The Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) warned on September 27, 2023 that the average annual temperature in Finnish Lapland may rise by many degrees within one generation, with a dramatic impact on nature and local livelihoods.
According to Syke predictions, Lapland will warm by up to 2–3 degrees from the current state over the next half century, based on currently decided climate measures. The estimate is based on a long-term analysis of temperatures in the Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian parts of Lapland.
If the growth of greenhouse gases is not curbed, temperatures in Lapland could rise by almost seven degrees Celsius over the next 50 years, compared to pre-industrial times. Besides, as the temperature rises, natural habitats change and disappear when, for example, palsa mires and permafrost melt.
The institute says that more northerly animal species will become endangered, and some may disappear completely. Almost 40 percent of open-tundra species are already endangered. Even if most countries comply with the emission reduction targets of the Paris Climate Agreement to a reasonable extent, the temperature in the northwestern region known as Fell Lapland will rise by a further 2-3 degrees in the next 50 years.
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished
