Jouni Jaakkola | University of Oulu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jouni Jaakkola

European Respiratory Journal, Sep 1, 2013

Body: Background: According to systematic literature search, only a few studies have assessed the... more Body: Background: According to systematic literature search, only a few studies have assessed the effects of regular exercise on asthma control. To our knowledge no other study has assessed these effects among young adults. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of regular exercise on asthma control. Methods: We analyzed with a cross-sectional design the Espoo Cohort 2010 questionnaire data collected at the 20-year follow-up. A total of 152 asthmatics 20-27 years old participated. Asthma control was evaluated by asthma-related symptoms including occurrence of wheezing, shortness of breath, cough, and phlegm production during the past 12 months. Asthma symptom score was calculated based on the frequencies of these symptoms (Range: 0-12). Exercise was assessed by hours/week. Results: Our results show that asthmatics who exercise regularly experience less asthma symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath. Also phlegm production was reduced in relation to regular exercise. Poisson regression showed that asthma symptom score was reduced by-0.45 points/hour of exercise (95 % CI:-0.72-0.17). Conclusions: Our results indicate that asthma symptoms are reduced in relation to regular exercise. We conclude that asthmatics seem to benefit from regular exercise leading to an improvement in asthma control.

European Respiratory Journal, Sep 1, 2013

International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, Jul 2, 2016

Uncontrolled urbanization in developing countries has led to widespread urban poverty and increas... more Uncontrolled urbanization in developing countries has led to widespread urban poverty and increased susceptibility to environmental exposures owing to the hazardous occupational activities of the urban poor. Street vending and waste picking are the dominant works undertaken by the urban poor, and besides the physical hazards, it also exposes them to several pathogens and high levels of air pollutants present in the outdoor environment. The situation has severe consequences for the health of the workers. Eliminating these occupational activities from the urban landscape of developing countries should therefore receive urgent attention from the global health community and governments. In this article, we provide evidence to support this policy recommendation by documenting exposure experiences of the workers, the associated adverse health effects, whilst also outlining measures for addressing the problem sustainably. We conclude that with the adoption of the sustainable development goals (SDG), governments now have a commitment to address poverty and the associated occupational health hazards experienced by the poor through their choices to help achieve the health-related SDG target (3.9) of substantially reducing the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination by 2030.

Authorea (Authorea), May 26, 2023

This a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary.

Background: Work environments are potential areas for spreading respiratory infections. We hypoth... more Background: Work environments are potential areas for spreading respiratory infections. We hypothesized that certain occupations increase susceptibility to respiratory infections among adults with asthma. Our objective was to compare the occurrence of respiratory infections among different occupations in adults with newly diagnosed asthma. Methods: We analysed a study population of 492 working-age adults with newly diagnosed asthma who were living in the geographically de ned Pirkanmaa Area in Southern Finland during a population-based Finnish Environment and Asthma Study (FEAS). The determinant of interest was occupation at the time of diagnosis of asthma. We assessed potential relations between occupation and occurrence of both upper respiratory tract infections and lower respiratory tract infections during the past 12 months. The measures of effect were incidence rate ratio (IRR) and risk ratio (RR) adjusted for age, gender, and smoking habits. Professionals, clerks, and administrative personnel formed the reference group. Results: The mean number of common colds in the study population was 1.85 (95% CI 1.70, 2.00) infections in the last 12 months. The following occupational groups showed increased risk of common colds: forestry and related workers (aIRR 2.20, 95% CI 1.15-4.23) and construction and mining (aIRR 1.67, 95% CI 1.14-2.44). The risk of lower respiratory tract infections was increased in the following groups: glass, ceramic, and mineral workers (aRR 3.82, 95% CI 2.54-5.74), fur and leather workers (aRR 2.06, 95% CI 1.01-4.20) and metal workers (aRR 1.80, 95% CI 1.04-3.10). Conclusions: We provide evidence that the occurrence of respiratory infections is related to certain occupations. Background Respiratory infections are relatively common in working-age adults and lead often to absence from work. Acute respiratory infections may exacerbate existing bronchial asthma, while recurrent respiratory infections may have adverse consequences for long-term prognosis of asthmatics. 1,2 We have previously reported that sharing the o ce is a risk factor for increased occurrence of respiratory infections among o ce workers, but otherwise o ce work environment is considered to include less risk factors for respiratory health compared to many other occupations. 3 The current Covid-19 pandemic raised our interest in studying if we can identify occupations that are related to increased risk of having acute respiratory infections. Such information would be useful for guiding preventive actions to control spreading of respiratory infections at work. The objective of the present study was to compare the occurrence of respiratory infections among different occupations in working-age adults with newly diagnosed asthma. Those with asthma are likely to form a group especially susceptible to respiratory infections. 4 Professionals, clerks, and administrative personnel formed the reference category in this study. Methods Study design and study population This study was based on a population-based case-control study of incident asthma, the Finnish Environment and Asthma Study (FEAS). 5,6 In the present study, the study population included 492 working-age adults with incident asthma (94.4% of all cases in FEAS), who had all the information needed for determining occurrence of respiratory infections in each occupational group at the time of diagnosis of asthma. The ethics committees of the Pirkanmaa Hospital District and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health had approved the study. New cases of asthma were recruited at all health-care facilities diagnosing asthma in the Pirkanmaa District in Southern Finland, including the Tampere University Hospital, public health care centers and centers of private practicing pulmonary physicians. In addition, the National Social Insurance Institution of Finland invited to participate all patients 21-63 years old, who had received new reimbursement right for asthma medication in this area during the study period, but who had not yet participated. 6 Altogether 521 cases of new adult-onset asthma participated in the FEAS, with total participation rate of 86%. Among those excluded from the present study population, 17 subjects had not reported occupation at the time of asthma diagnosis, 10 had reported no information on infections, and 2 had reported neither occupation nor infections at the time of asthma diagnosis. Thus, these results are based on 492 working-age adults with adult-onset asthma, i.e. 94.4% of all cases in FEAS.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Jul 19, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Journal of Asthma, Oct 5, 2017

Background: According to our systematic literature review, no previous study has assessed potenti... more Background: According to our systematic literature review, no previous study has assessed potential effects of regular exercise on asthma control among young adults. We hypothesized that regular exercise improves asthma control among young adults. Methods: We studied 162 subjects with current asthma recruited from a population-based cohort study of 1623 young adults 20-27 years of age. Asthma control was assessed by the occurrence of asthma-related symptoms, including wheezing, shortness of breath, cough, and phlegm production, during the past 12 months. Asthma symptom score was calculated based on reported frequencies of these symptoms (range 0-12). Exercise was assessed as hours/week. Results: In Poisson regression, adjusting for gender, age, smoking, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, and education, the asthma symptom score reduced by 0.09 points per 1 hour of exercise/week (95 % CI: 0.00 to 0.17). Applying the "Low exercise" quartile as the reference, "Medium exercise" reduced the asthma symptom score by 0.66 (-0.39 to 1.72), and "High exercise" reduced it significantly by 1.13 (0.03 to 2.22). The effect was strongest among overweight subjects. Conclusions: Our results provide new evidence that regular exercising among young adults improves their asthma control. Thus, advising about exercise should be included as an important part of asthma self-management in clinical practise.

American Journal of Epidemiology, Nov 15, 2003

The authors assessed the relations between occupation and risk of developing asthma in adulthood ... more The authors assessed the relations between occupation and risk of developing asthma in adulthood in a 1997-2000 population-based incident case-control study of 521 cases and 932 controls in south Finland. The occupations were classified according to potential exposure to asthma-causing inhalants. Asthma risk was increased consistently for both men and women in the chemical (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 5.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08, 29.8), rubber and plastic (OR = 2.61, 95% CI: 0.92, 7.42), and wood and paper (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 0.71, 4.17) industries. Risk in relation to occupation was increased only for men-for bakers and food processors (OR = 8.62, 95% CI: 0.86, 86.5), textile workers (OR = 4.70, 95% CI: 0.29, 77.1), electrical and electronic production workers (OR = 2.83, 95% CI: 0.82, 6.93), laboratory technicians (OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 0.17, 16.6), and storage workers (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 0.40, 6.19). Of the predominantly men's occupations, metal (OR = 4.52, 95% CI: 2.35, 8.70) and forestry (OR = 6.00, 95% CI: 0.96, 37.5) work were the strongest determinants of asthma. For women, asthma risk increased for waiters (OR = 3.03, 95% CI: 1.10, 8.31), cleaners (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 0.81, 2.48), and dental workers (OR = 4.74, 95% CI: 0.48, 46.5). Results suggest an increased asthma risk both in traditional industries and forestry and in several nonindustrial occupations.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

The self-assessed threshold temperature for cold in the workplace is not well known. We asked 392... more The self-assessed threshold temperature for cold in the workplace is not well known. We asked 392 chicken industry workers in Thailand what they regard as the cold threshold (CT) and compared subgroups of workers using linear and quantile regressions by CT sextiles (percentiles P17, P33, P50, P67, and P83, from warmest to coldest). The variables of interest were sex, office work, and sedentary work, with age, clothing thermal insulation, and alcohol consumption as adjustment factors. The mean CT was 14.6 °C. Office workers had a 6.8 °C higher mean CT than other workers, but the difference ranged from 3.8 °C to 10.0 °C from P17 to P83. Sedentary workers had a 2.0 °C higher mean CT than others, but the difference increased from 0.5 °C to 3.0 °C through P17–P83. The mean CT did not differ between sexes, but men had a 1.6–5.0 °C higher CT at P17–P50 (>20 °C) and a 5.0 °C lower CT at P83 (<10 °C). The CT was relatively high at warm (≥10 °C), dry (relative humidity <41%), and dra...

Circulation

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Existing studies on t... more Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Existing studies on the association between temperatures and cardiovascular deaths have been limited in geographic zones and have generally considered associations with total cardiovascular deaths rather than cause-specific cardiovascular deaths. Methods: We used unified data collection protocols within the Multi-Country Multi-City Collaborative Network to assemble a database of daily counts of specific cardiovascular causes of death from 567 cities in 27 countries across 5 continents in overlapping periods ranging from 1979 to 2019. City-specific daily ambient temperatures were obtained from weather stations and climate reanalysis models. To investigate cardiovascular mortality associations with extreme hot and cold temperatures, we fit case-crossover models in each city and then used a mixed-effects meta-analytic framework to pool individual city estimates. Extreme temperature percentiles were compared wit...

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jul 6, 2020

The official name of the virus responsible for the outbreak is severe acute respiratory syndrome ... more The official name of the virus responsible for the outbreak is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) according to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), and the disease it causes is named coronavirus disease (COVID-19). WHO, under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), declared the emergence of COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and declared the outbreak a pandemic on 11 March 2020. WHO detailed a strategic response and preparedness plan 1 and produced a Research and Development Blueprint research agenda 2 to drive innovation in all aspects of outbreak control, from clinical case management to vaccine development, and developed a master plan for coordinating clinical trials that could lead to potential therapies for patients affected with the COVID-19 disease. Today, different countries and private laboratories are working to develop effective vaccines using state-of-the-art technology, and simultaneously assessing different treatments, including interferon and other pharmaceutical combinations being used to identify effective therapies. However, we are still trusting of reactive strategies to face this new threat for humanity but working in isolated silos.

Scientific Reports

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major public health problem. Cold winter weather increases... more Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major public health problem. Cold winter weather increases the risk of AMI, but factors influencing susceptibility are poorly known. We conducted an individual-level case-crossover study of the associations between winter cold spells and the risk of AMI, with special focus on survival at 28 days and effect modification by age and sex. All 16,071 adult cases of AMI among the residents of the city of Kaunas in Lithuania in 2000–2015 were included in the study. Cold weather was statistically defined using the 5th percentile of frequency distribution of daily mean temperatures over the winter months. According to conditional logistic regression controlling for time-varying and time-invariant confounders, each additional cold spell day during the week preceding AMI increased the risk of AMI by 5% (95% CI 1–9%). For nonfatal and fatal cases, the risk increase per each additional cold spell day was 5% (95% CI 1–9%) and 6% (95% CI − 2–13%), respectivel...

FutureEarth, Jun 26, 2020

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 2021

Background Both exercise and cold exposure increase blood coagulation potential but their combine... more Background Both exercise and cold exposure increase blood coagulation potential but their combined effects are not known. The purpose of the present study was to assess blood coagulation factors in response to submaximal exercise in the cold environment among patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods Sixteen men (61.1 ± 7.1 years) with stable CAD participated in three 30-min experimental conditions (seated rest in − 15 °C and exercise in both + 22 °C and − 15 °C) in random order. The employed exercise consisted of brisk walking (66–69% of maximal heart rate). Factor VII (FVII), fibrinogen, D-dimer and von Willebrand factor (vWF) were analyzed from blood samples obtained before, immediately and one hour after each experiment. Results On average, FVII activity (95% confidence interval, CI) was 123 (108–143) %, 123 (106–140) %, 121 (103–139) % (baseline, recovery 1, recovery 2), fibrinogen concentration (95% CI) 3.81 (3.49–4.12) g/l, 3.71 (3.34–4.08) g/l, 3.65 (3.26–4...

The Lancet Planetary Health, 2021

Background Many regions of the world are now facing more frequent and unprecedentedly large wildf... more Background Many regions of the world are now facing more frequent and unprecedentedly large wildfires. However, the association between wildfire-related PM 2•5 and mortality has not been well characterised. We aimed to comprehensively assess the association between short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM 2•5 and mortality across various regions of the world. Methods For this time series study, data on daily counts of deaths for all causes, cardiovascular causes, and respiratory causes were collected from 749 cities in 43 countries and regions during 2000-16. Daily concentrations of wildfirerelated PM 2•5 were estimated using the three-dimensional chemical transport model GEOS-Chem at a 0•25° × 0•25° resolution. The association between wildfire-related PM 2•5 exposure and mortality was examined using a quasi-Poisson time series model in each city considering both the current-day and lag effects, and the effect estimates were then pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. Based on these pooled effect estimates, the population attributable fraction and relative risk (RR) of annual mortality due to acute wildfire-related PM 2•5 exposure was calculated. Findings 65•6 million all-cause deaths, 15•1 million cardiovascular deaths, and 6•8 million respiratory deaths were included in our analyses. The pooled RRs of mortality associated with each 10 µg/m³ increase in the 3-day moving average (lag 0-2 days) of wildfire-related PM 2•5 exposure were 1•019 (95% CI 1•016-1•022) for all-cause mortality, 1•017 (1•012-1•021) for cardiovascular mortality, and 1•019 (1•013-1•025) for respiratory mortality. Overall, 0•62% (95% CI 0•48-0•75) of all-cause deaths, 0•55% (0•43-0•67) of cardiovascular deaths, and 0•64% (0•50-0•78) of respiratory deaths were annually attributable to the acute impacts of wildfire-related PM 2•5 exposure during the study period. Interpretation Short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM 2•5 was associated with increased risk of mortality. Urgent action is needed to reduce health risks from the increasing wildfires.

The Lancet Planetary Health, 2021

Background Epidemiological evidence on short-term association between ambient carbon monoxide (CO... more Background Epidemiological evidence on short-term association between ambient carbon monoxide (CO) and mortality is inconclusive and limited to single cities, regions, or countries. Generalisation of results from previous studies is hindered by potential publication bias and different modelling approaches. We therefore assessed the association between short-term exposure to ambient CO and daily mortality in a multicity, multicountry setting. Methods We collected daily data on air pollution, meteorology, and total mortality from 337 cities in 18 countries or regions, covering various periods from 1979 to 2016. All included cities had at least 2 years of both CO and mortality data. We estimated city-specific associations using confounder-adjusted generalised additive models with a quasi-Poisson distribution, and then pooled the estimates, accounting for their statistical uncertainty, using a randomeffects multilevel meta-analytical model. We also assessed the overall shape of the exposure-response curve and evaluated the possibility of a threshold below which health is not affected. Findings Overall, a 1 mg/m³ increase in the average CO concentration of the previous day was associated with a 0•91% (95% CI 0•32-1•50) increase in daily total mortality. The pooled exposure-response curve showed a continuously elevated mortality risk with increasing CO concentrations, suggesting no threshold. The exposure-response curve was steeper at daily CO levels lower than 1 mg/m³, indicating greater risk of mortality per increment in CO exposure, and persisted at daily concentrations as low as 0•6 mg/m³ or less. The association remained similar after adjustment for ozone but was attenuated after adjustment for particulate matter or sulphur dioxide, or even reduced to null after adjustment for nitrogen dioxide. Interpretation This international study is by far the largest epidemiological investigation on short-term CO-related mortality. We found significant associations between ambient CO and daily mortality, even at levels well below current air quality guidelines. Further studies are warranted to disentangle its independent effect from other traffic-related pollutants.

BMJ, 2021

Objective To evaluate the short term associations between nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and total, car... more Objective To evaluate the short term associations between nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and total, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality across multiple countries/regions worldwide, using a uniform analytical protocol. Design Two stage, time series approach, with overdispersed generalised linear models and multilevel meta-analysis. Setting 398 cities in 22 low to high income countries/regions. Main outcome measures Daily deaths from total (62.8 million), cardiovascular (19.7 million), and respiratory (5.5 million) causes between 1973 and 2018. Results On average, a 10 μg/m 3 increase in NO 2 concentration on lag 1 day (previous day) was associated with 0.46% (95% confidence interval 0.36% to 0.57%), 0.37% (0.22% to 0.51%), and 0.47% (0.21% to 0.72%) increases in total, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality, respectively. These associations remained robust after adjusting for co-pollutants (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm or ≤2.5 μm (PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respecti...

Industrial Health, 2020

This study determined the association of cold-related symptoms with workplace temperature and the... more This study determined the association of cold-related symptoms with workplace temperature and thermal insulation of clothing among Thai chicken industry workers. Three hundred workers were interviewed regarding cold-related symptoms, which were regressed on worksite temperature and protective clothing. In total, 80% of workers reported respiratory symptoms; 23%, cardiac symptoms; 62%, circulation disturbances; 42%, thirst; 56%, drying of the mouth; and 82%, degradation of their performance. When adjusted for personal characteristics, respiratory symptoms were 1.1-2.2 times more prevalent at −22-10°C than at 10-23°C. At −22-10°C, cardiac symptoms increased by 45%, chest pain by 91%, peripheral circulation disturbances by 25%, and drying of the mouth by 57%. Wearing protective clothing with at least 1.1 clo units was associated with marked reductions in symptom prevalence. Therefore, temperatures lower than 10°C increased prevalence of cold-related symptoms, which are largely preventable by appropriate clothing use.

Safety and Health at Work, 2020

Background: During the period 2001 to 2016, the maximum temperatures in Thailand rose from 38e41 ... more Background: During the period 2001 to 2016, the maximum temperatures in Thailand rose from 38e41 o C to 42e44 o C. The current occupational heat exposure standard of Thailand issued in 2006 is based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) defined for three workload levels without a workerest regimen. This study examined whether the present standard still protects most workers. Methods: The sample comprised 168 heat acclimatized workers (90 in construction sites, 78 in foundries). Heart rate and auditory canal temperature were recorded continuously for 2 hours. Workplace WBGT, relative humidity, and wind velocity were monitored, and the participants' workloads were estimated. Heat-related symptoms and signs were collected by a questionnaire. Results: Only 55% of the participants worked in workplaces complying with the heat standard. Of them, 79% had auditory canal temperature 38.5 o C, compared with only 58% in noncompliant workplaces. 18% and 43% of the workers in compliant and noncompliant workplaces, respectively, had symptoms from heat stress, the trend being similar across all workload levels. An increase of one degree (C) in WBGT was associated with a 1.85-fold increase (95% confidence interval: 1.44e2.48) in odds for having symptoms. Conclusion: Compliance with the current occupational heat standard protects 4/5 of the workers, whereas noncompliance reduces this proportion to one half. The reasons for noncompliance include the gaps and ambiguities in the law. The law should specify work/rest schedules; outdoor work should be identified as an occupational heat hazard; and the staff should include occupational personnel to manage heat stress in establishments involving heat exposure.

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2020

BACKGROUND: Trihalomethanes (THMs) are widespread disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking wat... more BACKGROUND: Trihalomethanes (THMs) are widespread disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water, and long-term exposure has been consistently associated with increased bladder cancer risk. OBJECTIVE: We assessed THM levels in drinking water in the European Union as a marker of DBP exposure and estimated the attributable burden of bladder cancer. METHODS: We collected recent annual mean THM levels in municipal drinking water in 28 European countries (EU28) from routine monitoring records. We estimated a linear exposure-response function for average residential THM levels and bladder cancer by pooling data from studies included in the largest international pooled analysis published to date in order to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for bladder cancer associated with the mean THM level in each country (relative to no exposure), population-attributable fraction (PAF), and number of attributable bladder cancer cases in different scenarios using incidence rates and population from the Global Burden of Disease study of 2016. RESULTS: We obtained 2005-2018 THM data from EU26, covering 75% of the population. Data coverage and accuracy were heterogeneous among countries. The estimated population-weighted mean THM level was 11:7 lg=L [standard deviation (SD) of 11.2]. The estimated bladder cancer PAF was 4.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5, 7.1] overall (range: 0-23%), accounting for 6,561 (95% CI: 3,389, 9,537) bladder cancer cases per year. Denmark and the Netherlands had the lowest PAF (0.0% each), while Cyprus (23.2%), Malta (17.9%), and Ireland (17.2%) had the highest among EU26. In the scenario where no country would exceed the current EU mean, 2,868 (95% CI: 1,522, 4,060; 43%) annual attributable bladder cancer cases could potentially be avoided. DISCUSSION: Efforts have been made to reduce THM levels in the European Union. However, assuming a causal association, current levels in certain countries still could lead to a considerable burden of bladder cancer that could potentially be avoided by optimizing water treatment, disinfection, and distribution practices, among other possible measures.

European Respiratory Journal, Sep 1, 2013

International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, Jul 2, 2016

Authorea (Authorea), May 26, 2023

This a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Jul 19, 2022

Journal of Asthma, Oct 5, 2017

American Journal of Epidemiology, Nov 15, 2003

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Circulation

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jul 6, 2020

Scientific Reports

FutureEarth, Jun 26, 2020

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 2021

The Lancet Planetary Health, 2021

BMJ, 2021

Industrial Health, 2020

Safety and Health at Work, 2020

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2020

Barentsin alue muuttuu – miten Suomi sopeutuu? Ympäristön, ilmaston ja yhteiskunnallisten muutos... more Barentsin alue muuttuu – miten Suomi sopeutuu?

Ympäristön, ilmaston ja yhteiskunnallisten muutosten yhteisvaikutukset ja niiden seuraukset leimaavat arktisen alueen kehitystä seuraavina vuosikymmeninä. Muutoksiin sopeutuminen vaatii varautumista alueen toimijoilta. Suomi osana euroarktista aluetta sopeutuu muutoksiin monin tavoin. Barentsin alue on erityinen arktinen alue: teollisesti ja infrastruktuuriltaan kehittynyt, suhteellisen tiheästi asuttu sekä monikulttuurinen verrattuna muihin arktisiin alueisiin.

Raportissamme tarkastelemme muutoksiin sopeutumista Suomen sopeutumiskyvyn ja hallinnan näkö-kulmista. Tavoitteena on tuottaa kokonaisvaltaista tietoa Barentsin alueen muutoksista, niiden vaikutuk-sista sekä pitkän aikavälin sopeutumisesta nimenomaan suomalaisesta näkökulmasta suomalaisille päättäjille. Näin voidaan tukea sopeutumista edistävää päätöksentekoa. Raportti sisältää myös suosi-tuksia sopeutumisen edistämiseksi.

Raportti perustuu suomalaisten asiantuntijoiden tekemään työhön Arktisen neuvoston ja Arktisen alueen ympäristön tilaa arvioivan ohjelman (AMAP) arktisen alueen sopeutumisen vaihtoehtoja tarkastele-vassa ”Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic” (AACA) -hankkeessa. Asiantuntijat ovat valmistelleet AACA-hankkeessa englanninkielisen Barentsin alueen muutoksia, niiden vaikutuksia ja sopeutumista koskevan osaraportin, joka julkaistaan vuonna 2017 (AMAP 2017).