The Arctic region is changing significantly due to increased air and water temperature, thinning and decrease of sea ice, melting of continental ice, thawing permafrost and changes in atmospheric and ocean circulation. Such changes have global and regional implications including extreme weather, sea level rise, coastal erosion, natural hazards and ecosystem changes. They also impact severely on people´s living conditions in the Arctic. Exploitation of living and non-living resources, marine transportation and other human activities are expected to increase with additional impact on the vulnerable environment and communities. Ensuring sustainable development in the Arctic requires to collect more data and build up knowledge on its climate and environment. In order to address these challenges an integrated Pan-Arctic Observation System is required. INTAROS develops an efficient integrated Arctic Observation System by extending, improving and unifying existing and evolving systems.
