| ISSUES - 2023 | Page No - 13 |
| Geopolitics of Shipping Lane and Resources in the Arctic. | |
| Shashi Bhusan Kr Vishwakarma | |
| Abstract : | |
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Resource abundance and potential lucrative trade routes through the Arctic
lead to geopolitical competition, conflict, and rivalry. The Arctic glaciers are
melting with global warming, making the Arctic more accessible for such
activities. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas,
polar states may assert their claim to the Arctic through their continental extent
or as part of their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Various bids have been
submitted by polar states, predominantly Russia, to claim regions of the Arctic
in Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). The following
paper analyses the geopolitical rivalry and the environmental concerns of such
reckless competition. Environmental degradation is the reason states should
cooperate in the Arctic. The paper also aims to examine the costs and benefits
attached to resource exploitation in the Arctic. Excessive exploitation would
lead to disastrous consequences of increased water levels of the seas around
the globe. The trade route through the Arctic passage could considerably
reduce the shipping time for goods. All these developments are making the
geopolitics of the Arctic conflict-prone and risky.
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