Topics | Umweltbundesamt

What do a colony of emperor penguins, the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, and polar researcher Ernest Shackleton's hut have in common? They and many other areas enjoy special protection and management status in Antarctica as Protected Area, Managed Area or Historic Site. read more

Which Party is operating which station and what is its exact location? Who is dispatching research vessels in which region? Which cruise ship is following which route? How are the Parties managing waste, how are they avoiding marine pollution, and how is their compliance with the Protocol on Environmental Protection? The Contracting Parties must report this and other information once a year. read more

Even though there is no Antarctic government, Antarctica does have its own administrative organisation. The Antarctic Treaty laid down that the Consultative Parties must convene at regular intervals for the purpose of information exchange and to consult on regulations concerning Antarctica. read more

The Antarctic Treaty System provides special protection for the Antarctic environment. This protection of very sensitive areas both on shore and in the ocean is provided under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CAMLR-Convention). read more

Germany – as well as the other parties to the Treaty - implemented the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty into national law, which is why there is a German Act Implementing the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (AIEP). The AIEP identifies the German Environment Agency as the national competent authority. read more

The German permitting procedure for activities in the Antarctic is regulated by a separate law, the Act Implementing the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (AIEP). Because of their potential impacts on the Antarctic continent, all planned activities are subject to a review and assessment. read more

The protection of the Antarctic is founded on the Antarctic Treaty, which manifests the intention to use the Antarctic only for peaceful purposes for all time. It also lays the groundwork for important follow-up agreements. read more

Climate changes along the Antarctic Peninsula are affecting penguin populations across vast areas. The phenomenon can only be tracked on a large-scale with the help of remote sensing. The Federal Environment Agency is campaigning for a system of international penguin monitoring and has already gained some promising experience with possible monitoring methods. read more