It's Not Only Temperature, Arctic Is Also Warming Up Geopolitically

The Arctic, once a zone of cooperation, is now a geopolitical flashpoint as melting ice unlocks resources, trade routes, and sparks rivalry among global superpowers.

- JOHN DOBSON

The Arctic is huge, covering almost 4 percent of the globe, and is now a focal point in the global rush for resources. It's also a place where a new battleground is emerging, with the world's superpowers gearing up to take each other on in a mad dash for control and strategic superiority.

As the Arctic region undergoes unprecedented changes due to climate change, the melting of the ice is opening up a world of possibilities and the big powers know it - and they're hungry for it.

As the Arctic contains about 30 percent of the world's natural gas supplies and 15 percent of oil, not to mention all those metals and rare earths, a huge treasure trove of previously untapped natural resources awaits. New trade routes are also opening up with more planned.

On a visit to Norway and Iceland last week David Lammy, Britain's foreign secretary, summed it all up: "The Arctic is fast becoming an area of intense focus for geopolitical competition and a key flank of NATO's defences," he told reporters. "Russia has been building up its military presence here for years. As the ice in the region melts, new shipping routes and resources will be exposed, further heightening the risk of confrontation. That's why we must action to deter threats in the region."

But it hasn't always been like this. Back in 1987, the Soviet Union's Mikhail Gorbachev launched a series of policy initiatives aimed at lowering the level of military confrontation in the Arctic by creating cooperation among the eight Arctic states: Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the United States. This gave birth to a new strategic environment in the region - an "Arctic Exceptionalism", that until recent years endured in part because these countries share common regional interests.