Category: Blog

The EuroGEO Climate Action Group organized a webinar on Wednesday, 10^th of December 2025. It concentrated on timely EU policy topics. The purpose was to develop last mile climate services, give overview on climate policy requirements emerging from KCEO work with an Update of EU Climate Adaptation Strategy, tell about Global Goal on Adaptation indicators, adopted at COP-30 and present Development in action: Seasonal forecasts for Landsvirkjun.

The EuroGEO Climate Action Group webinar focused on enhancing the integration of Earth Observation into EU climate policies. Mikko Strahlendorff opened the session by emphasizing the group’s mission to connect the Copernicus Climate Change Service with end users. Mark Dowell presented on the Knowledge Centre on Earth Observation, established in 2021, and discussed its role in coordinating discussions across various policy areas. He outlined the steering group’s initiatives aimed at promoting the use of Earth Observation in policy frameworks and highlighted ongoing assessments related to biodiversity and urban climate adaptation. Strahlendorff led a discussion on climate adaptation strategies, particularly addressing urban heat islands and health-related projects in the Baltic States and Finland. He encouraged participants to contribute insights, specifically inviting Katrin Koch from DWD to share relevant actions. Alexia Tsouni expressed her team’s readiness to assist with updating the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), while Dowell provided a timeline for stakeholder consultations and the publication of the strategy. The conversation also touched on linking climate adaptation missions with existing initiatives, fostering collaboration among participants. Sindu Parampil from ICOS shared insights on urban emissions data and its relevance to adaptation policies, while Dowell emphasized the importance of integrating emissions data into upcoming strategies. Strahlendorff raised the need for practical applications of global adaptation indicators and discussed the challenges of incorporating Earth observation data into action plans. Dowell supported this perspective, noting the limited integration of Earth observation with Sustainable Development Goal indicators and the necessity for assessments with ESA to clarify its role. The session concluded with discussions on future initiatives, including a follow-up webinar on climate adaptation services and the creation of a table to gather potential use cases for policy briefs. Strahlendorff and Dowell encouraged participants to express their interest in contributing to these efforts, highlighting the importance of connecting national actions with broader EU initiatives. The positive engagement from participants indicated a strong commitment to advancing the group’s objectives and fostering collaboration in climate adaptation efforts.

Overview of EuroGEO Climate Action Group Webinar

Mikko Strahlendorff opened the EuroGEO Climate Action Group webinar, expressing satisfaction with the attendance and highlighting the importance of the event. He introduced Mark Dowell, who would provide an overview of the Knowledge Centre on Earth Observation and its connection to climate policy requirements, emphasizing the need for interactive discussion among participants.

Presentation about Overview of the Knowledge Centre on Earth Observation and its relevance to Climate policy and overview of Earth Observation Policy Integration and Future Directions
Mark Dowell outlined the steering group’s efforts to integrate Earth Observation into EU policies, emphasizing the importance of addressing sectoral policy needs. He described two key areas of focus: promoting the use of Earth Observation in policy-making and maintaining cutting-edge capabilities in this field. Dowell also mentioned ongoing assessments and the development of a glossary to ensure consistent communication with policy DGs.
Important topics were contributions of Earth observation to climate adaptation efforts, the importance of producing policy briefs to inform and guide climate adaptation strategies, engagement and collaboration within the Action Group for policy briefs, systematic assessment of indicators for urban climate adaptation and the role of Earth observation in supporting climate adaptation and resilience indicators.

Discussion on Climate Adaptation Strategies
Mikko Strahlendorff opened the discussion by addressing the Climate adaptation strategy and mentioning specific topics like urban heat islands and health-related initiatives in the Baltic States and Finland. He invited participants, including Katrin Koch from DWD, to share their current actions on climate adaptation. Alexia Tsouni also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate.

Coordination on Climate Adaptation Strategies
Mark Dowell discussed the timeline for the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), noting that consultations with stakeholders will take place in 2026, leading to a publication in early 2027. He suggested that once the main action areas of the updated strategy are identified, the group could map specific examples from various regions to align with those areas. Mikko Strahlendorff supported this approach and encouraged participants to express their interest in contributing.

Collaboration opportunities among different countries and organizations for Climate adaptation projects
In the discussion on Policy Relevance of Emissions and Adaptation Strategies,
Sindu Parampil from ICOS discussed the urban emissions data from the ICOS Cities project, emphasizing its potential relevance for adaptation policies. He also mentioned the IRISCC project, which involves agriculture and soil, as another area where ICOS could contribute. Mikko Strahlendorff recognized the significance of these insights and encouraged further input from participants.

Global Adaptation Indicators and Earth Observation
Mikko Strahlendorff highlighted the significance of global adaptation indicators and their relevance to ESA actions, mentioning ongoing projects related to urban heat and health. He pointed out that Earth observation data often serves as supplementary material rather than the main focus. Mark Dowell concurred, stating that while Earth observation supports some SDG indicators, it often complements other data sources, and an assessment will be conducted to explore its contributions further.

Workshop Planning and Coordination for EuroGEO Climate Action Group
Mark Dowell mentioned the importance of the upcoming workshop and the need for structured contributions from the EuroGEO Action Group. Mikko Strahlendorff acknowledged the timing conflicts due to the midsummer festival in Finland but emphasized the value of participation. He also noted the need for coordination with the C3S National Collaboration Program to avoid duplication of efforts in climate services and research.

Presentation about Hydropower and Climate Impact in Iceland
Mikko Strahlendorff presented insights from the Cryoscope project, focusing on Iceland’s hydropower dependency and the impact of climate change on water availability. He explained the use of machine learning models to forecast inflow to power stations, which is crucial for managing the energy system. The project aims to enhance seasonal forecasts to better prepare for water resource management.
Mikko Strahlendorff presented a machine learning-based universal streamflow model, emphasizing its advantages over traditional hydrological models in terms of setup and computational efficiency. He outlined the model’s ability to generate seasonal forecasts for hydropower utilities and indicated ongoing efforts to adapt the model for use in other regions, including Finland and potentially the Baltic states.

In the discussions, Enni Lehtinen presented the VALORADA project, which examines climate risk indicators for local adaptation and utilizes EU-level data resources, including Copernicus. Mikko encouraged linking Earth observation to the indicators and mentioned the upcoming GGA workshop. Mark added that a systematic assessment of indicators for urban climate adaptation was conducted, comparing top-down and bottom-up approaches, and offered to share relevant documents. Future Webinars on Climate Adaptation Services
Mikko Strahlendorff proposed a new webinar on climate adaptation services, encouraging participants to show their interest through reactions. Margarita Ruiz-Ramos suggested that another presentation could be arranged in a few months to share insights on climate adaptation services. Strahlendorff highlighted the progress made in their projects, emphasizing the efficiency gained through machine learning and the availability of data. Action Group Discussion on Climate Adaptation
Mark highlighted the importance of collecting potential uses for climate adaptation to inform future policy briefs. He proposed a dedicated discussion in the next meeting to explore key areas for the Action Group, suggesting that Katrin could lead this effort. Mikko agreed and mentioned the possibility of building on previous reports to enhance the discussion, particularly regarding national actions related to climate adaptation.

Actions:

• Mark Dowell will produce a series of policy briefs addressing different areas of Climate adaptation policies in advance of the updated EU Climate adaptation strategy.
• Mark Dowell will reach out to stakeholders for input on the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) update process.
• Mikko Strahlendorff will send an email to participants to indicate their interest in contributing to the policy briefs and related discussions.
• Mikko Strahlendorff will coordinate with participants to gather a list of ongoing national or European projects related to Climate adaptation services.
• Enni Lehtinen will share the results of the VALORADA project related to Climate risk indicators in June.
• Mark Dowell will provide links to the documents related to the systematic assessment of indicators in the chat.
• Mikko Strahlendorff will organize a new webinar in two or three months based on the reactions from participants.
• Mark Dowell will remind participants to let him and Mikko Strahlendorff know if they are interested in working on Climate adaptation policy briefs.
• Mikko Strahlendorff will add the report he wrote last year for the Climate action group as a starting point for the next webinar discussion.

Key questions:

• How can Earth observation support the systematic production of adaptation indicators?
•  What are the main action areas expected in the updated EU Climate adaptation strategy?
•  How can the Climate Action Group better link with the Climate change adaptation mission?
•  What specific examples of Climate adaptation projects are being conducted in different countries?
• What are the specific indicators that will be used in the VALORADA project?

Figure 1. AMAP product: AMAP Arctic Climate Change Update 2024: Key Trends and Impacts.

We are happy to inform you that the AMAP(2024) product has been published on AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme) website in June 2025 (see https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/amap-arctic-climate-change-update-2024-key-trends-and-impacts/3851). The AMAP(2024) is an official and unique product from the AMAP that was published in relation to the Arctic Council chairship transition meeting in May 2025. It is about AMAP Arctic Climate Change Update 2024: Key Trends and Impacts. The key findings are based on observational data up to September 2024. 

In Figure 2 is shown the Arctic as defined by AMAP and used in the report.

Figure 2. Map of the Arctic used in the report (defined by AMAP).

The report is intended to provide current information on key climate topics of concern and 60 scientists, experts and members of Indigenous communities participated in the work. There are eight chapters:  

• Introduction 

• Overview of multiple Arctic climate change indicators 

• Arctic climate extremes 

• Arctic and high-latitude wildfires 

• Cryosphere 

• Terrestrial hydrology 

• Arctic Ocean acidification 

• Arctic/midlatitude weather connectivity 

Each of the chapters includes key findings related to the theme. In addition, there are interesting figures; e.g. maps and timeseries that give additional information.  

Below are listed some of the main key findings that help to understand the state of Arctic Climate: 

State of Arctic Climate (AMAP, 2024): 

• The Arctic has warmed by 3.0 °C since 1971, more than three times the global mean rate, pushing the region towards irreversible tipping points. The latest future Arctic climate projections suggest a more rapid Arctic warming this century than was the case in previous projections. See Figure 3. about selected Arctic climate observational indicators (AMAP, 2024). 

• Permafrost is thawing at record rates, destabilizing landscapes, releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases, and threatening infrastructure, Indigenous livelihoods, and ecosystems. Understanding changes in Arctic Permafrost is essential for estimations of source of carbon that must be considered in global climate models and efforts to balance the global carbon budget. 

• The loss of sea ice and snow cover disrupts climate stability, potentially altering the polar vortex and driving more extreme weather events at lower latitudes. Reduction in sea ice thickness show large regional variability based on satellite data (2011-22). A sea ice-free Arctic summer is projected by mid-century based on coupled climate models under even low or moderate greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. 

• The Arctic remains the largest regional source of global sea-level rise, with the rate of land-ice loss from Greenland exceeding that from Antarctica by nearly a factor of two. 

• The Arctic Ocean is acidifying three to four times faster than other oceans, endangering the marine food web, food security, and cultural traditions of Indigenous Peoples. The Arctic Ocean plays an important role in CO2 uptake, and changes in this region impact future projections on saturation and turning from sink to source. All model projection evaluations demonstrate that emission reductions can drastically slow the pace at which critical thresholds of Arctic Ocean Acidification will be crossed 

• A four-fold increase in wildfires in northeastern Arctic regions over the past two decades has intensified feedback loops of warming and air pollution by releasing CO2 into the atmosphere and accelerating permafrost thaw. See Figure 4. about wildfires in July 2020, in Russia (AMAP, 2024). 

Figure 3. Selected Arctic climate observational indicators from as early as 1971. (AMAP, 2024).

Figure 4. Wildfires around the Arctic Circle in July 2020, in the Sakha Republic, Russia. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data processed by Pierre Markuse. (AMAP, 2024)

Enjoy reading while finding more recent information on key aspects of climate change and their impacts in the Arctic. 

Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) had the pleasure to host the 2nd Wildfire Shared Arctic Variable SAV Finnish workshop in March 2023 where we continued to co-develop possible SAVs under the theme Wildfire. The aim was to expand the work carried out in the first Expert panel meeting held last fall, and to bring in new experts with indigenous, local and global points of views. The key focus was to discuss the information sources and needs related to the topic. We had a great variety of participants from SOGSAKK, SYKE, Finnish forest agency Metsähallitus, Arbonaut, University of Eastern Finland, SámiSoster, Lapland rescue services, FMI, Emergenssi Ltd, HAMK, Municipality of Utsjoki, AVI, Ministry of the Interior Department rescue services and Forest Centre.

During the day, we heard conversation-opening talks, had discussions in smaller groups to ensure everyone’s voice was heard, and shared the groups ideas in a joint debate. Janne Näkkäläjärvi and Mika Aromäki from SOGSAKK talked about the role of education in sharing know-how of fire handling, and the challenges and loss reindeer husbandry is facing due to wildfires, among other natural sources of livelihood. Jussi Hannukari from Lapland rescue service discussed the importance of regional preparedness and the challenge of sufficient resources in wildfire operations. He reminded us that wildfires and their effects can cross-borders, therefore developing co-operation is essential.

The proposed Wildfire theme SAVs from the first Expert panel meeting were introduced and further developed: ignition and fire prone areas were identified as key variables. Available information sources were discussed, for example Janne Kotro (FMI) showed how satellites observations can be utilized with example images from Kalajoki 2021 wildfire, and Juha Aalto (FMI) opened discussion on how microclimate information could be useful in Arctic wildfire preparedness.

In the afternoon, the conversations were continued in smaller groups with key questions: What information is available for Arctic wildfire preparedness? Who gathers and processes information? How to act in changing climate? Afterwards, groups insights were linked with the SAVs. Throughout the day, we had fruitful discussions and we thank warmly all the participants! Stay tuned, in April 2023 the work continues within our international Wildfire SAV workshop, organized in Helsinki.

Wildfire SAV is being developed in Arctic PASSION together with Arctic wildfire preparedness project which supports the local efforts in Finland.

Read more:
Sharing Arctic variables – Wildfire Expert panel meeting in Finland
Arctic PASSION project

The 2022 Arctic Circle Assembly was held in Reykjavík, Iceland on 13-16 October with a record 2,000 participants from almost 70 countries and regions. With over 600 speakers, the sessions covered Arctic issues, changes due to the climate crisis, clean energy and many other relevant topics. The phrase “what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic” was often heard during the Assembly, referring to the global scale impacts of Arctic climate change.

During the Assembly, Arctic PASSION organized three sessions: the SAON ROADS process, the Permafrost Shared Arctic Variable (SAV) meeting, and the Wildfire SAV session. The concept behind the SAVs, the RNA CoObs project and the SAV work supported by Arctic PASSION Pilot Services were presented in the SAON ROADS session. Read more on these topics from the Arctic PASSION blog Highlights of Arctic PASSION at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2022.

The half-day Perfmafrost SAV meeting had excellent attendance, with good discussion and interesting presentations. One of the speakers was Candace Cockney, who introduced the exciting observation activities by Inuits in Tuktoyaktuk. The Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award winners Hanne H. Christiansen and Marius O. Jonassen gave also a talk on their winning PermaMeteoCommunity project.

The Wildfire SAV theme session included an overview about Arctic wildfires, a talk from Delvin Fernandes from Gwich’in Council International, and introduction to Arctic PASSION work on Pilot Service 4 on PS4: ‘Integrated Fire Risk Management (INFRA)’ Service. Additionally, the Finnish Arctic wildfire preparedness project shared their experience on their Wildfire SAV expert panel initiation workshop, and what was learned and achieved during the discussions. The Finnish Wildfire SAV workhop received many praises and inspired enthusiasm, with future merging of other local Wildfire SAV initiation expert panels discussed.

The Arctic Circle Assembly 2022 was a great event with many interesting and inspiring talks, meetings and exhibitions. We thank all the speakers and organizers and look forward to the next years Assembly!

The EU project Arctic PASSION comes from the words: Pan-Arctic observing System of Systems: Implementing Observations for societal Needs. It will develop eight new amazing EuroGEO Pilot Services. Those are focused on the themes: ‘Event Database of CBM Using Oral Histories, IK and LK’, ‘Permafrost’, ‘State of the Arctic Environment’, ‘Integrated Fire Risk Management’, ‘Local Atmospheric Pollutant Forecast’, ‘Improving Safety for Shipping in the Polar Seas’, ‘CBM for Arctic marine climate change, noise pollution & impacts on marine living resources’ and ‘Lake Ice Service for Arctic Climate and Safety’.

The Pilot Services will be user-driven and co-created with local and Indigenous Peoples, scientific, policy and decision maker communities as well as private and public sectors.

Event Database of CBM (Community Based Monitoring) Using Oral Histories, IK (Indigenous Knowledge) and LK (Local Knowledge)

Knowledge on environmental change will be gathered in seven regions by combining Indigenous Knowledge, Local Knowledge and science. In addition, there will be a so called Event Database, a database of socio-ecological relevant Events. The focus will be on ecosystem changes of significance. Information will be gained by gathering information through workshops, interviews, Indigenous documentation, art and paintings etc. These observations will be compared to scientific observations to understand more about the events and to evaluate if it is possible to jointly reconstruct key events.

Pan-Arctic requirements driven Permafrost Service

This service will report on permafrost temperature and surface/active layer changes related to permafrost thaw. Landsat and Sentinel-2 timeseries data will be used to provide near real time maps of surface changes related to abrupt permafrost thaw disturbances. The best practices for GTN-P (Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost) observations will be established as well as the first global measurement standards for the permafrost ECV (Essential Climate Variable).

State of the Arctic Environment Service

This service will give information about the state of the Arctic environment and climate system on a one-stop website. It will provide both already existing and new data, covering atmosphere, land, ocean and cryosphere and utilize data both from remote sensing and in situ observations. The users will be able to better understand the status of key environmental indicators and their trends. The selected data will be visualized in maps and as timeseries.

Integrated Fire Risk Management (INFRA) Service

In the summer of 2021, there were record emissions in Russia that were caused by severe wildfires. More than 10 million hectares were burned. The CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) data can be used to monitor emissions in the atmosphere from for example wildfires and volcanoes. It is possible to get information about the number of fires, the size of the areas, the intensity of the fires and their persistence. With Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery it has been possible to see for example the burn scare of the largest fire, that lasted from the end of June until the mid-August (see https://www.copernicus.eu/en/media/image-day-gallery/severe-wildfires-caused-record-emissions-russia-during-summer-2021 ).

The Arctic Passion Integrated Fire Risk Management (INFRA) service will improve the response to wildfires in the Arctic. There will be a web-based system to support fire management. It includes a risk map, combination of ground and satellite-based information for early identification of fires and short-term evolution maps of fire events. The service will combine near real time ground-based information to weather forecast and satellite products, make risk maps and forecasts, both observations and models will be used to get information about short-term development and propagation of wildfire. In addition, a platform for emergency management will be made. It will enable risk analysis and emergency management and will be tested in real operational conditions during fire season in selected areas.

Local Atmospheric Pollutant Forecast Service

This service will improve forecasts of anthropogenic and natural causes of air pollution. It will link air pollution in situ observations to large-scale atmospheric fields to inform on airborne pollution impacts. Model forecasts will be combined with local observations of atmospheric pollution improving the local short-term forecasts. There will be information about short-term high particulate levels included. The forecasts are provided as visual diagnostics that show temporal evolution and forecast of air pollution at different Arctic stations (observed vs. forecasted) and local forecasts from large-scale dynamic models vs. those combined with local observations leading to more precise forecasts than before.

Improving Safety for Shipping in the Polar Seas Service

This will be an operational service that will better quantify risk for vessels that are navigating in ice-covered waters. It combines information from the vessel’s automatic identification system (AIS), ice class and other characteristics of the vessel, ice charts, sea ice information products and satellite images. There will be a POLARIS risk index outcome (RIO) score provided in near real time that will estimate the operational limitations of vessels in the local ice conditions. Historical data analysis will show trends in vessel operations and how sea ice driven changes are linked to RIO scores. The service will provide forecasts that give predicted RIO scores for tactical and strategic use in ship-routing and safety decisions.

CBM for Arctic marine climate change, noise pollution & impacts on marine living resources

This service will support food security, building local capacity, sustainability and decision making in Greenland coastal communities. It will monitor the marine climate and noisescape in coastal zones. There will be 2-4 sites equipped and maintained in order to get information about the presence of marine mammals and marine climate and noisescape in Arctic marine waters. Sound recording and oceanographic sensors will be used. Training will be given to local youth to use instruments and handle data and a visual integrated atlas of annual sound recordings and marine activities will be set up.

Lake Ice Service for Arctic Climate and Safety

This service provides near real time information about the ice conditions of freshwater lakes. This information is important for example for understanding ice-related changes and climate change. Lake ice is sensitive to intra-annual temperature fluctuations and long-term temperature trends.  Importantly, lake ice affects water quality, the lake ecology and local weather by reducing the energy exchange between water and the atmosphere. Information about lake ice is also significant in terms of safety issues.  As cloud cover obscures the visibility of optical sensors to ground, there is an urgent need to develop an observing system for lake ice that combines the in situ and Earth Observation (EO) information. The Lake Ice Service is meant to fill this gap by providing EO and in situ data (Community Based Monitoring and governmental observation networks) in an easy-to-access and simple format. This will improve the quality of the Copernicus Lake Ice Extent products. The Lake Ice Service is implemented in SYKE’s TARKKA+ service, which is a highly customizable web application framework for visualizing spatiotemporal data both on map and as statistical timeseries.

Other interesting pilots from another project

As climate is changing, permafrost thaw could have impact on water flows. An interesting pilot, Hydropower in snow reservoir– climate service, that increases information related to the Arctic, has been developed recently in the E-shape project. Below, are some details of the pilot.

Eshape pilot Hydropower in snow reservoir – climate service (Kemijoki)

Hydropower companies are using forecasts of reservoir inflow and energy prices to schedule the timing and quantity of releases for daily, weekly and seasonal operations. In E-Shape project, there is a pilot called Hydropower in snow reservoir – climate service. It tries to find ways how the reliability of the forecasts can be improved. Uncertainties in hydrological model snowpack simulation can be reduced by using EO based snow observations. The observations (snow depth data) from Sentinel satellites are used to provide basin wide information about the state of the snowpack in higher resolution. EO based snow water equivalent data is used to assess uncertainties of the model forecast. In addition, webcam snow monitoring can be used. The forecast component will be added to the HOPS (Hydrological Operations and Predictions System) model that is driven by C3S seasonal forecast. See https://e-shape.eu/index.php/showcases/pilot7-4-hydropower-in-snow-reservoir-climate-service  or https://hops.fmi.fi/ .

Example of another pilot is HarvesterSeasons that can increase a lot of information related to the Arctic, also about forest fire index. Below, are some details about HarvesterSeasons.

HarvesterSeasons

HarvesterSeasons is a new mobile and web application that helps to manage harvesting in Finland. It is developed by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and two stakeholders from forest industry; Metsäteho and Metsä Group. It gives important information about soil conditions and highlights good or bad conditions for vehicles to traverse specific terrains (trafficability). It combines information from weather forecasts, satellite measurements and a hydrological model. The monthly seasonal forecast data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) is used. The application supports the planning of forestry operations by providing several layers, including soil wetness, soil temperature, snow thickness, tree cover percent in 2018 and forest fire index. The seasonal forecasts will help to predict how soil conditions will change over six or seven months ahead. The soil and snow condition model outputs are shown as simple trafficability information.

In e-shape project, pilot called Forestry conditions, where FMI, UHel and Metsäteho are involved, harvester seasons application is improved and for example carbon emission component will be added. See https://e-shape.eu/index.php/showcases/pilot7-3-forestry-conditions-climate-service, https://climate.copernicus.eu/harvester-seasons or https://harvesterseasons.com/.

In September 2022, a group of experts with diverse backgrounds got together to share their knowledge and insights in co-creation of Wildfire Shared Arctic Variable (SAV). This first expert panel meeting took place in Arctic Space Centre in Sodankylä, Finland with workshop participants Janne Näkkäläjärvi , Jussi Hannukari, Mika Aromäki, Timo Ryyppö, Anni Kröger, Mikko Strahlendorff and Saara Lilja. The main goal of the meeting was to initiate the discussion about the theme Wildfire SAV with indigenous and local points of views. Wildfire SAV is being developed in Arctic PASSION together with Arctic wildfire preparedness project which supports the local efforts in Finland.

In Finland’s two-day SAV workshop, to kick-off discussion, every panelist answered the key question from their standpoint: Where does the Sàmi community/Sodankylä municipality/Climate change modelling collide with wildfire? Based on that, the SAV process was continued with determining the main themes under Wildfire SAV. The key issues were where wildfire occurs and what kind of knowledge is important about the fuel: ignition place, soil moisture, prescribed burning and important infrastructure or nature that is not allowed to burn (”where burning is forbidden”).

During the SAV process, trust, dialogue and common language were raised as important starting points and pillars of successful discussion. Finland’s SAV meeting was held in Finnish, a common language to all the participants. Many interesting related topics were talked about, including for example a project led by the Sámi Education Institute called Dialogues and Encounters in the Arctic which purpose is to initiate dialogue between the Arctic Indigenous peoples and researchers on challenges affecting the Arctic. The first expert panel meeting was inspiring and we are looking forward to continuing this work in the future meetings!

Read more:
Previous story Wildfires in the Arctic

Climate change is likely to increase extreme fire weather at the northern high latitudes and the risk, frequency and severity of Arctic wildfires.

Wildfires release significant amounts of pollution into the atmosphere with, for example, a total estimate of 16 million tonnes of carbon emissions from Arctic wildfires in 2021. These were the fourth-highest emissions in the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service’s (CAMS) 18-year Global Fire Assimilation System GFAS dataset dating back to 2003. The record activity for Arctic wildfires in 2020 with estimated 58 million tonnes of carbon emitted shows how severe effect Arctic wildfires can potentially have in the future. To compare, in 2020 Finland’s total annual carbon emissions were around 40 million tonnes.

The figure above shows the locations of 2021 Arctic wildfire activity in June-August season with drier-than-average/wetter-than average soil conditions (reference period 1991-2020), where the most intense wildfires occur mostly in areas with drier soils. Smoke from wildfires can reach areas thousands of kilometers from the source fire, affecting air quality in larger regions. In summer 2021, the smoke released by wildfires in eastern Siberia was transported over large distances in the Arctic, as can be seen in the figures below.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 6th Assessment Report (IPCC AR6) Working Group 2, ”widespread, pervasive impacts to ecosystems, people, settlements, and infrastructure have resulted from observed increases in the frequency and intensity of climate and weather extremes”, including fire weather. Arctic wildfires threaten especially Indigenous and other Arctic communities whose livelihood depends on the nature. Understanding, monitoring and predicting future Arctic wildfires is important for fire management, infrastructure planning, local communities and ecosystems.

In Arctic PASSION (Pan-Arctic Observing System of Systems) project one focus point is Arctic wildfires. Example actions within Arctic PASSION are developing Integrated Fire Risk Management (INFRA) Pilot Service and co-defining Shared Arctic Variable (SAV) Wildfire with an expert panel of global, regional, indigenous and local voices and interests. In September 2022, an expert panel from Finland is gathering together to discuss Wildfire SAV and will later share their results with wider user groups in Arctic Circle Assembly 2022. News on Finland’s Wildfire SAV gathering will be posted here in October.

Image credits CAMS/C3S/ECMWF.

Based on an online article Arctic in 2021: Wildfires (Copernicus Climate Bulletin).

Read more:
Arctic PASSION project website
Reviews and syntheses: Arctic fire regimes and emissions in the 21st century (McCarty et al., 2021)
IPCC’s 2019 Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (Meredith et al., 2019).