Unaffiliates Discuss Fragile Polar Regions
10.09.2008 - Human Dimension, Other, Arctic, Antarctic
Within the International Polar Year (IPY) framework, a group of international experts met in Iceland for a UN-affiliated conference on the Polar Regions. According to A.H. Zakri, Director of the United Nations University's Yokohama-based Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), "many experts believe this new rush to the polar regions is not manageable within existing international law".
Co-organized by UNU-IAS and Iceland University of Akureyri, this conference aimed to shed light on the fast-emerging issues in international law and policy in the polar regions, which are caused by such developments as the opening up of the Northwest Passage in the Arctic. The objective is to identify priorities for law-making and research and to offer advice to decision-makers.
Consequential problems forecasted in the Arctic due to sea ice retreat:
- overfishing;
- pollution from ships;
- offshore extraction of oil and gas;
- oil spills; and
- invasion of alien species which are carried to Arctic regions in the ships' ballast water.
Problems linked to growing tourist and research interest in Antarctica:
- invasion of alien species;
- biodiversity and ecological balance disturbance;
- pollution of marine environment; and
- bioprospecting and the risk to impede on the freedom of scientific research.
Biotechnology companies and government funded research projects also see great potential in the Arctic's unique biodiversity to pursue developments in biotechnology. The question is, can all of these new commercial activities be pursued and managed sustainably?
