The Arctic remains a key region for the study of climate, as shown by the results of the Arctic Research Programme (PRA) that were presented recently during a conference held at the headquarters of the National Research Council (CNR) in Rome.
The event was organized by the host institution with the aim of taking stock of the PRA. The initiative, launched in 2018, brings together Italian universities and research organizations led by the Scientific Committee for the Arctic (CSA) which includes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), CNR, ENEA, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS).
In particular, the scientific activities carried out under the Programme have focused on the study of Arctic ecosystems, atmosphere, water column and seas, as well as on the so-called “Arctic amplification”: this is the process by which the warming rate in this geographical area is significantly faster than the global average. Understanding why the region is warming at a much faster rate than the rest of the planet is a crucial challenge in the development of approaches that could help mitigate the negative impacts of this phenomenon whose effects are not confined to the North Pole but extend to the mid-latitudes, as shown also in recent studies carried out by Italian researchers.
