Major Environmental Concerns  

[ Land Degradation | Forests | Biodiversity | Marine and Ice | Ozone Depletion | Pollution | Population ]

Although the ozone layer over the Arctic has been depleted recently, there have been no "holes in the ozone layer" comparable to those over the Antarctic region. In the spring of 1995, however, stratospheric ozone concentrations over Europe were 10-12 per cent lower than in the mid-1970s, and over North America, 5-10 per cent lower. From January to March 1995, the ozone layer was reduced by as much as 35 per cent over Russian Siberia (SFT, 1996). The Arctic winter in 1994-95 was exceptionally cold, and ozone concentrations were 20-30 per cent below normal. The winter of 1995-96 was even colder. This unexpected recurrence of cold winter temperatures may in itself be due to cumulative ozone destruction or possibly climate change; in either case, ozone losses over the northern hemisphere may be more severe than anticipated in the near future.

The intensity of ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) has increased accordingly; 1992-93 saw the first reported examples of persistentincreases over densely populated regions in the northern hemisphere, posing a threat to primary plant and animal plankton productivity and human health in terms of increased risk of skin cancer and other health problems (UNEP, 1994).

United Nations Environment Programme