Societal impacts of glacier and snow cover changes in a warming Arctic

Project Description

The proposed activity will focus on societal impacts of glacier and snow cover changes in a warming Arctic. The activity aims to bring together glaciologists, atmospheric scientists, social scientists, as well as indigenous knowledge holders, to stimulate cross-cutting discussions on impacts of two rapidly changing components of the cryosphere (glaciers and snow) on Arctic society. One focus will be on societal impacts of glacier retreat, and with that changes in sea level, river routes, glacier outburst floods, release of pollutants, access to raw materials, and runoff. A second focus is on societal impacts of changes in seasonal snow due to general trends in Arctic precipitation and snow melt, as well as changes in the frequency of rain-on-snow events and extreme precipitation events. Both lead to changes in the natural environment with significant impacts on infrastructure, industry and mobility in the Arctic, requiring increased adaptation of Arctic communities, and influencing their wellbeing and mental health.

The cross-cutting activity will be implemented in the annual Workshop on the Dynamics and Mass Budget of Arctic Glaciers, organized by the IASC Network on Arctic Glaciology (https://nag.iasc.info/). The meeting will be held during three days in January 2024 in Obergurgl, Austria.

Date and Location 

22-24 January 2024 I Obergurgl, Austria

IASC Working Groups funding the project

• Atmosphere WG
• Cryosphere WG
• Social & Human WG

Project Lead

Ward van Pelt (Uppsala University, Sweden)

Year funded by IASC

 2023