The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of February 14, 2022
Russia Considers Creating a Space Tracking Station on Svalbard
As reported by The Barents Observer on February 13, the Russian space agency Roscosmos is considering establishing a warning system on Svalbard, the Norwegian Arctic archipelago, to monitor potentially hazardous objects in near-Earth space. The system will track space debris which may pose a potential hazard to satellites and space stations. (The Barents Observer)
Take 1: In recent years, the military-political situation in the Arctic has undergone significant changes. In this case, Russia’s consideration of a specialized monitoring system is appearing against a backdrop of aggravated relations with NATO. The Arctic is increasingly becoming a hostage to the deterioration in relations between Russia and the West. In these circumstances, Svalbard occupies a special place due to its geostrategic importance and legal status, factors of which Russia is well aware. The country has intensified its attention on the archipelago. On the one hand, the state is strengthening its legitimate presence on the territory in the form of scientific studies and economic activity in the Russian settlements of Barentsburg and Pyramiden. On the other hand, Russia is also increasing tensions in Svalbard’s maritime space, despite being a signatory party to the Svalbard Treaty which mandates that the archipelago cannot be used for military purposes. With speculation that Russia is pursuing a sort of ‘hybrid strategy’ that increases military pressure under the guise of benign activities, the debris tracking station on Svalbard could also serve this double purpose. Despite the scientific framing of the installation, the system could theoretically be used for security operations, such as the monitoring of military space objects or ballistic nuclear missiles. In such a tense environment, constructive dialogue and a policy of good-neighborliness seem to be the most appropriate way out of the situation associated with the Arctic militarization, something which unfortunately is now challenging to imagine. Nevertheless, it is essential to keep Svalbard as a neutral area of peaceful coexistence, with players participating in joint scientific research and in socio-economic cooperation rather than military power displays. (Sputnik International, The Barents Observer)
Svalbard Global Seed Vault to Receive Rare Deposits
As reported by Eye on the Arctic on February 14, ten gene banks from all over the world are set to contribute new seeds to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a special storage facility for the long-term preservation of crop diversity in the face of natural or man-made disasters. The vault, which holds over 1.1 million seed samples of nearly 6 000 plant species from 89 seed banks globally, also serves as a backup for plant breeders to develop new crop varieties. More than 6 000 samples will be donated in 2022 by the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), which made the first seed withdrawal from the vault in 2015 to replace its collection damaged by war in Syria. (Eye on the Arctic)
Take 2: The ICARDA story perfectly demonstrates the role and functions of the Svalbard Seed Vault in safeguarding duplicates of priceless seed collections. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a unique repository that allows these thousands of plant seed samples to be preserved thanks to the very low temperatures and favorable seismic conditions of the archipelago. Nevertheless, the vault faces the risk of destruction from permafrost melt. This is illustrated by an event in 2017, when the vault had to be repaired after meltwater breached the entrance tunnel after average temperatures in Svalbard reached 4.5°C above normal. Due to climate change, Svalbard’s ability to provide trouble-proof protection against disasters is now under threat- especially since the Arctic is warming up faster than the rest of the world. Under these circumstances, it is worth considering creating another facility for storing seeds. For instance, in the Russian Arctic, scientists from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) have already launched a small cryogenic seed storage with 10 000 plant specimens, with further plans for expansion. As these vaults offer an insurance policy for our common future, more attention should be paid to the establishment of such international backup facilities. (Arctic.ru, Eye on the Arctic, The Barents Observer, The Guardian)
Norway’s National Security Assessment Concludes Arctic Increasingly Important to Great Powers
As reported by High North News on February 15, the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) has released its annual open threat and risk assessment for 2022, concluding that the military activities of big powers such as Russia and China in the Arctic pose the greatest threat to Norway’s national security. The Focus 2022 report also claims that despite security policy tensions, Russia is still interested in maintaining a stable Arctic. (High North News)
Take 3: The newly released report is important in that it points out that the Arctic is becoming more significant strategically in our more polarized world. This great power rivalry concerns Norway, as the country’s key priority is to preserve the Arctic as a region of stability and predictability. Since Norway shares land and sea borders with Russia, bilateral dialogue and practical cooperation with Russia on Arctic issues is an integral part of this stability. Maintenance of this relationship is therefore a constant factor in Norwegian foreign policy, regardless of the changes and trends in the global political environment. Nevertheless, despite sharing several common interests, serious disagreements and obstacles to fruitful cooperation are continuing to grow. This is expressed in the distrust the countries have towards each other in security issues. Russia has argued that Norway is using the climate change ‘agenda’ as an excuse to prevent Russian activity in the region, and accuses the country of contributing to increased militarization of the Russian Arctic by promoting joint NATO exercises, such as the upcoming 2022 Cold Response military exercise. Nevertheless, Norway believes that Russia’s behavior also shows that a stable Arctic is ultimately still in its interest. For instance, Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council (2021-2023) will emphasize the country as a responsible player in the region seeking pragmatic cooperation with other Arctic states. However, the report also shows there is no doubt that Russia’s behavior and confrontations with NATO are still of concern to Norway. Despite being primarily interested in a peaceful, prosperous, and environmentally sustainable Arctic, there is still a risk that armed forces of both sides could meet in the region. (Forsvaret)
Coastal Erosion is Destroying the Arctic Coastline
As reported by The Independent on February 14, researchers from several German universities have provided new details about the extent of coastal erosion in the Arctic by combining computational models in a novel method to investigate the magnitude and speed of coastal changes across the entire region. As a result of climate change, the scientists concluded that soil warming can cause soil subsidence and rupture that then accelerates erosion. According to the study, if greenhouse gas emissions are not sharply reduced, it could cost the Arctic up to three meters of coastline loss per year. (The Independent)
Take 4: Erosion is already destroying coastlines across the world. This is especially the case in the Arctic, where temperatures are rising three times faster than the global average warming rate. The resulting loss of sea ice and snow means that both water and land are increasingly exposed to the sun’s rays, leading to absorption rather than reflection of thermal radiation. Sea ice formation is becoming increasingly difficult, but it is important to recognise that the land is also facing a wide range of negative impacts. Among these is the rapid thawing of the permafrost, a process that endangers once stable frozen ground. Permafrost melt in the Arctic region is of great concern, leading to ruptures and landslides which can jeopardize buildings and the safety of local populations. In addition, coastal erosion in the Arctic can come combined with other climate-related coastal hazards such as sea-level rise, causing complex socio-economic damage including the irreversible loss of cultural heritage, or reduction of investments in the region. According to the German research paper, entire villages are already now facing the need for relocation in Alaska. Therefore, studies such as this are timely: vital for the development of new programs protecting the Arctic coast and its population. For scientists, these calculations can form a basis for further research on the interaction between permafrost and carbon emissions in the Arctic. Maintaining permafrost as a store of carbon is vital to sustaining life on the Earth as humanity knows it. Nevertheless, this study underscores that while moving towards greater sustainability and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions is necessary to slow the acceleration of this process, it will be impossible to completely stop the loss of the Arctic landmass. (Earth.com, European Scientist, The Independent)
Iñupiaq Language Edition of Wordle Launches
As reported by Anchorage Daily News on February 15, a version of the popular word puzzle Wordle has been released in Iñupiaq, an Inuit language mainly spoken by the Iñupiat people in the northern and northwestern parts of Alaska. The creator of the translation is a member of the Iñupiaq language revitalization group Iḷisaqativut. (Anchorage Daily News)
Take 5: Arctic Indigenous languages are facing challenges, with many of them at risk of extinction. There is a growing movement among Indigenous peoples aimed at the revival of their languages, with Iḷisaqativut a good example of a group carrying out initiatives such as dictionary compilation, summer immersion camps, and language meetings. In turn, interest in learning native languages continues to grow, even amongst younger generations and those who no longer use it in everyday life. But, how does one simplify the process of learning a language when there are almost no native speakers left? In this case, digitalization can offer many benefits both for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in providing tools for language revival. Language apps can be a great way to practice the language in a fun and engaging way, while digital platforms facilitate the recording and archiving of audio of elders and fluent speakers. This preservation is particularly important in the context of climate change. Arctic Indigenous languages are not only an important element of self-identification and reflection of the unique culture and history of its people, but also a useful source for science. Arctic languages exhibit a unique connection to the environment, and can therefore contribute to better documenting the effects of climate change. By cooperating with Saami reindeer herders, scientists from NASA were able to obtain unique observational data on changing snow conditions by considering the languages’ complex classification system for snow. Moreover, as the environment and weather change, so do languages. As many words that describe natural characteristics face the risk of disappearing, initiatives like this are increasingly important for the future awareness and transmission of Indigenous languages. (Arctic Council, JSTOR Daily)