Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme

About AMAP

The AMAP Working Group is composed of Arctic States and Permanent Participants together with representatives of Observer countries and organizations. AMAP scientific assessment work is accomplished through expert groups established by AMAP.

Main tasks

• Documenting trends and effects of pollutants
• Documenting sources and pathways of pollutants
• Documenting trends in key climate indicators and their environmental implications
• Examining the impact of pollution and climate change on Arctic ecosystems and people, including health of Arctic Indigenous peoples and other residents
• Reporting on the state of the Arctic Environment with respect to climate and pollution issues
• Giving advice to Ministers on priority actions needed to improve Arctic conditions

AMAP also supports international processes that work to reduce the global threats from contaminants and climate change. These include the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UN-Environment Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and Minamata Convention on mercury, and the United Nation's Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution.
AMAP Heads of Delegation meet in plenary twice a year to discuss priorities and projects identified in the work plan; at least one of these events is a full Working Group meeting.

AMAP’s Work

AMAP’s priorities include the following contaminant and climate-related issues:

• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and chemicals of emerging Arctic concern (CEC)
• Heavy metals, with a particular focus on mercury
• Short-lived climate forcers and air pollutants
• Radioactivity
• Plastics and micro-plastics
• Key climate indicators related to the cryosphere (sea and land ice, snow, permafrost and more)
• Meteorology (including extreme weather events and teleconnections with other regions)
• Environmental and ecosystem consequences in the Arctic resulting from global climate change (including ocean acidification)
• Effects of pollution and climate change on the health of humans living in the Arctic
• Combined effects of pollutants and other stressors on both ecosystems and humans

Expert Groups

• AMAP Climate Expert Group
• AMAP Expert Group on Litter and Microplastics
• AMAP Expert Group on Mercury
• AMAP Expert Group on Persistent Organic Pollutants
• AMAP Expert Group on Radioactivity
• AMAP Expert Group on Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
• AMAP Human Health Assessment Group