments. It was prepared following discussions held at the August 2014 Auckland Workshop which focused on the need to develop guidelines for working in terrestrial geothermal areas in Antarctica (see ATCM XXXVIII (2015) IP024 and ATCM XXXVIII (2015) WP035) and has been finalised through broad consultation, including with the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP). The SCAR Environmental Code of Conduct for Terrestrial Scientific Research in Antarctica (2009) continues to provide guidance on practical measures to minimize impacts by scientists undertaking fieldwork in terrestrial environments, generally applicable across all of Antarctica. This Code of Conduct for activities within terrestrial geothermal environments was developed in recognition of a specific need for guidelines for operations and scientific activities beyond those generally applicable guidelines, since terrestrial geothermal environments in Antarctica represent a unique case where more specific and customized guidance is needed because safeguarding the values of these sites requires measures that extend beyond those required in most areas in which activities are undertaken. The Code of Conduct will be updated and refined as new scientific results and environmental impact reports become available from future research in terrestrial geothermal environments.

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Attachment 42 to information paper 31 (IP031)

ATT042 to IP031: Antarctic Geoconservation: A Review of Current Systems and Practices (Attachment)

Journal article:

Hughes, K. et al., 2016. Antarctic geoconservation: A review of current systems and practices. Environmental Conservation, 43(2), 97-108. doi:10.1017/S0376892915000387.

Summary:

The prohibition of commercial mineral resource extraction through the Antarctic Treaty System has removed one significant source of potential damage to Antarctica’s geological and geomorphological values. However, given the on-going increase in Antarctic tourism and scientific footprint, some high-quality geological features may be vulnerable to human impact, such as damage due to the construction of logistical facilities, unregulated collection of geological specimens or oversampling for scientific purposes. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty puts in place a framework for the protection of Antarctica’s environmental, scientific, historic, wilderness and aesthetic values. However, the Antarctic Protected Area system is still immature and further implementation of existing management tools may be required to protect the diverse range of vulnerabilities, qualities and spatial scales represented in the geology and geomorphology of the continent. At sites where high-quality mineralogical or palaeontological specimens exist in limited quantities, considerations of how best to prevent oversampling and manage access to remaining material may be supported by assessment of cumulative impacts. Examination of the level of Antarctic specimen loans from a selection of national geological collections suggested that existing publically accessible geological collections could be better utilized, which could reduce environmental impact and oversampling at vulnerable Antarctic sites.

Keywords: Antarctic Specially Protected Area, environmental impact assessment, fossils, geoconservation, geodiversity, geological collections, geological conservation, legislation, minerals, monitoring

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

ATT045 to IP038: Attachment 45 to Information Paper 38 (IP038)

Aichi Targets

This paper presents 5 strategic goals, each with a number of targets (20 targets in total). The strategic goals are:

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Background Paper

BP002: The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Selected Science Highlights for 2015/16

Submitted: 21/04/2016

Background:

This Background Paper highlights some recent key science papers published since the last Treaty meeting and should be read in conjunction with the Information Paper “The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Annual Report for 2015/16” (IP020). Although not highlighted here, the latest ACCE update (see Information Paper) should also be consulted as it contains reference to recent studies on climate change in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region. It should also be noted that this is not a complete list (there have been many highly significant papers published over the last year) but represents some of the key science papers highlighted by SCAR groups.

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Background Paper (Revision 1)

BP003: Abstract of the SCAR Lecture: Exploring the Future of Scientific Research in Antarctica

Submitted: 25/04/2016

Full text:

Abstract of the SCAR Lecture: Exploring the future of scientific research in Antarctica

Jerónimo López-Martínez, President of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.

Scientific research in Antarctica provides critical knowledge about global processes and is recognised by the Antarctic Treaty System as playing a fundamental role in the management of the region. Antarctic research also offers significant opportunities for international cooperation and for communicating and emphasising the importance of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean to both the general public and decision makers.

To support SCAR’s leadership and international cooperation in Antarctic and Southern Ocean research and assist in achieving its mission of excellence in science and scientific advice to policy makers, in 2014 SCAR organized the first SCAR Antarctic and Southern Ocean Science Horizon Scan, with support from the Tinker Foundation and others. This initiative assembled world leading Antarctic scientists, policy makers, leaders, and visionaries to identify the most important scientific questions that will or should be addressed by research over the next two decades and beyond. This was the first time that the international Antarctic community has formulated a collective vision, through discussions, debate and voting. The outcome was an agreement on 80 of the most important Antarctic research questions, laying out an ambitious scientific “roadmap” for the next 20 years and beyond.

Answering these many questions will require sustained and stable funding; access to all of Antarctica throughout the year; application of emerging technologies; strengthened protection of the region; growth in international cooperation; and improved communication among all interested parties. At the same time, many Antarctic programmes are suffering budget pressures and uncertainties.

The Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP) led a second stage of the process, with the Antarctic Roadmap Challenges (ARC) project, focused on answering the question: “How will national Antarctic programmes meet the challenges of delivering Antarctic science identified in the Horizon Scan?”

The 2016 SCAR Science Lecture to the ATCM will present an overview of this process and its main conclusions to the Delegates based on the published outputs of the SCAR Horizon Scan^1,2 and the ARC project³. This presentation will describe how actions will be implemented to explore and achieve future scientific priorities and discuss the associated challenges. We will reinforce that wider international partnerships, more coordination of science and infrastructure funding and expanded knowledge-sharing are essential. We will also reinforce to the Delegates the importance of using scientific evidence in decision- making and the development of conservation measures. These processes have been a collective effort of the Antarctic community, based on broad international cooperation, involving many hundreds of scientists, managers and technicians from dozens of countries, with a close cooperation between SCAR and COMNAP, carried out in a framework inspired by the Antarctic Treaty.

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Information Paper

IP020: SCAR Annual Report 2015/16 to the Antarctic Treaty System

Submitted: 12/04/2016

Summary:

The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is a non-governmental, Interdisciplinary Scientific Body of the International Council for Science (ICSU), and Observer to the Antarctic Treaty and the UNFCCC. This SCAR Annual Report highlights and provides updates on SCAR activities that are of particular interest to the Treaty Parties, gives details of SCAR Fellowships and Prizes, lists major SCAR meetings and shares any other relevant news from the 2015/16 period.

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Information Paper

IP031: Antarctic Geoconservation: a Review of Current Systems and Practices

Submitted: 18/04/2016

Summary:

SCAR presents a summary of a recent academic review, led by members of the SCAR Action Group on Geological Heritage and Geoconservation, which describes current threats to Antarctic geological features and details existing systems for their protection. The aim of this Information Paper is to inform the CEP about progress connected with the topic of conservation of Antarctic geological features, about which SCAR has agreed to present a comprehensive paper in 2018.

Also see the attachment (ATT042) to this information paper.

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Information Paper

IP032: Report on the 2015-2016 Activities of the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS)

Submitted: 19/04/2016

Summary:

The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) is a joint initiative of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR), and endorsed by the Partnership for Observations of the Global Ocean (POGO), and the Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) and Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) projects of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). This paper reports on activities of SOOS in the 2015-2016 period, including implementation, milestones and planned future activities.

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Information Paper

IP034: The Antarctic Observing Network (AntON) to Facilitate Weather and Climate Information (joint paper with WMO)

Submitted: 19/04/2016

Summary:

Antarctica is a very data sparse area of the world and so it is important to maximise use of all of the meteorological and other data that are collected there for weather, climate and other research and operational activities. These data are useful for both the Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) and for the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP – see separate IP 15). However, the density of the current surface and upper-air stations is much less than that desirable to properly characterize Antarctic weather and climate.

Both WMO (through its Executive Council Panel of Experts on Polar and High Mountain Observations, Research and Services and its Antarctic Task Team) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) through its Expert Group on Operational Meteorology in the Antarctic aim to maximise the dissemination and use of such data through the Antarctic Observing Network (AntON). AntON consists of manned and automatic weather stations currently in operation in Antarctica and the sub Antarctic islands. This paper gives an overview of AntON, including detailed listings of the stations and ships invloved, and provides recommendations in relation to the network.

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Working Paper

IP035: Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment 2016 Update

Submitted: 19/04/2016

Summary:

This paper provides an update on recent significant advances in our understanding of climate change across the Antarctic continent and the Southern Ocean, and the impacts on the terrestrial and marine biota. It builds on material included in the Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment (ACCE) report, which was published by SCAR in 2009 (Turner et al., 2009), with an update of the key points appearing in 2013 (Turner et al., 2013). At the request of the ATCM, SCAR agreed to provide regular updates on the original report (e.g. ATCM Resolution 4 (2010)) and that activity is coordinated by the SCAR ACCE Advisory Group. The scope of the group is to keep abreast of recent advances in climate science, with a particular focus on Antarctic climate change and the biological implications of such changes. The paper highlights changes changes in the Antarctic physical environment and in the Antarctic biological environment.

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Information Paper

IP038: Antarctica and the Southern Ocean in the context of the Strategic Plan on Biodiversity 2011-2020 (joint paper with Monaco)

Submitted: 20/04/2016

Summary:

In June 2015, SCAR, in partnership with the government of the Principality of Monaco, and several other supporters, held a meeting of biodiversity, legal and policy experts to assess Antarctic and Southern Ocean biodiversity and its conservation status in the context of the Strategic Plan on Biodiversity 2011 to 2020. To date, Antarctica and the Southern Ocean have not been adequately represented in associated global biodiversity assessments. The meeting considered the current status of biodiversity conservation in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, available evidence for this status, and both their trajectory and evidence for this trajectory, in the context of each of the 20 Aichi Targets of the Strategic Plan on Biodiversity 2011 to 2020. The meeting recognized that for some areas of conservation, in the context of these Aichi Targets, Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are in a leading position globally. The meeting also recognized that some of the Aichi Targets provide no applicable context for conservation in the Antarctic region. The meeting concluded that it is essential to ensure that Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are fully represented when a report on the state of global biodiversity is presented at the end of the decade.

Also see the attachment (ATT045) to this information paper.

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

An overview of SCAR Papers submitted to ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Working Paper

WP010: Antarctic Environments Portal (joint paper with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, SCAR, Spain, and United States)

Submitted: 06/04/2016

The Antarctic Environments Portal is now well established and a year into its operational phase. This Working Paper records the benefits of the Portal that are now being realised and reviews the progress made since CEP XVIII: notably, the Portal has been transferred to the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, and three-years of external funding to support the management of the Portal has been generously provide by the Tinker Foundation. The paper also lists the articles in various stages of preparation for publication.

The paper authors recommend that the Committee continue to engage with and support the Portal (not least by encouraging contributions from their science communities); review the material in preparation, and continue to discuss the longer-term management arrangements for the Portal.

ATCM XXXIX and CEP XIX 2016, Santiago, Chile

Working Paper

WP023: SCAR Code of Conduct for Activity within Terrestrial Geothermal Environments in Antarctica

Submitted: 08/04/2016

Summary:

Recognizing the broad and extensive consultation that has been undertaken in the development of SCAR’s Code of Conduct for Activity within Terrestrial Geothermal Environments in Antarctica (ATT018) SCAR recommends that the CEP considers the Code of Conduct and, if agreed, encourages its dissemination and use when planning and undertaking activities within terrestrial geothermal areas.

Also see the attachment (ATT018) to this working paper.