Global Warming? What About in The Arctic Region

Arctic is a special region which has many definitions based on the aspects likes astronomically, climatologically, and also botanically. Briefly, the arctic is Polaris mostly located in the north pole. Different with the southern polar region which mostly ice-covered continental, in northern pole surrounded by ocean.

Continuously emitted carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses in atmosphere finally also give impact in the arctic environment. Most of the heat energy from earth surface is absorbed by greenhouse gasses which become the barrier so that the heat becomes back to the surface and surface becomes warmer. This process should be in long-term process but nowdays scientists knew that already happen the impact of global warming. IPCC in 2001 have declared that climate change in the polar region is predicted becomes the largest and most rapid than another region on earth, as consequence will cause major ecological, physical, sociological and economic impact, particularly in the arctic region.

Warming in the arctic giving impact in physical climate such as; rising temperatures, until now over past half century the temperatures was increased 3-4°C on winter in Alaska; rising the river flow, this happen because the ice slowly melting; declining snow cover; increasing precipitation; thawing the permafrost that caused much erosion in arctic area and the most famous is rising sea level, the impact to be greater than in global average. In natural system, ecosystem structure and composition changes, after ice-covered land becomes melting it was open land space so that there are much vegetation grow, it is mean in some part agricultural and forestry will be increased due to a longer and warmer growing season and slowly it will cause an exchange in social life for indigenous people in arctic region.

In the summarize, it is clearly that global warming gives impact in natural, physical also a social aspect in the arctic region. Moreover, it will be a great challenge in economic aspect. Nowdays, we are more focused the changes that happen in the terrestrial ecosystem, it should become a way of thinking that it needs synergy research so that the strong approach can initiate in all area include arctic area. Mitigation effort and adaptation effort could be carried out simultaneously to minimize the impact and changes.