The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 15 August, 2022
Nordic Countries to Deepen Security and Defense Integration
As reported by High North News on August 16, the Nordic Prime Ministers met in Oslo, Norway to discuss the development of Nordic defense cooperation in light of Finland and Sweden’s entry into NATO. The Prime Ministers agreed on a joint statement on defense and security within the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) and NATO. They also highlighted an aim to make the Nordic region the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030. (High North News)
Take 1: The Nordic countries have long chosen different approaches to address their perceived security concerns, arguably as a result of their widely different experiences during World War II. However, with the ongoing war in Ukraine and the threat from Russia, the security architecture of the Nordics has entered a new era. Historically, NATO membership has been a competing alternative to any singularly Nordic solutions, but nowadays a completely new level of defense and security policies are appearing. This includes a closer integration with the Alliance as well. With the already well-functioning NORDEFCO and various other bilateral and trilateral structures, realizing the potential of NATO’s newcomers will eliminate the existing impediments to joint planning in the Arctic. Viewing Nordic defense in a broader, more comprehensive framework will be made possible, and is likely to provide more extensive options for enhancing security and deterrence in the region. But, at the same time, the ultimate formation of two opposing Arctic antagonists – NATO and Russia – may be considered alarming. (Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, War on the Rocks)
Subsidies for Canadian Northern Communities Are Extended
As reported by CBC News on August 15, the Canadian Federal Minister of Northern Affairs, Dan Vandal, has announced an extension of pandemic funding for the food security program Nutrition North Canada (NNC) for at least two additional years. He stated that $60.9 mln of the $143.4 million earmarked for NNC will be used to establish a new Community Foods Programs Fund. An additional $1.5 mln to be distributed over two yearswill be used to support Nutrition North Canada’s Food Security Research Grant, which aims to develop long-term, regionally relevant solutions to food security. (CBC News)
Take 2: Food insecurity is disproportionately worse in the North than anywhere else in Canada, with one paper showing rates of up to 16.9% in the Yukon, 21.6% in the Northwest Territories, and 57% in Nunavut. Indigenous peoples are particularly exposed to food insecurity, with this problem touching every aspect of their lives, negatively impacting health, well-being, and even education outcomes. The importance of supporting northern and isolated communities in addressing local food security priorities is obvious. There are several initiatives to lessen the causes and consequences of food insecurity at the local and regional levels, such as the Nunavut Food Security Coalition and poverty‑reduction initiatives the Makimaniq Plan. The federal government is also contributing through the Nutrition North Canada (NNC) program, which offers retail subsidies to increase access to perishable, nutritious , and traditional foods in certain Northern communities. However, the NNC’s mandate does not include addressing the root causes of food insecurity. Therefore, given the persistently high prevalence of food insecurity, more targeted initiatives and funding will likely be required to mitigate the problem. (Government of Canada)
Russia Getting Ready for an Arctic War?
As reported by Naval News on August 16, Russia has revealed the first version of a next-generation Arcturus nuclear ballistic missile submarine, which can be readily operated in the Arctic. The submarine’s concept was shown by the submarine design bureau Rubin at the International Military-Tech Forum Army 2022 in Russia. (Naval News)
Take 3: Russia’s newly adopted Marine Doctrine prioritizes lowering the degree of risks to national security in the Arctic, with the building up of foreign naval presence in the region regarded as a threat. Therefore, by enhancing the combat capability of the Northern Fleet’s forces, Russia intends to focus on increasing operational capabilities in the Arctic zone. It has already reactivated several Cold War-era military facilities in its Polar territories, including airbases and radar stations, and tested multiple Arctic-adapted nuclear-powered underwater drones and hypersonic cruise missiles. Against the backdrop of claims to the continental shelf beyond its 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and to the Northern Sea Route as an internal waterway, escalation may not be far off. The inclusion of Finland and Sweden in NATO is now putting the Alliance’s frontier of action closer to Russia’s borders. With Moscow already losing its diplomatic leverage and the will to employ it, the potential for conflict in the Arctic can no longer be excluded. (CSIS, SWP, The Barents Observer)
Oil Companies Will Move Ahead to Develop the Giant Pikka Oil Project in Alaska
As reported by Bloomberg on August 17, Australian Santos and Spanish Repsol, two major multinational oil and gas corporations, will invest $2.6 bln to proceed with the development of the Pikka Unit, a sizable oil field on Alaska’s North Slope. Beginning in 2026, the project is anticipated to generate 80.000 barrels of oil per day. (Bloomberg)
Take 4: The Nanushuk geological formation, of which the Pikka field is part, is considered one of the largest onshore conventional hydrocarbon deposits in the United States in 30 years. However, Pikka’s prospects were called into question a year ago by a host of financial institutions that refused to finance oil exploration in the Arctic due to environmental concerns. Now, the field is shifting. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has opened a window of opportunity for energy chaos, which Santos has seized. What was once labeled as an environmental violation can now be perceived as a guarantee of energy security. Numerous jobs for Alaskans for economic and community growth are also promised by the company, as well as plans for the project to reach net-zero. But even if the corporation touts this oil project as low-carbon, will that be enough to quell dissent of those who continue to view Alaska as an environmentally sensitive region? (Anchorage Daily News, The Wall Street Journal)
Norway Authorities Euthanized Freya The Walrus
As reported by BBC News on August 14, the famous wandering walrus Freya has been euthanized out of concern for the safety of the public, who have ignored continued warnings about getting too close to the mammal. The decision to put down Freya, who was first spotted in Oslo in mid-July, was taken by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries. (BBC News)
Take 5: Typically, walruses live beyond the Arctic Circle. The exact place of Freya’s birth is unknown, but it is thought that she was born somewhere in Svalbard. How did it happen that Freya ended up inOslo’s Frognerkilen bay after having been spotted in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scotland? Although there have been similar sightings in the past , it is generally uncommon for walruses to move further south. In 2015, scientists concluded that the greatest significant danger to ice-associated Arctic marine animals, including walruses, is the loss of sea ice as a result of global climate change. Today walruses are still facing the same threat. As a result, they are changing their behavior and habitats. Walruses are being compelled to haul out on land due to a lack of ice, making them more susceptible to stressors, such as oil drilling. So, that may explain why Freya was forced to leave her home. But why did Norway, where walruses are a protected species, decide to put her down instead of sending her back and contem