UNEP noted that the combination of rapid environmental transformation and the rush for resources can interrupt hydrology, endanger ecosystems, prevent the passage of migrating caribou and reindeer and severely disrupt the traditional lifestyles of indigenous peoples. It also raises important geopolitical issues that are likely to have ramifications far beyond the Arctic.

 It added that the Arctic Council -- the core of which is formed by Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States -- has a crucial role to play in ensuring any resource exploitation is done responsibly.

The report contained many recommendations on the way forward for the Arctic, with the most important being the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. No steps to exploit the new environmental state of the Arctic should be taken without first assessing how the exploitation would affect ecosystems, the peoples of the North and the rest of the world as the potential for major environmental damage is high, said the report.

The Year Book 2013 also highlighted the need for better information and sound management to minimize the risks from chemicals and raises the issue of the recent spike in the illegal trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn.

While chemicals bring many benefits, according to the report, there is a need for better information and coordinated action by governments and industry to reduce the growing risks to human health and the environment posed by the unsustainable management of chemicals worldwide.

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