India releases its Arctic Policy for sustainable development


India's Arctic Policy: Union Minister for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh released India's Arctic Policy titled, "India and the Arctic: Building a Partnership for Sustainable Development".

Key Points:

  • It has been released with an aim to enhance the country’s cooperation with the resource-rich and rapidly transforming region.
  • India's Arctic policy shall be implemented through an action plan, and an effective governance and review mechanism involving the inter‐ministerial Empowered Arctic Policy Group.
  • The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Goa, an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences is the nodal institution for India’s Polar research programme, which includes Arctic studies.
  • Implementing India's Arctic policy will involve multiple stakeholders, including academia, the research community, business, and industry.
  • The policy also seeks to combat climate change and protect the environment in the region, which is warming three times faster than the rest of the world.
  • India's Arctic policy titled 'India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development is built on six central pillars:

1)Science and Research,

2)Climate and Environmental Protection,

3)Economic and Human Development,

4)Transportation and Connectivity,

5)Governance and International Cooperation,

6)National Capacity Building in the Arctic region.

  • The analysis of the policy was published by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

Key points about the analysis:

  • According to the analysis, the Arctic region is particularly important due to the numerous transportation routes that pass through it, in addition to its mineral and oil riches.
  • The adverse effects of climate change are that it is not only affecting the availability of mineral and hydrocarbon resources but is also affecting global transportation routes.
  • The policy documents the history of India’s relationship with the region, which can be traced back to February 1920, when it signed the Svalbard treaty in Paris.

Background:

  • The policy states that since 2013, India has been an Observer nation in the Arctic Council, where it has consistently participated in meetings of Senior Arctic Officials and contributed to its six Working Groups.
  • In 2007, India launched its first scientific expedition to the Arctic.
  • Since then, India has been able to set up an observatory in Kongsfjorden as well as an atmospheric laboratory at Gruvebadet, Ny Alesund.
  • Until 2022, India has successfully conducted thirteen expeditions to the Arctic.

Note: The policy document is available on the website of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

The Objectives of the Policy:

  • Strengthening national capabilities and competencies in science and exploration, climate and environmental protection, maritime and economic cooperation with the Arctic region.
  • Inter-ministerial coordination in pursuit of India's interests in the Arctic.
  • Enhancing understanding of the impact of climate change in the Arctic region on India's climate, economic, and energy security.
  • Contributing better analysis, prediction, and coordinated policymaking on the implications of ice melting in the Arctic on India's economic, military and strategic interests related to global shipping routes, energy security, and exploitation of mineral wealth.
  • Studying linkages between Polar Regions and the Himalayas.
  • Deepen cooperation between India and countries of the Arctic region under various Arctic forums, drawing expertise from scientific and traditional knowledge.
  • Increase India's participation in the Arctic Council and improve understanding of the complex governance structures in the Arctic, relevant international laws, and geopolitics of the region.

About Arctic Council:

  • The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic Indigenous peoples and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.
  • The first step towards the formation of the Council occurred in 1991 when the eight Arctic countries signed the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS).
  • The council was created in Ottawa in 1996 by the Declaration on the Establishment of the Arctic Council (the Ottawa Declaration).
  • The standing Arctic Council Secretariat formally became operational in 2013 in Tromsø, Norway.
  • Member states of the council include Denmark, Canada, Norway, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland.
  • The council also has a number of permanent participants drawn from groups that represent communities and peoples indigenous to the Arctic.
  • Outside these, there are some observer states, Indigenous "permanent participants", and observer organizations.
  • The Arctic Council with the involvement of the Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants works as a consensus-based body to deal with issues such as the change in biodiversity, melting sea ice, plastic pollution and black carbon.
  • As of May 2019, thirteen non-Arctic states have Observer status.

1)Germany, 1998

2)Netherlands, 1998

3)Poland, 1998

4)United Kingdom, 1998

5)France, 2000

6)Spain, 2006

7)China, 2013

8)India, 2013

9)Italy, 2013

10)Japan, 2013

11)South Korea, 2013

12)Singapore, 2013

13)Switzerland, 2017

  • India received the ‘Observer’ country status in the Arctic Council in 2013 and is one among the 13 countries across the world, including China, to have that position.
  • The status was renewed in 2018.

Observer status:

  • It is open to the Non-arctic States, along with inter-governmental, inter-parliamentary, global, regional and non-governmental organizations that the Council determines can contribute to its work.
  • It is approved by the Council at the Ministerial Meetings that occur once every two years.

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