The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 22 April, 2024
Department of the Interior Restricts Drilling and Mining in Western Arctic
E&E News reported on April 19 that the US Department of the Interior has finalized plans to significantly restrict oil drilling in the Western Arctic. The Department also rejected a proposal for a 211-mile (340 km) mining road that would enable commercial access to undeveloped deposits of minerals such as copper and zinc in Alaska. The ruling stated that the proposed Ambler Road would irreversibly impact wildlife (especially caribou) and more than 60 Alaska Native communities that rely on it for subsistence. (E&E News)
Take 1: The Department of the Interior’s decision not to grant the proposed Ambler Road a right-of-way through federal lands illustrates the Biden administration’s commitment to protecting the environment and Indigenous lifeways over potential gains from the expansion of mining and oil drilling to Alaska’s economy. The industrial corridor would cut across the Brooks Range in Gates of the Arctic National Park to facilitate copper and zinc mine development and ore transportation. While the mining industry could provide economic benefits, the road itself would not benefit local communities as it would be private, with no public traffic allowed. It would not be used to transport supplies or facilitate tourism. Local Indigenous representatives pointed out the threats that the road poses to hunting and fishing, especially as it would cross critical Chinook salmon spawning areas and the habitat of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, Alaska’s largest caribou herd. The Department of the Interior has already cancelled all oil and gas leases approved by the previous administration, and has proposed stronger environmental protections in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). However, their environmental record in Alaska has been more complicated. Last year the administration approved the Willow oil project near the Arctic Ocean. Supporters of drilling and mining in Alaska stress the importance of the US having reliable domestic sources of fossil fuels and critical minerals. These short-term strategic goals, however, seem irreconcilable with potentially irreversible environmental damage and minimal benefits for local communities. (Alaska Beacon, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Alaska Public Media, E&E News, Tanana Chiefs Conference, Washington Post)
Makkivik Corporation Releases a Climate Adaptation Strategy for Nunavik
Eye on the Arctic reported on April 19 that the Makkivik Corporation, which represents the interests and rights of Inuit in Nunavik, has unveiled its Nunavik Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. The plan is based on Inuit self-determination as a key component of building resiliency in the changing environment, and it is focused on three main areas: infrastructure, health, and delivery of essential services. Makkivik has developed the strategy with 150 Nunavik knowledge holders and other experts, and intends to use it as a blueprint for future cooperation with provincial and federal governments on climate. (Eye on the Arctic)
Take 2: Makkivik’s decision to develop and release its own climate change adaptation plan reflects the growing importance it places on climate change resiliency, as well as the increasing involvement of Inuit groups in engaging with environmental policy as sovereign actors. As Nunavik is warming about three times faster than the global average, climate change poses a pressing risk to Arctic ecosystems and traditional Inuit lifeways. For Nunavimmiut, climate change means that melting permafrost is destabilizing already insufficient housing stock and damaging critical road infrastructure. Thinning ice also makes traditional hunting routes more dangerous to use and thus limits access to country foods, affecting food security and the maintenance of cultural and spiritual practices. The ability to safely continue traditional livelihood practices requires preparedness planning centred around Inuit knowledge and values. Global warming has also increased the frequency of extreme weather events in Nunavik, such as landslides and wildfires, and has caused stronger winds and increased ice fog, both of which impact the delivery of essential goods and services to fly-in communities. The Nunavik Climate Change Adaptation Strategy could be a pivotal moment for Inuit-led organizations to take a central role in proactively shaping climate adaptation policy, on equal footing with the provincial and federal governments. As the Arctic has seen a much higher-than-average rate of global warming, and Inuit communities across the Arctic continue to be disproportionately affected by challenges like housing shortages or high grocery prices, building resiliency for a new Arctic needs to begin with Inuit concerns. (CBC, Eye on the Arctic, Makkivik)
US Troops, Vehicles Arrived in Narvik en Route to Immediate Response 2024
As reported by The Barents Observer on April 24, the US vehicle carrier Arc Integrity has arrived in Narvik, Northern Norway, in order to unload several hundred vehicles and military personnel. These will then continue over land through Sweden to participate in a joint military exercise Immediate Response in Finland. Immediate Response is part of the larger US-NATO exercise Steadfast Defender and is designed to train for Norway’s role as a transit country for forces and supplies going to Sweden and Finland. (The Barents Observer)
Take 3: US and NATO defense forces have been increasingly focusing on preparedness in the High North and the Arctic, especially since the security situation in the region has changed significantly due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Norway’s position has been especially crucial, as it has a long Arctic coastline, shares the northernmost border crossing with Russia (near Kirkenes) and the harbors on its western coast provide easy access for allied vessels. Immediate Response shows that the US-NATO allied forces are developing specific defense strategies for Norway and are focused on developing Norway’s role in Scandinavia as a transit country to facilitate resupplying and transportation to Finland. Finland has been a NATO member since April 2023—and shares a long land border with Russia, which Russia has repeatedly threatened to militarize. With Sweden and Finland both now members, NATO can focus on training for potential defense operations on their territories. The port of Narvik and the surrounding Ofoten district will serve as a gateway for transporting approximately 2,000 US personnel and 600 vehicles to the training location in Finland’s northern forest. The aim of the exercise is to develop the capabilities of Norway, Sweden, and Finland to receive and support US troops in the region. The US and its allies now have the ability to conduct NATO defense training close to Russia’s border in Finland and Northern Norway, but they must also focus on building capabilities specific to the Arctic climate and geography. (High North News, Politico, The Barents Observer, The Finnish Defence Forces)
US Nuclear Submarine Makes a Resupply Stop in Iceland
As reported by Morgunblaðið on April 18, the US nuclear-powered submarine USS New Hampshire made a short resupply stop in Iceland the previous weekend. The submarine stopped in Stakksfjörður near the Keflavík Air Base to change crew and resupply. This is the second time a USS submarine has stopped in Iceland since Iceland authorized such logistical stops last year. The submarine was accompanied by the Icelandic Coast Guard (ICG). (Morgunblaðið)
Take 4: A US nuclear-powered submarine making a resupply stop in Iceland emphasizes the importance of the region for maritime operations and illustrates increasingly close US-Iceland cooperation. Both the US and Iceland are founding members of NATO, and the US operated an air force base in Keflavík from WWII until 2006. US air presence in Iceland was recently reactivated, and the Keflavík Air Base has supported B-2 bomber stealth aircraft missions, as well as other maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft operations. Iceland was a highly-strategic military base during the Cold War, but it has regained its significance in the last few years, following Russia’s increased air and maritime patrolling activity around the island. Iceland’s strategic location between Europe and North America enables resupplying missions for aircraft going in either direction, and also facilitates the monitoring and surveillance of the region. As Iceland has no standing military of its own, its security is dependent on bilateral cooperation with other nations and through multinational organizations such as NATO. The 2023 agreement that allows US nuclear-powered submarines to resupply in Iceland is an example of such cooperation. Concerns about Russia’s aggression and its increased activity in the Arctic and the North Atlantic emphasize the need for increased preparedness training in the region, including expansion of air and maritime capabilities, as well as the need for a new conception of Iceland’s defense role in the 21st century. (Morgunblaðið, Stars and Stripes, The Barents Observer, UK Defence Journal, US Navy Press Office)
Russia to Build a New Port in Murmansk Region to Ship Belarusian Cargo
Newsweek reported on April 23 that Russia is planning to build a new port in the Murmansk region in the Arctic, supposedly to serve mainly as a terminal for Belarusian cargo. Belarusian investors signed an agreement to build the port last Monday. The port is expected to be built by 2028 and to handle approximately 25-30 million tons of cargo annually. The project is also expected to boost the local economy by creating additional jobs involved in both the construction and operation of the new port. (Newsweek)
Take 5: The announcement about a new port in Murmansk focusing on transshipment of Belarusian cargo comes at a time when both Russia and Belarus have been limited in transporting their exports due to Western sanctions. At the same time, Russia has been focusing on developing the ice-free port of Murmansk as a base for its Arctic operations. Kola Bay and the Barents Sea have served as the gateway to the Arctic for Russia, and the country has also recently announced plans for an LNG plant in Murmansk. Belarus’s dictatorial leader, Aleksandr Lukashenko, is Vladimir Putin’s closest ally and has pushed for access to the Russian ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk for Belarusian exports. These plans are part of Belarus’s strategy of reorienting its economy—under heavy Western sanctions, due to its support for Russia—from exports to Western Europe to an almost-exclusive integration into Russia’s economy. Belarus is a major producer of potash fertilizers, which they can no longer ship through the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda due to EU sanctions. By shipping to Murmansk, which is also connected to Russia’s Northern Sea Route shipping route, they would bypass these sanctions. With global warming and the melting of Arctic ice, the Northern Sea Route is likely to become steadily more usable for global shipping. Thus, The new Murmansk terminal would increase the route’s export capabilities if it can overcome challenges such as the need for rail capabilities or obtaining construction materials and expertise for the project in a heavily sanctioned economy. (Eye on the Arctic, Newsweek, Polar Journal)