The Arctic – an emerging ‘flashpoint’

Global warming is getting worse and the rise in temperature causes ice-caps in the Arctic region to melt at an unprecedented speed. Scientists and environmentalists are worried about the impacts brought about by the massive loss of ice-caps on the global climate and Arctic’s ecosystem. However, leaders of Western powers only keep their eyes on natural resources locked up under the molten ice-caps. Russia’s jaunty placing of a flag on the sea-bed in an attempt to claim the sovereignty of the territory has provoked America, Demark, Norway and Canada, which could also like to claim a slice of the region. Amid them some are going to flex their muscles by launching naval exercise to fence off the potential contenders. Contending nations do not only care about the oil and gas resources, but also the control of the natural canal opened up due to the massive loss of ice-caps.

Russia’s economy relies heavily on the export of oil and gas. Any expectation of Russia to loosen her grip on the Arctic region is unrealistic. Melting ice-caps in the Arctic makes this barren place more accessible and this implies a lower cost of tapping oil and gas in the region. Oil and gas will still be in short supply in the foreseeable future. Owing to the increasing eagerness of contending powers to secure self-economic interest, it is not difficult to expect the Arctic region to become a new ‘flashpoint’, where occasional military conflicts could be inevitable.