Knowledge of nature and the environment is needed to be able to plan and regulate raw material activities. For most marine, and selected land areas in Greenland, the latest knowledge is gathered in regional environmental assessments and background study reports. They describe the physical and biological environment, including protected areas, endangered species and the exploitation of biological resources. The environmental assessments also include a description of background levels for pollutants and possible local sources of pollution. Based on this knowledge of the current situation, the potential environmental impact of raw material activities are discussed and assessed.
As an important part of the regional environmental assessments, significant deficiencies and uncertainties in the available knowledge are identified, and research projects are carried out to obtain supplementary data. These background studies have made it possible to provide an overall mapping of particularly sensitive nature areas such as bird colonies, moulting areas for diving ducks, concentration areas for marine mammals and coastal spawning areas for fish.
The regional environmental assessments thus provide an overview of the latest knowledge about nature and the environment for a given area, and the data can be used in many contexts.
The reports have been prepared by DCE and the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR) for the Environmental Agency for Mineral Resource Activities (EAMRA), Government of Greenland.
The reports cover the sea and coast throughout West and Northeast Greenland and selected land areas (South Greenland, Jameson Land and Disko-Nuussuaq).
The knowledge gathered is also included in the operational Oil spill sensitivity atlas and in the work on planning the protection of important areas for biodiversity.
Some of the data collected are included in NatureMap, which is a public WebGIS portal with important nature and environmental data. In this way, Greenland has benefited from the background studies in connection with the oil activities to support the development of a knowledge base that can be used in the general management of nature and the environment.
Data from three of the regional environmental assessments and background surveys are also available from dedicated WebGIS sites. Here are links to the strategic environmental assessments Baffin Bay and Greenland Sea, as well as the regional background study South Greenland.
The following regional background studies and environmental assessments are available:
Nr. 583: Uummannap Kangerlua and Sigguup Nunaa (Svartenhuk) - Regional environmental baseline assessment for mining activities
Fritt-Rasmussen, J., Raundrup, K. & Mosbech, A. (Eds). 2023. Aarhus University, Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, 174 pp. Scientific Report No. 583
Read the report here. You can read the report in Greenlandic here
Nr. 524: Ålegræs i Grønland. Kortlægning af udbredelse og sårbarhed i forhold til indvinding af havbundsmaterialer. Wegeberg, S., Gustavson, K., Blockley, D., Geertz-Hansen, O., Krause-Jensen, D., Olesen, B., Nymand, J. 2023. Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi, 27 s. - Videnskabelig rapport nr. 524 Rapport (15,3 MB)
No. 487: Assessment of the potential environmental impacts of a major ammonia spill from a Power-to-X plant and from shipping of ammonia in Greenland. Fritt-Rasmussen, J., Gustavson, K., Aastrup, P., Agersted, M.D., Boertmann, D., Clausen, D.C., Jørgensen, C.J., Lansø, A.S. & Mosbech, A. 2022. Aarhus University, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, 88 pp. Scientific Report No. 487.
Eqikkaaneq | Summary | Sammenfatning | Report (18,25 MB)
No. 485: A review on vegetation damages caused by anthropogenic disturbances in the terrestrial Arctic. - with recommendations for best practices to minimize vegetation damage from driving with heavy equipment. Kyhn, L.A., Boertmann, D., Aastrup, P. & Mosbech, A. 2022. Aarhus University, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy,66 pp. Scientific Report No. 485.
Summary | Sammenfatning | Eqikkaaneq | Report (15,61 MB)
No. 483: Literature review of ecotoxicity data of fluoride, rare earth elements and naturally occurring radionuclides. Contaminants of concern associated with the Kvanefjeld and Tanbreeze mining projects in South Greenland. Hansen, V., Gustavson, K., Asmund, G. & Jia, Y. 2022. Aarhus University, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, 83 pp. Scientific Report No. 483.
Summary | Report (4,79 MB)
No. 482: South Greenland - Regional environmental baseline assessment for mining activities. Fritt-Rasmussen, J., Raundrup, K. & Mosbech, A. (Eds). 2022. Aarhus University, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, 186 pp. Scientific Report No. 482.
Summary | Sammendrag | Eqikkaaneq | Report (36,14 MB)
No. 375: Greenland Sea – an updated strategic environmental impact assessment of petroleum activities. Boertmann, D., Blockley, D., & Mosbech, A. 2020. Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy. 380 pp. Scientific Report No. 375.
Summary | Sammenfatning | Eqikkaaneq | Report (30,60 MB)
No. 439: Davis Strait – an updated strategic environmental impact assessment of oil and gas activities in the eastern Davis Strait. Merkel, F., Boertmann, D. & Mosbech, A. 2020. Scientific Report from DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy No. 439, 332 pp.
Summery | Sammenfatning | Imaqarniliaq | Report (36,14 MB)
No. 438: Disko West – an updated strategic environmental impact assessment of oil and gas activities. Boertmann, D. & Mosbech, A. 2020. Scientific Report from DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy No. 438, 384 pp.
Summary | Sammenfatning | Imaqarniliaq | Report (49,65 MB)
No. 218: Baffin Bay. An updated strategic Environmental Impact Assessment of petroleum activities in the Greenland part of Baffin Bay. Boertmann, D. & Mosbech, A. (eds.) 2017. Aarhus University, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, 320 pp. Scientific Report from DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy No. 218.
Summary | Sammenfatning | Eqikkaaneq | Report (24,00 MB)
Nr. 199: Disko Island and Nuussuaq Peninsula, West Greenland. A strategic environmental impact assessment of petroleum exploration and exploitation. Wegeberg, S. & Boertmann, D. (eds). 2016. Aarhus University, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, 108 pp. Scientific Report from DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy No. 199.
Summary | Sammenfatning | Eqikkaaneq | Report (21,45 MB)
Nr. 41: Jameson Land. A strategic environmental impact assessment of hydrocarbon and mining activities. Hansen, J., Asmund, G., Aastrup, P., Mosbech, A., Bay, C., Tamstorf, M. & Boertmann, D. 2012. Aarhus University, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, 94 pp. Scientific Report from DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy Nr. 41.
Summary | Sammenfatning | Eqikkaaneq | Hele rapporten i pdf-format (8,48 MB)
Nr. 23: South Greenland. A Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment of hydrocarbon activities in the Greenland sector of the Labrador Sea and the southeast Davis Strait. Frederiksen, M., Boertmann, D., Ugarte, F. & Mosbech, A. (eds) 2012. Aarhus University, DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, 220 pp. Scientific Report from DCE – Danish Centre for Environment and Energy Nr. 23.
Summary | Hele rapporten (6,02 MB) | Appendix 1 | Appendix 2 | Appendix 3| Appendix 4 i pdf-format
Udvidet resume | Extended summary | Kalaallisut naalisarnera | Kommentarer til høringssvar (dansk) | Kommentarer til høringssvar (grønlandsk)
Nr. 664: Aluminiumsmelter og vandkraft i det centrale Vestgrønland - Datagrundlag for natur og ressourceudnyttelse i forbindelse med udarbejdelse af en Strategisk Miljøvurdering (SMV). Johansen, P., Aastrup, P., Boertmann, D., Glahder, C., Johansen, K., Nymand, J., Rasmussen, L.M. & Tamstorf, M. 2008. Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser, Aarhus Universitet. 110 sider. - Faglig rapport fra DMU nr. 664. Sammenfatning | Summary | Eqikkaaneq |Hele rapporten i pdf-format ( 11,252 kB)
