Minister for the Environment of Iceland Mrs Siv Fridleifsdottir and Minister of Natural Resources of Russia Mr Boris Yatskevitch will also honor the occasion with their presence. The exhibition will be opened by Director General Dr Claude Martin by WWF, International. The Arctic is an important indicator of the state of global well-being and climatic change. According to most climate change scenarios, the Arctic is one of the first regions to show visible effects and changes are expected to be rapid and severe. The Arctic is a natural sink for trans-boundary pollutants.
Contaminants produced in many nations arrive in the Arctic via wind and water currents.
The level of persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals is an alarming problem in the Arctic. Wilderness areas and a rich diversity of indigenous people, adapted to life in one of the harshest environments on earth, are striking features of the Arctic as well. Several groups of people in the Arctic are highly exposed to pollutants derived from long range transport of local sources which accummulate in animals and plants that are used as traditional foods. During the last 10 years the knowledge on the Arctic environmental issues has been increased. The reports and assessments produced by the working groups established under the Rovaniemi-process are used widely.