The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 10 October, 2022
U.S. Unveils New Arctic Strategy
As reported by High North News on October 10, the U.S. has released a new Arctic strategy. The document outlines the country’s goals for the next ten years, foreseeing an escalation in great power rivalries in the Arctic spurred by climate change and Russia’s expanding military activities. The strategy also defines security, climate change and environmental protection, sustainable development, international cooperation and governance as the four main pillars of the U.S. Arctic policy. (High North News)
Take 1: Arctic security concerns used to play only a minor role in overall U.S. defense policy. The country’s 2013 strategy makes the issue’s secondary nature particularly clear, with not a single mention of specific steps to upgrade its icebreaking fleet, build infrastructure such as deep-water ports, or improve equipment for the U.S. Coast Guard’s operations in northern Alaska.But the 2022 strategy displays a brand-new approach to Arctic security associated with expanding U.S. military presence in the region, notably through regular bilateral and NATO-affiliated military drills. Measures to improve infrastructure capable of working in northern latitudes and high-tech surveillance adapted to the Arctic environment are also highlighted. The U.S. position on Russia has also become increasingly clear, presenting the country as a growing concern and a primary rival in the region. , Notwithstanding the ambition of the strategy, it is still vague which institutions are to be involved, and how they will carry it out. (DefenceNews, The Arctic Institute)
Canadian Yukon Signs Agreement to Draw Medical Professionals to Territory
As reported by CBC News on October 7, the Government of Yukon and the Yukon Medical Association have reached a new three-year agreement with the goal of drawing additional medical professionals to Yukon communities. The agreement, which runs from April 2022 to March 2025, includes benefits aimed at attracting family physicians to the Northern Canadian territory. The Yukon’s Minister of Health and Social Services has expressed hope that the deal will improve Yukoners’ access to basic healthcare. (CBC News)
Take 2: Healthcare professionals are in high demand across Canada’s north. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the Yukon has a large supply of family physicians relative to other northern regions, hosting 168 medical doctors for every 100 000 people. By comparison, in the Northwest Territories and in Nunavut, the situation is completely different: 89 and 53 physicians, respectively. Nevertheless, the Yukon’s small settlements, especially those located in hard-to-reach areas, still struggle to attract and keep medical personnel, with negative impacts on a range of health outcomes. So what are the obstacles? Since family physicians bear most of the costs to run their own practices, their activities can be unprofitable, particularly in these remote areas with tiny populations. Moreover, access to adequate and affordable housing is still questionable: in Yukon, the core housing need rate is 13.1%, a percentage reflecting the high number of households that fall below at least one of the indicator thresholds for housing adequacy, affordability or suitability. Government strategies that include incentives for physicians can play a significant role in the proper provision of medical services to the locals. However, addressing the root causes, such as housing, is crucial. (Human Resources for Health, ResearchGate)
Russia Claims Norway is Strengthening Military Presence on Svalbard
As reported by High North News on October 7, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement accusing Norway of strengthening its military presence on Svalbard. Concern was also raised over the Norwegian Coast Guard’s unauthorized visit to the waters surrounding the Russian settlement of Barentsburg. According to the statement, the Russian side used to be informed in advance of such visits, contrary to recent practice. (High North News)
Take 3: Such accusations are a common occurrence from Russian officials. Moscow had a similar reaction in 2021 to the Norwegian Navy frigate KNM Thor Heyerdahl, which regularly patrols the waters of Svalbard to ensure Norwegian sovereignty. At the time, its activities were perceived as part of covert militarization. Now, another reason to accuse Norway of entering the Barentsburg territorial waters without prior notice has been found. In this case, one question comes up. Why did not Russia notify Norway last August when a Northern Fleet formation featuring the anti-submarine destroyer Severomorsk abruptly veered off course and headed for Svalbard? Nonetheless, Russia never fails to remind Norway of the archipelago’s demilitarized status as stated in the Svalbard Treaty of 1920. And at this point, the problem of the Treaty’s uneven interpretation is woven into the narrative. The Norwegian understanding of Article 9 prohibits all foreign military activity, but it does not restrict access by the Norwegian Armed Forces for the purposes of exercising Norway’s sovereignty. This includes visits by Coast Guard vessels as well. Would it not happen, however, that the perilous environment in which the archipelago exists will shift towards a sharper confrontation amid such frequent accusations? (NRK, Per Concordiam)
Finnish Government Report: No Way Back to Pre-War Cooperative Environment in the Arctic
As reported by Eye on the Arctic on October 11, a new report commissioned by the Finnish Prime Minister’s Office has been published on Arctic cooperation amid Russian aggression in Ukraine. The study was led by the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland with support from private consultancy Gaia Consulting Oy and the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. According to the report, there will be no path back to the pre-war environment as a result of Russia’s actions. The report recommends that Finland’s Arctic strategy also needs to change to reflect the “reality of the new Cold War.” (Eye on the Arctic)
Take 4: The report presents a sober assessment of the security situation in the Arctic and Finland’s involvement in it. Particular focus is placed on the possible implications of joining NATO. Finland opines that membership offers greater opportunities to improve the security of the Arctic and the country itself. However, the region would certainly see new tensions in the near future as a result of the growing Arctic militarization. On the other hand, achieving a stronger military balance in the North will probably raise the threshold for aggression and stabilize the regional security environment in the longer term. Nevertheless, there would be less leeway for the Circumpolar West, including Finland, to work together with Russia on security and diplomatic matters since this stability will be based on military dominance. Finland is certainly aware of the consequences. But the events of 1939 – when Moscow denied the country’s right to exist and started the Winter War – still influence the paradigm of perception of Russia’s militaristic aspirations. Moreover, the unjustified assault against Ukraine now has a much greater impact on Finland than the repercussions of the country’s membership in the Alliance. (Carnegie Politika, High North News)
Fosen Wind Farm Still in Operation a Year After Norwegian Supreme Court’s Verdict
As reported by The Barents Observer on October 13, despite last year’s decision of the Norwegian Supreme Court regarding the license revocation of Fosen Vind’s power-generating installations in Subarctic Norway, the wind farm is still in operation. In 2021, the Court found the farm to be illegal, ruling that it infringes on local Sámi reindeer herder’s right to perform their traditional activities as guaranteed by the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Sámi are an indigenous Arctic people whose traditional territory stretches across the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. (The Barents Observer)
Take 5: The current energy crisis in Europe as accelerated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is also aggravating the future conditions for the Indigenous people of the North. In light of heightened military and political tensions with Russia, Europe is seeking new energy alternatives, particularly sustainable ones. More than ever, attention has shifted to the Indigenous lands of Norway, one of the major countries for the production of wind energy. Since Indigenous people’s influence on government decisions is very limited, their right to live in a traditional and ecologically sustainable manner could be seriously threatened. The case of Fosen Vind is a noteworthy example embodying the fact that international norms are being swept aside for the sake of the energy system’s survival. It is obvious that current dramatic events are forcing a shift towards the intended direction of the gradual green transition policy. However, in this circumstance, slightly different methods of developing Norwegian alternative energy should be employed. For instance, one novel approach is suggested in a newly released paper, which contends that by using spatial modeling to more carefully allocate the location of wind farms, they can continue to be built in Northern Norway in a way that is less harmful to local nature and Indigenous lifestyles, while still economically beneficial. (Forskning.no, Inkstick, NRK, NRK)