The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of May 17, 2021
Russia Makes Permafrost a Priority in Nationwide Monitoring Program
Thawing permafrost is expected to pose a serious problem to Russian industry and infrastructure, Arctic Today reported on Friday, May 14. To combat this, Russia will establish a statewide monitoring system for permafrost, approved by federal legislation, according to Minister of Natural Resources Aleksandr Kozlov. This monitoring system will build upon existing installations under jurisdiction of Roshydromet, a state meteorological authority, and will operate in two stages. A laboratory for the study of permafrost will also be opened this year. (Arctic Today)
Take 1: Over the past number of months, Russia has been increasingly vocal about the potential benefits of climate change. While acknowledging climate change to be an issue of paramount importance, Russian officials and shipping companies have been quick to assert that melting sea ice as a result of anthropogenic warming benefits the shipping industry, as it allows for increased shipping throughout the Northern Sea Route in seasons where sea ice made the routes dangerous. This permafrost monitoring program, however, is significant as it is one of the first concrete actions the Russian government has taken to highlight its concern over the negative impacts of climate change. The melting of permafrost and multi-year ice is deeply concerning as it is part of a positive feedback loop: as permafrost melts and ice surface area decreases, the earth slowly loses its ability to reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere, warming the water and leading to increased melt and sea level rise. As 65 percent of Russian territory is within the permafrost zone, increased melt is leading to accidents in industrial and housing complexes. Russia’s monitoring system is therefore an important step in the right direction in terms of preventing environmental catastrophes and protecting those in vulnerable ecosystems.
Lapland Regional Council Grinds Arctic Railway Project to a Halt
On Monday, May 17, The Barents Observer reported that the Regional Council of Lapland, the council in the northernmost province of Finland, voted to rewrite the draft provincial plan until 2040. This plan rejects the construction of the Arctic railway line in a vote of 43-to-3, on the grounds that construction will negatively impact Sámi culture. A previous 2019 vote supported the construction, which would stretch 500 kilometers from Finland’s current rail network in Rovaniemi to the Norwegian town of Kirkenes by the Barents Sea. (Arctic Today, The Barents Observer)
Take 2: In meetings of the High North Dialogue conference last month, participants from multiple Arctic states stressed the importance of increasing engagement and collaboration with Indigenous communities throughout the Arctic. In light of Europe’s push towards internal extractive industries, collaboration and communication with permanent participants is necessary when drafting plans for resource development and industrial building. The rejection of the Arctic railway line through Lapland is therefore incredibly significant, as it resulted from intense communication and engagement with Finland’s Sámi communities, who would have been deeply impacted by the construction of the railway. The majority of Council members changed their minds from their initial 2019 decision due to this negative impact, rather than for economic reasons, demonstrating Finland’s commitment to Indigenous interests and collaboration.
Arctic Council Introduces Inaugural Strategic Plan
The 2021 Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting held in Reykjavik, Iceland, on May 20, featured an approval for its first-ever strategic plan, High North News reported on Thursday, May 20. The strategic plan outlines a framework for the Council’s work for the next ten years. During the 12th Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, Icelandic Foreign Minister Thórdarson asserted that although the Council’s work had allowed for increased insight into Arctic regions, clear policy was sorely lacking. The strategy will serve as the foundation for future collaboration within the Arctic Council. (High North News)
Take 3: As the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting convened with Foreign Ministers from the eight Arctic states, as well as Indigenous Permanent Participants, it continued to serve as an effective example of intergovernmental collaboration with the Arctic as its theatre. This international, geopolitical forum allows nations with Arctic interests to meet and discuss. While it is understandable that many Arctic States are concerned over the transfer of the Chairmanship from Iceland to Russia because of the country’s overt and aggressive maneuvers to assert its dominance and power in the Arctic, the new strategic plan can, perhaps, provide some peace of mind as it not only outlines the framework for the Arctic Council’s next decade of work, but also allows other Arctic states to monitor Russian Arctic activity.
Russia and the United States At Odds Ahead of International Ministerial Meeting
The United States government is opposing Russian activity in the Arctic ahead of Russia’s assumption of the Arctic Council chairmanship, The Independent reported on Thursday, May 20. The campaign, involving the United States and other Arctic Council members, denounces recent Russian attempts to assert authority over Arctic shipping and increase militarization of the Arctic, and reflects growing concerns about Russian activity in the region. US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stressed that the Arctic Council should retain its stance on peaceful collaboration on indigenous welfare, maritime safety, and environmental issues, upholding “the rule of law.” Russia’s statement earlier this week dismissed US criticism, stating that the Arctic “is our territory, our land” and claimed military dialogue would contribute to sustained stability. (Arctic Today, High North News, The Independent, The Telegraph)
Take 4: Over the past number of months, numerous Arctic-focused publications have touted a dramatic increase in reporting on the relationship between the US and Russia. Experts have especially continued to claim that ties between the two Arctic nations are more caustic than during the Cold War era. As both the US and Russia have taken steps to increase their military might in the Arctic, and are bolstering defensive capabilities, it seems that neither nation is confident in the other’s ability to conduct diplomatic negotiations. The campaign and the build up of aggressive language and action is another symptom of the souring relationship between the United States and Russia, while we see other Arctic States continue to call for constructive cooperation as the Arctic Council chairmanship transfers from Iceland to Russia.