The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 26 September, 2022
Chinese and Russian Naval Vessels Spotted off Alaskan Island
As reported by Anchorage Daily News on September 27, a U.S. Coast Guard ship recently spotted a Chinese guided missile cruiser in the Bering Sea waters near Alaska’s Kiska Island while on routine patrol. The Honolulu-based patrol boat Kimball also described seeing two other Chinese naval vessels and four Russian military ships. According to the 17th Coast Guard District’s commander Nathan Moore, no international rules and norms were violated, but they will meet any further “presence with presence” to prevent interference with U.S. interests in the maritime area around Alaska. (Anchorage Daily News)
Take 1: While Russia’s incitement in these Arctic waters makes a certain degree of sense in the context of its military activities in the region, China’s involvement might come as more of a surprise. The People’s Republic is geographically remote from the Arctic, and its global ambitions mean it does not share the same interests in the region as its Russian neighbor. But this is only at first glance. Calling itself a “Near-Arctic State” in its first official Arctic policy in 2018, Beijing operates in the Arctic with a dual purpose. For instance, certain scientific research initiatives that China is expanding obviously have both military and civilian applications. Bathymetric surveys, navigational charts, and underwater acoustic data are useful not only for Chinese citizens conducting business and research in the Arctic, but also for naval forces. But what is the motivation for this military interest? In terms of nuclear security, the Arctic is China’s vulnerable northern flank. Intercontinental ballistic missiles targeted toward China by the U.S. fly over the Arctic. Important missile defense systems for the U.S. are also situated in the region. Therefore, nuclear deterrence patrols, especially in the Bering Sea, can be of great importance to Beijing. (Defense News, The Jamestown Foundation)
Concern Grows over Mental Health Crisis in Canadian Tuktoyaktuk
As reported by CBC News on September 25, the mayor of the Inuvialuit hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk has announced it is experiencing a mental health crisis in the community. Staff from the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority are set to travel to the town to provide short-term support as of this weekend, while a proposal for a Suicide Prevention Fund was submitted by the town’s community corporation on September 20. (CBC News)
Take 2: Mental health issues among younger generations are a significant problem in Circumpolar Indigenous communities, with destructive effects on individual, family, and community levels. According to the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health in Toronto, Indigenous youth in Canada have a 5-6 times greater risk of suicide compared to non-Indigenous youth. At 11 times the national average, Inuit teenage suicide rates are among the highest in the world. Why do we observe such a tendency? Living with the legacy of colonialism, historical trauma and land loss closely echo the rise in mental health issues. High suicide rates can be correlated with the fast, and frequently forced, societal changes brought on by modernization processes in the High North. Despite the development of the region, there is a lack of follow-up for current health and support models, and mental healthcare facilities are becoming progressively challenging to access. At the same time, climate change is also increasingly a mental health concern, with its consequences felt across a range of issues from the housing crisis and food insecurity, to the transformation of identity and culture. It is crucial to enhance local health services and fill the gaps to respond promptly to mental health issues. (CBC News, Health and Human Rights Journal, ResearchGate)
Moscow Intends to Modernize Infrastructure in Russian Settlements on Svalbard
As reported by The Barents Observer on September 28, Russia plans to spend 1.5 bln rubles (more than 25 mln U.S. dollars) for the infrastructure modernization of the two main Russia-owned settlements on Svalbard, Barentsburg and Pyramiden. According to Minister of Development of the Far East and the Arctic Aleksei Chekunkov, some of the infrastructure improvements are urgent. He also mentioned the importance of attracting private businesses to upgrade the tourism sector in the settlements. (The Barents Observer)
Take 3: Since Svalbard is basically the gateway to the Arctic, it is of outstanding strategic and military significance to Russia, now more so than ever given its incredibly strained relationship with NATO. Russia is making every effort to preserve its legitimate sway in the remote Arctic archipelago, which is under Norwegian sovereignty and has a demilitarized status. The approach Russia has taken is double-sided: combining military pressure and intensified military drills in the island’s northern waters with acceptable scientific and commercial activities in its own settlements, including tourism. Until now, the latter has never been much of a priority for Russia. But what exactly can be hidden under the pretext of injecting money into infrastructure upgrades, including for tourism purposes, is difficult to say. Perhaps this is just an intention to stop depending on the local Norwegian tour companies and logistics, without which today’s visitor influx to the Russia-owned settlements would be almost impossible. Perhaps it is something else with longer-term objectives that could undermine the archipelago’s neutral status. (The Barents Observer, Lawfare)
European Union Sets Up Representative Office in Greenland
As reported by High North News on September 28, the European Commission is now executing the decision to open a representative office in Nuuk, Greenland, which was announced back in October 2021. The newly established unit will promote current cooperation and seek out new prospects for collaboration between Greenland and the European Union (EU). According to Per Haugaard, Head of European Commission Representation in Denmark, it is anticipated that the office will open no later than the beginning of the next year. (High North News)
Take 4: Greenland’s status in the international arena is coming to the fore. As a result of increasing international attention on Greenland, the EU has become conscious of the need for a stronger interest in this area. Dependent on Denmark, Greenland grants the EU the authority to participate in Arctic affairs. But what objectives does the EU want to accomplish by partnering with Greenland? And why does it seek to get engaged in Arctic Circle-related issues in general? Action on climate change is a key element of the Union’s agenda in the Arctic, but not the driving one. Due to a decreasing reliance on Russian energy sources, the EU is expected to confront an urgent demand for new alternatives in the coming years. And that alternative could include the Arctic, especially resource-rich Greenland, with the country also in possession of the rare earth metals needed to fuel the EU’s green transition. However, this might lead to a paradoxical scenario. The EU will work to implement its Green Deal, but will also rely progressively on the Arctic raw materials leaving aside its ecological agenda. (Groupe d’études géopolitiques, High North News, The Arctic Institute)
Arctic Lakes Either Carbon Dioxide “Reactors” or “Chimneys”
As reported by Phys.org on September 27, a recent research paper published by Umeå University in Sweden has given insight into how Arctic lakes are linked to regional carbon cycles. After studying 43 Swedish polar mountain lakes, the researchers concluded that the carbon release mechanisms of Arctic lakes mean that they can be classified either as ‘reactors’ producing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the breakdown of organic matter internally, or as ‘chimneys’ releasing carbon from the local environment directly to the atmosphere without further processing. The results also emphasize the risk of incorrectly classifying lakes as carbon sinks while they are yearly CO2 emitters as well. (Phys.org)
Take 5: Large amounts of carbon are stored in the Arctic tundra, which acts as a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, climate change is now helping to release a substantial pool of organic carbon that has been dormant for centuries. The release of old carbon into the atmosphere through the greenhouse gasses carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) acts as a positive feedback mechanism to climate warming. However, very little is known about the magnitude and rate of this loss, as well as the exact role of related biochemical processes in the local environment in facilitating the process. Even less is known about how the rising concentration of carbon in Arctic lakes might affect aquatic ecology in turn. Current and future research would be important in assessing these lake-driven processes to comprehend the effects they have. (Futurity, Nature)