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Impact of human activities in Antarctica
Antarctic tourism is on the rise.
| | Although commonly portrayed as the last great wilderness, Antarctica is no longer a pristine environment. At some locations, particularly around long-standing research stations, evidence of past human activity is clear, and, as Antarctic tourism increases, the pressures on the environment can only grow. Australia, together with other Parties to the Antarctic Treaty has ratified the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and is committed to valuing and protecting Antarctica. The Protocol provides for comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and is overseen by the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP). It requires that activities in Antarctica be conducted so as to limit adverse impacts. It also requires that future activities be planned on the basis of information sufficient to make informed judgements about their impacts. To achieve secure environmental protection for Antarctica, management decisions must be founded on ecologically sound principles and be supported by an understanding of fundamental ecosystem processes. This program addresses these issues.
Sparging trails on Macquarie Island – injecting air into the ground to stimulate bioremediation of fuel spills.
| | Scientific research is required to provide advice in support of environmental management and remediation to minimise the impacts of human activities in Antarctica.
How do the characteristics of high latitude ecosystem processes influence how we best protect the Antarctic environment?
Environmental protection methods were largely developed in temperate areas. To be effective in the Antarctic, methods need to be adapted to local conditions. It is therefore important to identify and understand key Antarctic ecosystem processes that will influence the success of our efforts to protect the environment.
Are Antarctic ecosystems more vulnerable to human perturbation than those of other regions?
Excavating contaminated material from Thala Valley
| | Although Antarctica is frequently referred to as a fragile and vulnerable environment there is insufficient scientific information available to judge whether it is any more or less fragile than other parts of the world. The environmental risks associated with human activities will depend on how the ecosystem responds and on its capacity to adapt. In lower latitudes, risk assessment models and environmental quality guidelines require locally derived, empirical data to ensure they are appropriate to the environmental conditions. The responses of Antarctic organisms are not well enough understood to determine whether standards developed elsewhere can be used in Antarctica with confidence. Information on the responses of individuals, populations and communities to stressors is required for ecological risk assessment and as the basis for guidelines for human activities in the region.
An Adélie penguin nestled among some old fuel drums, Wilkes Station.
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How can science and technology mitigate the impacts of human activities in Antarctica?
Under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, waste must be removed and the environment rehabilitated unless remediation activities themselves create a greater environmental impact. Removal and remediation in the Antarctic and subantarctic is many times more expensive than in developed temperate regions. Many procedures and technologies commonly used elsewhere are not effective in the Antarctic. The challenge is to use science to develop strategies to reuse waste and remediate impacts in situ wherever possible. When waste is returned to Australia, our priority is to develop procedures and technologies to prevent dispersal during remediation.
Metadata for Impact of human activities in Antarctica are held at the Australian Antarctic Data Centre.
For more information use the contact form: IHAA
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