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Committee for Environmental Protection

The Hague, The Netherlands, 11-15 September 2000

SCOPING STUDY FOR A STATE OF THE ANTARCTIC ENVIRONMENT REPORT (SAER)

Information Paper submitted by SCAR

1. At XXIII ATCM, SCAR presented WP6 which indicated that SCAR would be willing to undertake an assessment of the availability of data that might be required for the preparation of any SAER. The Committee accepted this offer and asked that the scoping study should include:

• key environmental variables that should be considered in assessing the status of the Antarctic environment;

• present and future threats to the environment;

• how these would link with state of the environment reports for other parts of the world.

2. CCAMLR, COMNAP and WMO offered to lend support to this study.

3. In pursuing this scoping study SCAR has consulted all of its relevant committees and organized a multidisciplinary discussion meeting at SCAR XXVI. Draft material for the Ross Sea State of the Environment Report being prepared by New Zealand was also available for consultation. A basic document has now been drafted and circulated to CCAMLR, COMNAP, WMO and IUCN for comment and additions.

4. Investigations of a range of the most recent state of the environment reports for Southern Hemisphere countries are at present underway to provide a more wide-ranging framework for any future SAER.

Acronyms

ATCM Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

CCAMLR Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources

COMNAP Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes

IUCN World Conservation Union

SAER State of the Antarctic Environment Report

SCAR Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

WMO World Meteorological Organization