The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of March 16, 2020
Roundup of COVID-19 Responses Around the Arctic
As of March 18th, Denmark’s Faroe Islands leads the High North in number of infected people at 47 individuals. Each Arctic nation has approached the situation differently with Russia, Finland, Norway, Greenland, Canada, and the United States all enacting travel restrictions. The Russian government and Bank of Russia is introducing a 4 billion USD plan that will support measures to minimize the consequences of the outbreak, while being open to expand the package if necessary. The Norwegian government has announced new measures to support the struggling cultural and sports sector of the economy with 26.5 million USD. While the economic outlook is highly uncertain for many, Iceland is confident that with their low level of debt, they will have no problems in securing loans or issuing bonds (High North News).
Take 1: While a mere two weeks ago coronavirus was a topic mentioned only in passing, this week we are literally in the midst of a global pandemic. Governments in the Arctic countries are shutting down schools and restaurants to promote social distancing and decrease the infection rate. At this point, it is clear that limiting the exponential growth of those infected with the virus is imperative in protecting vulnerable, immuno-compromised members of our society.
Northern Business and Industry Severely Impacted by COVID-19
The business landscape in the north is being severely affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Tourism operators face cancellations and reduced activity, as countries enact travel bans, and visitors are reluctant to travel and risk catching the virus. Furthermore, producers and suppliers in the seafood industry are experiencing significantly reduced demand from the market (High North News).
Take 2: Cancellations from travelers are triggering a chain effect that influence business for airlines, hotels, bars, restaurants, and shopping. China is not only a large exporter of raw materials and goods, but also a major source of tourism for the Arctic. The economic repercussions COVID-19 will have on businesses in the north that rely on customer consumption may prove to be insurmountable for smaller businesses. Furthermore, governments must be aware of mitigating job loss for those working paycheck to paycheck, as they will likely be disproportionately affected by the government-mandated closures.
Rare Arctic Ozone Hole Stretches From Hudson Bay to Siberia
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been tracking a large hole in the Arctic ozone layer that spans from North America’s Hudson Bay all the way to Siberia. Experts believe the ozone hole in question is the largest and most intense one ever seen in the Arctic region, surpassing the size of the ozone holes in 2011 and 1997. While the appearance of an ozone hole is an annual event, typically opening up in August and sealing up in November, a hole of this size is an anomaly (The Weather Network).
Take 3: Chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs, join together with water at high altitudes to form clouds that act as the active sites for chemical reactions that destroy the ozone layer. The ozone hole directly influences other processes on Earth; for example, temperatures will rise as an increased amount of sunlight can penetrate through the Earth’s atmosphere. The rise in CFC concentration and the subsequent effect this can have on the delicate Arctic ecosystem is yet another way humans are influencing the climate.
Sami Herders Veto Arctic Railway
Sami politicians are vetoing a new railway from Kirkenes to Rovaniemi across the Norwegian-Finnish border. The proposed railway would link Asia via the Arctic to markets in Europe. While the project has the potential to improve economic development in the area, it would come at the price of severely violating indigenous rights, something the Government of Finland and Norway are trying to avoid (Eye on the Arctic).
Take 4: This case sets precedent for future projects that may disrupt the traditional way of life in indigenous areas of the Arctic. The Constitution of Finland assures the Sami’s right to maintain their own culture, effectively barring any development that would have negative consequences for reindeer herders, given the inseparable nature of Sami culture and reindeer herding. With investments for infrastructure flowing in via Chinese investors, political tensions are high, but cases like this give indigenous citizens hope that their culture will still be respected.
World Economic Forum 2020 Report Says Iceland is Most Gender-Equal
The World Economic Forum has named Iceland the world’s most gender-equal country for the 11th year in a row. The Arctic region in general is very well-represented in the Global Gender Gap Report 2020 with Norway, Finland, and Sweden all ranked in the top five. The gender gap index surveys 153 countries based on the categories of economic participation, educational attainment, health, and political empowerment (Eye on the Arctic).
Take 5: Experts state that affordable childcare and well-funded parental leave for both men and women are the key policies Iceland has executed that have boosted them to the top of gender equality rankings. In other countries, women are often underrepresented in technology and management positions, potentially due to the amount of time women spend on care and voluntary work. It is no surprise that high economic participation by women is key to a thriving economy; hopefully through Iceland’s example, more Arctic and non-Arctic countries can follow suit.