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Global interest in the Arctic region: Naval operations impacting scientific-commercial activities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2023

Ekaterina Uryupova Open the ORCID record for Ekaterina Uryupova [Opens in a new window]
Ekaterina Uryupova*
Affiliation:
The Arctic Institute - Center for Circumpolar Security Studies, Washington DC, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Ekaterina Uryupova, Email: ekaterina.uryupova@thearcticinstitute.org
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Abstract

The Arctic region is rapidly changing as a result of climate alteration, political tensions and ambitions of the Arctic and non-Arctic states. Is the existing governance considered to be adequate for effective international security cooperation in the region? On the one hand, we look optimistic at the evolution of international relations in the areas of science and technology, conservation, search and rescue coordination, tourism, etc. On the other hand, there is a significantly increased militarisation of the Arctic region. The recent rise in military activities in the North has resulted in numerous regional deployments, patrols and other incidents in the maritime Arctic. In general, militarisation together with climate change are impacting scientific-commercial activities. Also, the absence of an adequate legal regime that may respond to climate change and interruption of civil activities by military exercises in a fast and effective way hampers international cooperation. This paper problematises various aspects of interaction between scientific-commercial activities and naval operations in the Arctic region.

Keywords

ArcticMilitary activityScienceCommercial activityInterferenceCooperationMaritime governance
Type
Research Article
Information
Polar Record , Volume 59 , 2023 , e8
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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