Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2021.1995066
Katharina Koch
ABSTRACT Infrastructure development in Canada’s northern regions remains a challenge. Although scholars and policy-makers recognize the significant socio-economic potential of northern infrastructure, the prevailing piecemeal approach does not respond to many of the challenges faced by Indigenous communities. A pan-Canadian approach, such as a Northern Corridor, can circumvent some of the disadvantages stemming from fractured and uncoordinated initiatives but it still underlies the diverse environmental and socio-economic conditions across the Canadian North. The Nordicity index, originally developed by Hamelin, reflects northern Canada’s diversity and has been applied as a public policy tool, e.g. for determining northern living allowances or adapted for transportation development. However, these indices are spatio-temporally fixed which means they do not recognize changing spatial patterns of northern mobility. Thus, this paper argues that northern infrastructure development should be informed by Indigenous spatial practices of mobility. To this aim, the paper investigates the role of Nordicity in Canadian policy-making and analyses how northern Indigenous spatial practices of mobility have transformed throughout the last century. The Nordicity index recognizes the environmental and socio-economic conditions across Canada’s diverse northern regions but it should be complemented with an analysis of the spatial practices of northern Indigenous Peoples to inform future infrastructure development.
{"title":"Nordicity and its relevance for northern Canadian infrastructure development","authors":"Katharina Koch","doi":"10.1080/1088937X.2021.1995066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2021.1995066","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Infrastructure development in Canada’s northern regions remains a challenge. Although scholars and policy-makers recognize the significant socio-economic potential of northern infrastructure, the prevailing piecemeal approach does not respond to many of the challenges faced by Indigenous communities. A pan-Canadian approach, such as a Northern Corridor, can circumvent some of the disadvantages stemming from fractured and uncoordinated initiatives but it still underlies the diverse environmental and socio-economic conditions across the Canadian North. The Nordicity index, originally developed by Hamelin, reflects northern Canada’s diversity and has been applied as a public policy tool, e.g. for determining northern living allowances or adapted for transportation development. However, these indices are spatio-temporally fixed which means they do not recognize changing spatial patterns of northern mobility. Thus, this paper argues that northern infrastructure development should be informed by Indigenous spatial practices of mobility. To this aim, the paper investigates the role of Nordicity in Canadian policy-making and analyses how northern Indigenous spatial practices of mobility have transformed throughout the last century. The Nordicity index recognizes the environmental and socio-economic conditions across Canada’s diverse northern regions but it should be complemented with an analysis of the spatial practices of northern Indigenous Peoples to inform future infrastructure development.","PeriodicalId":46164,"journal":{"name":"Polar Geography","volume":"144 7-8 1","pages":"255 - 281"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90679420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-02DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2021.1987999
S. Horvath, J. Stroeve, B. Rajagopalan
ABSTRACT With sea ice cover declining in recent years, access to open Arctic waters has become a growing interest to numerous stakeholders. Access requires time for planning and preparation, which creates the need for accurate seasonal forecasts of summer sea ice characteristics. One important attribute is the timing of sea ice retreat, of which current statistical and dynamic sea ice models struggle to make accurate seasonal forecasts. We develop a linear mixed effects model to provide forecast of sea ice retreat over five major regions of the Arctic – Beaufort, Chukchi, East Siberian, Laptev, and Kara Seas. In this, the fixed effect – i.e. the mean influence of the atmosphere on sea ice retreat – is modeled using predictors that directly influence the dynamics or thermodynamics of sea ice, and random effects are grouped regionally to capture the local-scale effects on sea ice. The model exhibits very good skill in forecast of sea ice retreat at lead times of up to half a year over these regions.
{"title":"A linear mixed effects model for seasonal forecasts of Arctic sea ice retreat","authors":"S. Horvath, J. Stroeve, B. Rajagopalan","doi":"10.1080/1088937X.2021.1987999","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2021.1987999","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT With sea ice cover declining in recent years, access to open Arctic waters has become a growing interest to numerous stakeholders. Access requires time for planning and preparation, which creates the need for accurate seasonal forecasts of summer sea ice characteristics. One important attribute is the timing of sea ice retreat, of which current statistical and dynamic sea ice models struggle to make accurate seasonal forecasts. We develop a linear mixed effects model to provide forecast of sea ice retreat over five major regions of the Arctic – Beaufort, Chukchi, East Siberian, Laptev, and Kara Seas. In this, the fixed effect – i.e. the mean influence of the atmosphere on sea ice retreat – is modeled using predictors that directly influence the dynamics or thermodynamics of sea ice, and random effects are grouped regionally to capture the local-scale effects on sea ice. The model exhibits very good skill in forecast of sea ice retreat at lead times of up to half a year over these regions.","PeriodicalId":46164,"journal":{"name":"Polar Geography","volume":"26 1","pages":"297 - 314"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2021-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84690037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-07-03DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2021.1988001
F. Nelson, N. Shiklomanov, K. Nyland
ABSTRACT The Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) program is the primary global-change monitoring program concerned with the seasonally frozen active layer above permafrost. The active layer has been designated by the Global Climate Observing System and the Global Terrestrial Observing Network as an ‘Essential Climate Variable’. CALM was launched in 1991 on a volunteer basis in cooperation with the International Tundra Experiment. CALM observatories in Russia and Alaska have been supported since 1998 by the U.S. National Science Foundation through five consecutive five-year funding cycles. In its current configuration, the CALM network includes observation sites throughout the circum-Arctic region and a substantial number of sites in Antarctica. Open access to data and data harmonization are hallmarks of the program. In addition to its ongoing emphasis on field observations of active-layer thickness, temperature, soil moisture, and thaw subsidence are currently being monitored at many sites. Increased emphasis is being placed on observing the dynamics of other landscape and ecosystem parameters, including vegetation, landscape patterns, and soils. Other developing features of the program include expanded education and outreach activities, close cooperation with other international programs, and provision of quality-controlled, standardized data products that meet the needs of the wider scientific community.
{"title":"Cool, CALM, collected: the Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring program and network","authors":"F. Nelson, N. Shiklomanov, K. Nyland","doi":"10.1080/1088937X.2021.1988001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2021.1988001","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) program is the primary global-change monitoring program concerned with the seasonally frozen active layer above permafrost. The active layer has been designated by the Global Climate Observing System and the Global Terrestrial Observing Network as an ‘Essential Climate Variable’. CALM was launched in 1991 on a volunteer basis in cooperation with the International Tundra Experiment. CALM observatories in Russia and Alaska have been supported since 1998 by the U.S. National Science Foundation through five consecutive five-year funding cycles. In its current configuration, the CALM network includes observation sites throughout the circum-Arctic region and a substantial number of sites in Antarctica. Open access to data and data harmonization are hallmarks of the program. In addition to its ongoing emphasis on field observations of active-layer thickness, temperature, soil moisture, and thaw subsidence are currently being monitored at many sites. Increased emphasis is being placed on observing the dynamics of other landscape and ecosystem parameters, including vegetation, landscape patterns, and soils. Other developing features of the program include expanded education and outreach activities, close cooperation with other international programs, and provision of quality-controlled, standardized data products that meet the needs of the wider scientific community.","PeriodicalId":46164,"journal":{"name":"Polar Geography","volume":"48 1","pages":"155 - 166"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2021-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80586547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-07-03DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2021.1981476
D. Kaverin, G. Malkova, D. Zamolodchikov, N. Shiklomanov, A. Pastukhov, A. Novakovskiy, M. Sadurtdinov, Andry Skvortsov, Andry Tsarev, A. Pochikalov, Sergei Malitsky, G. Kraev
ABSTRACT This paper presents results from long-term active layer monitoring at four CALM sites in the Russian European North. Observational records range from 10 to 24 years in length (1996–2019). The impact of climatic and landscape parameters on active layer thickness has been assessed through linear regression. The temporal dynamics of climatic parameters, responsible for the thaw depth changes, were investigated. The long-term data indicate that the active-layer thickness has increased at all the monitoring sites, in response to changes in both summer and winter climatic parameters. The surface organic layer also serves as a major landscape factor influencing spatial patterns of thaw depth and climate-induced rates of permafrost thawing.
{"title":"Long-term active layer monitoring at CALM sites in the Russian European North","authors":"D. Kaverin, G. Malkova, D. Zamolodchikov, N. Shiklomanov, A. Pastukhov, A. Novakovskiy, M. Sadurtdinov, Andry Skvortsov, Andry Tsarev, A. Pochikalov, Sergei Malitsky, G. Kraev","doi":"10.1080/1088937X.2021.1981476","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2021.1981476","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This paper presents results from long-term active layer monitoring at four CALM sites in the Russian European North. Observational records range from 10 to 24 years in length (1996–2019). The impact of climatic and landscape parameters on active layer thickness has been assessed through linear regression. The temporal dynamics of climatic parameters, responsible for the thaw depth changes, were investigated. The long-term data indicate that the active-layer thickness has increased at all the monitoring sites, in response to changes in both summer and winter climatic parameters. The surface organic layer also serves as a major landscape factor influencing spatial patterns of thaw depth and climate-induced rates of permafrost thawing.","PeriodicalId":46164,"journal":{"name":"Polar Geography","volume":"13 1","pages":"203 - 216"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2021-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75013525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-09DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2021.1938271
V. D. Steiro, J. Ryan, S. Cooley, L. C. Smith, B. Dale, A. H. Lynch, S. Veland
ABSTRACT Shorefast sea ice provides an important platform for winter and spring travel between coastal Arctic communities unconnected by road networks. In the past two decades, local Arctic residents have reported thinning and earlier breakup of shorefast ice. Despite these assertions, however, there are few quantitative assessments of how these changes have impacted travel on sea ice. In this study, we use high-resolution satellite remote sensing and transportation modeling to assess snow mobile travel in Uummannaq Fjord, Greenland. Following classification of satellite imagery, we generate optimal least-cost travel routes according to surface types present in the fjord. We then estimate distance and duration of snowmobile travel potential between communities from 1985 through 2019. We find that snowmobile travel in Uummannaq Fjord has potentially become slower and more unpredictable in recent years (2014–2019) relative to thirty years prior (1985–2000), with greater changes for communities located more proximal to the shorefast ice edge. Our results also suggest that reductions in on-ice snow cover impede snowmobile travel more than fractures do. Overall, our analysis demonstrates how remote sensing and transportation modeling may be used to quantify the community-scale impacts of changing shorefast ice conditions and has potential to help manage localized climate-related risk.
{"title":"Changes in sea ice travel conditions in Uummannaq Fjord, Greenland (1985–2019) assessed through remote sensing and transportation accessibility modeling","authors":"V. D. Steiro, J. Ryan, S. Cooley, L. C. Smith, B. Dale, A. H. Lynch, S. Veland","doi":"10.1080/1088937X.2021.1938271","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2021.1938271","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Shorefast sea ice provides an important platform for winter and spring travel between coastal Arctic communities unconnected by road networks. In the past two decades, local Arctic residents have reported thinning and earlier breakup of shorefast ice. Despite these assertions, however, there are few quantitative assessments of how these changes have impacted travel on sea ice. In this study, we use high-resolution satellite remote sensing and transportation modeling to assess snow mobile travel in Uummannaq Fjord, Greenland. Following classification of satellite imagery, we generate optimal least-cost travel routes according to surface types present in the fjord. We then estimate distance and duration of snowmobile travel potential between communities from 1985 through 2019. We find that snowmobile travel in Uummannaq Fjord has potentially become slower and more unpredictable in recent years (2014–2019) relative to thirty years prior (1985–2000), with greater changes for communities located more proximal to the shorefast ice edge. Our results also suggest that reductions in on-ice snow cover impede snowmobile travel more than fractures do. Overall, our analysis demonstrates how remote sensing and transportation modeling may be used to quantify the community-scale impacts of changing shorefast ice conditions and has potential to help manage localized climate-related risk.","PeriodicalId":46164,"journal":{"name":"Polar Geography","volume":"1 1","pages":"282 - 296"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2021-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75962453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-04-24DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2021.1918787
Bob Frame, D. Liggett, Kati Lindström, R. Roura, Lize-Marié van der Watt
ABSTRACT The guidelines on heritage management adopted by the 2018 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting provide the most recent iteration for an Antarctic tourism sector which had, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, been projected to increase further with various risks and potential impacts requiring careful management. In this paper the role of cultural heritage for tourism prior to the COVID-19 pandemic is examined through three empirical perspectives. First, how the Antarctic cultural heritage is represented through the designation of Historic Sites and Monuments and Site Guidelines for Visitors; then how this is presented through tourism operators’ websites; and, finally, how it is experienced by visitors as narrated in open-source social media information. Each dataset suggests that, while cultural heritage is an important component of an increasingly commodified tourist offering, it is only part of an assemblage of elements which combine to create a subliminal and largely intangible Antarctic experience. In particular, a polarization of the heritage experience between cultural and natural does not appear productive. The paper proposes a more nuanced understanding of heritage tourism in Antarctica which accommodates the notion of a hybrid experience that integrates cultural heritage, the history and stories this heritage represents, and the natural environmental setting.
{"title":"Tourism and heritage in Antarctica: exploring cultural, natural and subliminal experiences","authors":"Bob Frame, D. Liggett, Kati Lindström, R. Roura, Lize-Marié van der Watt","doi":"10.1080/1088937X.2021.1918787","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2021.1918787","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The guidelines on heritage management adopted by the 2018 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting provide the most recent iteration for an Antarctic tourism sector which had, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, been projected to increase further with various risks and potential impacts requiring careful management. In this paper the role of cultural heritage for tourism prior to the COVID-19 pandemic is examined through three empirical perspectives. First, how the Antarctic cultural heritage is represented through the designation of Historic Sites and Monuments and Site Guidelines for Visitors; then how this is presented through tourism operators’ websites; and, finally, how it is experienced by visitors as narrated in open-source social media information. Each dataset suggests that, while cultural heritage is an important component of an increasingly commodified tourist offering, it is only part of an assemblage of elements which combine to create a subliminal and largely intangible Antarctic experience. In particular, a polarization of the heritage experience between cultural and natural does not appear productive. The paper proposes a more nuanced understanding of heritage tourism in Antarctica which accommodates the notion of a hybrid experience that integrates cultural heritage, the history and stories this heritage represents, and the natural environmental setting.","PeriodicalId":46164,"journal":{"name":"Polar Geography","volume":"19 1","pages":"37 - 57"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87869671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-02-16DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2021.1881647
H. Gordon
ABSTRACT Ethnographic futures research (EFR) is a participatory research method that allows the researcher(s) and Indigenous people to explore sustainability together. The method is in alliance with Indigenous methodologies and provides a space for storytelling and trust-building between all participants. EFR develops a proactive attitude toward the future and helps people find their place in the future, exploring what they can do to achieve the future they want. The method helps participants clarify their values and goals in order to be an active participant in the future. In this paper, the author explains how EFR may be a particularly productive method to explore sustainability with Indigenous people as it utilizes a three-scenario methodology of the optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely futures. A case study, using information from the author's dissertation, will show the utility of EFR by exploring how the three scenarios lead to more insight about sustainability for the community. The article goal is to demonstrate that EFR is in alliance with Indigenous methodologies, provides benefits for the participants, and allows a community to explore how to live sustainably, creating indicators for sustainability which can lead to strategic planning.
{"title":"Ethnographic futures research as a method for working with Indigenous communities to develop sustainability indicators","authors":"H. Gordon","doi":"10.1080/1088937X.2021.1881647","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2021.1881647","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Ethnographic futures research (EFR) is a participatory research method that allows the researcher(s) and Indigenous people to explore sustainability together. The method is in alliance with Indigenous methodologies and provides a space for storytelling and trust-building between all participants. EFR develops a proactive attitude toward the future and helps people find their place in the future, exploring what they can do to achieve the future they want. The method helps participants clarify their values and goals in order to be an active participant in the future. In this paper, the author explains how EFR may be a particularly productive method to explore sustainability with Indigenous people as it utilizes a three-scenario methodology of the optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely futures. A case study, using information from the author's dissertation, will show the utility of EFR by exploring how the three scenarios lead to more insight about sustainability for the community. The article goal is to demonstrate that EFR is in alliance with Indigenous methodologies, provides benefits for the participants, and allows a community to explore how to live sustainably, creating indicators for sustainability which can lead to strategic planning.","PeriodicalId":46164,"journal":{"name":"Polar Geography","volume":"112 1","pages":"233 - 254"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2021-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75202422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-02DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2021.1881646
Naja Carina Steenholdt
ABSTRACT This paper analyses subjective well-being (SWB) among inhabitants in East Greenland. Recently, considerable public attention has been directed toward the conditions of East Greenland, particularly in the Ammassalik region. Shocking reports on severe social problems with substance abuse, domestic violence, and child abuse continue to emerge. Meanwhile, the latest studies of SWB show that satisfaction with life is relatively high despite the poor living conditions. This study aims to explore inhabitants’ perceptions of what it means to have a good life, via personal interviews in four locations on the East Greenlandic coast. It discusses specific domains and indicators, such as social relations, emotional well-being, and employment status, and their impact on overall well-being. Finally, the paper discusses whether the findings presented support or dispute existing research practices, with a focus on the report Arctic Social Indicators (ASI) and the Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic (SLiCA). This study highlights the gap in leading research practice, suggesting that additional research on SWB in Greenland and other areas in the Arctic be conducted to ensure that SWB, as a direct measure, is included in future social indicator research in the Arctic.
{"title":"Subjective well-being in East Greenland","authors":"Naja Carina Steenholdt","doi":"10.1080/1088937X.2021.1881646","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2021.1881646","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This paper analyses subjective well-being (SWB) among inhabitants in East Greenland. Recently, considerable public attention has been directed toward the conditions of East Greenland, particularly in the Ammassalik region. Shocking reports on severe social problems with substance abuse, domestic violence, and child abuse continue to emerge. Meanwhile, the latest studies of SWB show that satisfaction with life is relatively high despite the poor living conditions. This study aims to explore inhabitants’ perceptions of what it means to have a good life, via personal interviews in four locations on the East Greenlandic coast. It discusses specific domains and indicators, such as social relations, emotional well-being, and employment status, and their impact on overall well-being. Finally, the paper discusses whether the findings presented support or dispute existing research practices, with a focus on the report Arctic Social Indicators (ASI) and the Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic (SLiCA). This study highlights the gap in leading research practice, suggesting that additional research on SWB in Greenland and other areas in the Arctic be conducted to ensure that SWB, as a direct measure, is included in future social indicator research in the Arctic.","PeriodicalId":46164,"journal":{"name":"Polar Geography","volume":"817 1","pages":"20 - 36"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2021-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86549137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-02DOI: 10.1080/1088937X.2021.1881645
Andreas Østhagen
ABSTRACT The security interests of Arctic states are increasingly described as intertwined. The Arctic is seen either as a region where great power rivalries or resource wars are likely, or as a part of the world defined by cooperative traits and shared security interests. These depictions often implicitly lean on notions of a security region and regionalism, albeit without utilizing such frameworks to unpack security interactions in the Arctic. An increasing number of Arctic-focused scholars refer to the Arctic as a region in terms of security interests, but is this really the case if we make use of the different ways a security region has been outlined as an analytical tool? Leaning on different levels of analysis, this article questions several assumptions underpinning recent work on military security in the Arctic, advancing our understanding of security dynamics in the north and adding to our knowledge of security regions as a concept within international studies. It is argued that descriptions of the Arctic as a new security region are based on mixing and equating two distinct features of the region: the changing climate and related increases in economic ventures; and Russia’s military build-up and regional hegemony.
{"title":"The Arctic security region: misconceptions and contradictions","authors":"Andreas Østhagen","doi":"10.1080/1088937X.2021.1881645","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1088937X.2021.1881645","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The security interests of Arctic states are increasingly described as intertwined. The Arctic is seen either as a region where great power rivalries or resource wars are likely, or as a part of the world defined by cooperative traits and shared security interests. These depictions often implicitly lean on notions of a security region and regionalism, albeit without utilizing such frameworks to unpack security interactions in the Arctic. An increasing number of Arctic-focused scholars refer to the Arctic as a region in terms of security interests, but is this really the case if we make use of the different ways a security region has been outlined as an analytical tool? Leaning on different levels of analysis, this article questions several assumptions underpinning recent work on military security in the Arctic, advancing our understanding of security dynamics in the north and adding to our knowledge of security regions as a concept within international studies. It is argued that descriptions of the Arctic as a new security region are based on mixing and equating two distinct features of the region: the changing climate and related increases in economic ventures; and Russia’s military build-up and regional hegemony.","PeriodicalId":46164,"journal":{"name":"Polar Geography","volume":"1 1","pages":"55 - 74"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2021-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73084930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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