ARCTIC COUNCIL
1. Context
The Parliamentary committee on External Affairs in its report has recommended that India should appoint a Polar Ambassador and urged the government to seek “full-fledged membership” of the Arctic council so that India can engage in its activities more effectively
2. Key takeaways
- India's Position in the Arctic Council
- India is among the 13 observer states in the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum comprising the eight Arctic nations with sovereign territory in the region. While observer countries can participate in discussions and working groups, they do not possess voting rights or decision-making authority. Their role is also limited in terms of directly funding or independently conducting research activities within the Arctic.
- Proposal for a Dedicated Polar Ambassador
- The committee emphasized the need for India to appoint a dedicated Ambassador for Polar Affairs, with a rank comparable to similar positions created by other countries.
- According to the committee, such an appointment would demonstrate India's growing commitment to the Arctic and Antarctic in its foreign policy.
- A specialized envoy would also enable India to effectively articulate its positions, strengthen diplomatic engagement, and pursue a more coherent polar diplomacy strategy.
- Expanding Research in the Russian Arctic
- The Ministry of Earth Sciences highlighted that collaboration with Russia is essential for India to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Arctic region.
- It pointed to the Arctic research station at Chersky in Sakha, northeastern Siberia, as one of the world's leading Arctic research facilities.
- The station undertakes advanced studies in Arctic ecology, geophysics, and atmospheric sciences, while its location on ancient frozen Pleistocene sediments makes it particularly valuable for permafrost research.
- Strengthening India's Global South Leadership
- The committee further recommended that India formulate a strategy to reinforce its role as a leading voice of the Global South in Arctic affairs. It also proposed closer coordination among Asian observer nations by exploring a quadrilateral framework involving India, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore to advance shared scientific and strategic interests in the region.
- Broadening the Scope of India's Arctic Policy
- According to the committee, India's Arctic policy should evolve beyond its current emphasis on scientific research and incorporate geopolitical, strategic, and economic dimensions.
- It recommended that issues such as access to critical minerals, including those required for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), air-conditioning components, and other strategic industries, should become an integral part of India's diplomatic engagement and policy discussions concerning the Arctic.
3. What is the Arctic Council?
- Role and Objectives of the Arctic Council
- The Arctic Council serves as the principal intergovernmental forum for fostering cooperation, coordination, and dialogue among the Arctic nations, Indigenous communities, and other residents of the Arctic.
- Its primary focus is on addressing shared regional concerns, particularly those related to sustainable development, environmental conservation, and the protection of the Arctic ecosystem.
- Formation of the Arctic Council
- The Arctic Council was formally created on 19 September 1996 through the signing of the Ottawa Declaration by eight Arctic countries—Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States.
- Its establishment built upon the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS) adopted in June 1991, which laid the foundation for collective efforts to safeguard the Arctic environment.
- Decision-Making Process
- The Council functions on the principle of consensus, meaning that every decision, declaration, and official statement requires the unanimous approval of all eight Arctic member states.
- These countries possess sovereign territories within the Arctic region and therefore share the primary responsibility for managing and protecting the lands and waters surrounding the Arctic Ocean in accordance with their domestic laws and international legal obligations.
- Observer Membership
- The Arctic Council grants observer status to eligible non-Arctic countries, as well as to international, regional, inter-parliamentary, and non-governmental organizations that can make meaningful contributions to its activities.
- Observers do not participate in decision-making but support the Council's work mainly through active involvement in its specialized Working Groups.
- Arctic Council Strategic Plan (2021–2030)
- The Strategic Plan 2021–2030 outlines the Council's long-term vision of the Arctic as a region characterized by peace, stability, and constructive international cooperation.
- It seeks to promote an Arctic that is prosperous, environmentally sustainable, secure, and inclusive, while ensuring that the rights, cultures, and well-being of Indigenous Peoples and all Arctic residents are protected and respected
4. Strategic Significance of the Arctic Region
- Importance of the Arctic
- The Arctic is the Earth's northernmost region, accounting for nearly 4% of the world's surface area. It is known for its extreme climatic conditions, sparse population, and relatively untapped natural resources.
- Geographically, it occupies a unique position where the continents of North America, Europe, and Asia converge, making it strategically significant.
- Emerging Opportunities and Challenges
- Rapid Arctic ice melt has become a major concern due to its implications for global climate change. At the same time, the retreating ice has created new economic opportunities by opening shorter maritime shipping routes and improving access to vast reserves of natural resources.
- Unlike Antarctica, where the 1991 Madrid Protocol prohibits mineral resource exploitation, the Arctic has no comparable legal framework providing comprehensive protection against resource extraction.
- Resource Wealth and Geopolitical Importance
- The Arctic possesses abundant reserves of critical minerals, crude oil, and natural gas, making it an increasingly attractive region for economic activity. As sea ice continues to recede, access to these resources has become easier, raising the prospects of large-scale exploration and extraction.
- Additionally, newly navigable shipping corridors significantly reduce the distance and travel time between Europe and Asia, enhancing the Arctic's strategic and commercial value.
- Opening of the Northern Sea Route
- Advances in navigation technology, satellite surveillance, and ice-monitoring systems have enabled vessels to travel through waters that were previously inaccessible.
- One of the most significant developments is the Northern Sea Route (NSR), also known as the Northeast Passage (NEP), which connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean along Russia's Arctic coastline.
- Historically blocked by thick sea ice, this route has become increasingly navigable as climate change has caused the ice cover to shrink and thin.
- Rising Global Competition
- The growing need to secure energy supplies and critical mineral resources has intensified international interest in the Arctic's largely untapped reserves. Even countries without Arctic territory are seeking a greater role in the region.
- For instance, China, despite not being an Arctic nation, has described itself as a "near-Arctic state."
- In 2018, it introduced the Polar Silk Road initiative to integrate Arctic shipping lanes into its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
- These developments have contributed to increasing geopolitical competition and strategic rivalry in the Arctic at a time of rising political divisions among Arctic stakeholders.
5. How has India’s Arctic policy evolved?
- India's engagement with the Arctic has evolved significantly, shifting from a limited observational role to a more proactive presence shaped by its scientific, environmental, economic, and strategic interests in the rapidly transforming polar region. India's association with the Arctic dates back to 9 February 1920, when it became a signatory to the Svalbard Treaty signed in Paris.
- Despite this early connection, India's active involvement began much later. In 2007, it launched its first scientific expedition to the Arctic, followed by the establishment of its permanent research station, Himadri, at Svalbard, Norway, in 2008. India's growing role was further recognized in 2013, when it was granted Observer Status in the Arctic Council.
- To provide a comprehensive framework for its activities in the region, India unveiled its Arctic Policy in 2022, built around six major focus areas:
- Promoting scientific research and international scientific collaboration.
- Conserving the Arctic environment and addressing climate-related challenges.
- Supporting sustainable economic growth and human development.
- Enhancing transportation networks and regional connectivity.
- Strengthening governance mechanisms and international partnerships.
- Developing national capabilities for Arctic research and engagement.
- India's interest in the Arctic is also closely linked to its domestic climate concerns. A 2024 study conducted by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) found that rapid Arctic warming and ice loss can alter upper-atmospheric circulation patterns, including jet streams and Rossby waves.
- These changes have the potential to increase the variability and unpredictability of the Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR), highlighting the direct relevance of Arctic processes to India's climate.
- Beyond scientific cooperation, India has expanded its strategic and economic engagement with the region. Since 2021, it has partnered with Russia to support the development of infrastructure along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), aiming to improve access to energy resources and critical minerals while diversifying supply chains.
- As part of this effort, India is strengthening the Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor, which became operational in 2024.
- The corridor offers a shorter maritime link between India and Europe through the Arctic, reducing transit time by approximately two weeks compared to conventional shipping routes.
6. Arctic Amplification and Atlantification
- Arctic Amplification
- The Arctic is experiencing warming at a rate more than twice the global average, a phenomenon referred to as Arctic amplification. Higher temperatures have increased evaporation and precipitation, leading to the strengthening of atmospheric rivers—long, narrow corridors of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere that transport large volumes of water vapor across vast distances.
- Permafrost Thaw and Environmental Impacts
- Increasing temperatures are accelerating the thawing of permafrost, releasing iron and other heavy metals that have remained trapped in frozen ground for thousands of years. These substances contribute to the discoloration or "rusting" of rivers, reduce water quality, and negatively affect aquatic ecosystems, habitats, and biodiversity.
- Declining Snow Cover and Albedo Effect
- Although the Arctic is typically blanketed with snow for much of the year, recent trends indicate rapid snow loss. During the winter of 2025, snow accumulation remained above the historical average, but unusually fast melting occurred during the following spring.
- By June 2025, snow cover had fallen to nearly half of the levels recorded in the 1960s. The reduction in snow exposes darker land and ocean surfaces, decreasing the region's albedo (its ability to reflect sunlight). As a result, more solar radiation is absorbed, creating a feedback loop that accelerates regional warming.
- Rapid Decline of Arctic Sea Ice
- Arctic sea ice continues to shrink at an alarming pace. In March 2025, which typically marks the annual peak in sea ice extent, satellite observations recorded the lowest maximum extent since monitoring began 47 years ago.
- Even more concerning is the disappearance of the oldest and thickest sea ice—ice that has survived for more than four years—which has declined by over 95% since the 1980s.
- Rising ocean temperatures, retreating glaciers, record-breaking heat, increasingly frequent extreme weather events, and persistent sea ice loss are collectively transforming what was once a permanently frozen region.
- Atlantification of the Arctic Ocean
- A major consequence of Arctic warming is Atlantification, a process in which the warmer and saltier waters of the Atlantic Ocean penetrate farther into the Arctic Ocean. Primarily driven by climate change, this phenomenon has now extended into the central Arctic.
- It is contributing to ocean warming, greater mixing of water layers, accelerated sea ice decline, shifts in marine ecosystems, and potential disruptions to global ocean circulation patterns.
- Ecological and Geopolitical Consequences
- The warming Arctic has also increased phytoplankton growth and chlorophyll concentrations, altering marine productivity and influencing fisheries and food security.
- Beyond environmental impacts, these ecological changes are reshaping the Arctic's geopolitical landscape, as expanding access to marine resources and shipping routes intensifies strategic competition among nations.
|
For Prelims: Arctic Council, Ottawa Declaration, Madrid Protocol of 1991, Svalbard Treaty
For Mains: GS II - International Relations and Organisations
|
|
Previous Year Questions
(1) Why is India taking a keen interest in the Arctic region? (UPSC CSE, 2018) (2) How do the melting of the Arctic ice and glaciers of the Antarctic differently affect the weather patterns and human activities on the Earth? Explain. (UPSC CSE, 2021) |
Source: Indianexpress
