Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh released India’s new Arctic Policy titled ‘India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development’ last week. Thawing of ice in the Arctic is not only a portentous indicator of Climate Change, but it also has bearing for all countries. The mighty Himalayas are referred to the as the Third Pole because the ice there contains largest reserves of freshwater after the polar regions.
What does India aim with its new Arctic Policy?
India’s Arctic Policy is aimed to prepare the country for a future where the biggest challenges facing humankind, such as climate change, can be successfully addressed only through collective will and effort.
The policy will be implemented through an Action Plan, an effective governance and review mechanism consisting of an inter-ministerial Empowered Arctic Policy Group. Implementation will be based on timelines, prioritization of activities and allocation of requisite resources.
ISRO operates a vast constellation of satellites and among these, the radar imaging Earth Observation RISAT series of satellites can be deployed for the study of the Arctic region. The India’s Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is available for assisting in the safety of maritime navigation in the Arctic. The NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) mission will launch its first satellite in 2023, which will measure the Earth’s changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces, and ice masses. This will provide information about biomass, natural hazards, sea level rise and groundwater. NISAR’s data will help better understand the causes and consequences of land surface changes and the effects and pace of climate change.
The Arctic is characterized by low digital connectivity, this is where India’s expertise in providing effective satellite-enabled communication and digital connectivity in remote areas can potentially fill these gaps.
According to the India’s Arctic Policy document, it aims to strengthen national capabilities and competencies in science and exploration, climate and environmental protection, maritime and economic cooperation with the Arctic region. Institutional and human resource capacities will be strengthened within Government and academic, research and business institutions.
It aims to promote inter-ministerial coordination in pursuit of India’s interests in the Arctic as well as to enhance understanding of the impact of climate change in the Arctic on India’s climate, economic, and energy security. The aim is to contribute 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. The agenda is to study linkages between Polar Regions and the Himalayas and to deepen cooperation between India and countries of the Arctic region under various Arctic forums, drawing expertise from scientific and traditional knowledge. It focusses to 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.
Significance for India
The Arctic influences atmospheric, oceanographic and biogeochemical cycles of the earth’s ecosystem. The vulnerability of the Arctic to unprecedented changes in the climate is manifested by the loss of sea ice, ice caps, and warming of the ocean and atmosphere. It will lead to lowering of salinity levels, rising temperature differential between land and oceans in the tropical regions, drying of subtropical areas and increase in precipitation at higher latitudes.
India is particularly impacted due to the likely effect of these changes on critical aspects of national development such as economic security, water security and sustainability, weather conditions and monsoon patterns, coastal erosion and glacial melting. Indian agriculture is heavily dependent on the monsoons as it receives around seventy percent of its annual rainfall during this season. A good monsoon is critical for India’s food security and the wellbeing of its vast rural sector. Changes in the Arctic, especially melting Artic ice can be highly disruptive for national development, sustainability of over 1, 300 island territories and maritime features, and welfare of 1.3 billion Indians.
Melting Arctic ice opens up new opportunities like energy exploration, mining, food security and shipping. India can contribute in ensuring that as the Arctic becomes more accessible, the harnessing of its resources is done sustainably and in consonance with international best practices.
