The Arctic is often associated with frost and darkness, but it is surely much more than that. First of all, it is extremely rich in natural resources, including oil and gas. It is a site where eight states share borders, so international cooperation is a priority. The Arctic is home for indigenous peoples who reside in different states but are often united by similar problems. Moreover, this area is the most visibly affected by global warming.
So, the Arctic needs to be developed, but at the same time its environment and indigenous communities must be protected, and the cooperation between powerful states should remain peaceful. Balancing all these tasks resembles catching the northern lights: you may think they are right above, but the moment you find your camera the sky is empty and dark again.
Still, the ways to reach this fragile balance are discussed every year at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway. It is an important event divided into three sections: policy, business and science. This year approximately 1,400 people attended the conference, among them scientists, politicians (not only from the eight Arctic states), indigenous leaders, company representatives, NGO activists and Prince Albert II of Monaco who created a Foundation with a special focus on Arctic issues.
This year the word "security" was inevitably present in all the discussions. It was disappointing to see that less than 30 conference participants were from Russia, among them no high-ranking politicians. This was not the case before. The speech of Artur Chilingarov, First Vice-President of the Russian Geographical Society and a board member of Rosneft, stating "We don’t feel any kind of effects of the political tensions in the Arctic", was met with disbelief. At the same time, there were positive examples of cooperation: the Prime Ministers of Finland, Norway, and Sweden presented a new common report on sustainable growth in the Arctic.
After the conference PhD students departed to a short seminar on project management held at the Lofoten islands in Norway. The seminar, in my opinion, was a great example of how interdisciplinary Arctic research can be - and should be. Many current problems of the polar regions require different perspectives and fields of expertise, and that is why a political scientist and a marine biologist from different countries can work side by side in the Arctic.
The Arctic is, however, much more than I have just written. For me it means mountains going high into the sky, houses with the smell of wood and coffee, songs about reindeer and saying goodbye to new friends. And even frost and darkness – sometimes.
So, the Arctic needs to be developed, but at the same time its environment and indigenous communities must be protected, and the cooperation between powerful states should remain peaceful. Balancing all these tasks resembles catching the northern lights: you may think they are right above, but the moment you find your camera the sky is empty and dark again.
Still, the ways to reach this fragile balance are discussed every year at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway. It is an important event divided into three sections: policy, business and science. This year approximately 1,400 people attended the conference, among them scientists, politicians (not only from the eight Arctic states), indigenous leaders, company representatives, NGO activists and Prince Albert II of Monaco who created a Foundation with a special focus on Arctic issues.This year the word "security" was inevitably present in all the discussions. It was disappointing to see that less than 30 conference participants were from Russia, among them no high-ranking politicians. This was not the case before. The speech of Artur Chilingarov, First Vice-President of the Russian Geographical Society and a board member of Rosneft, stating "We don’t feel any kind of effects of the political tensions in the Arctic", was met with disbelief. At the same time, there were positive examples of cooperation: the Prime Ministers of Finland, Norway, and Sweden presented a new common report on sustainable growth in the Arctic.
After the conference PhD students departed to a short seminar on project management held at the Lofoten islands in Norway. The seminar, in my opinion, was a great example of how interdisciplinary Arctic research can be - and should be. Many current problems of the polar regions require different perspectives and fields of expertise, and that is why a political scientist and a marine biologist from different countries can work side by side in the Arctic.
The Arctic is, however, much more than I have just written. For me it means mountains going high into the sky, houses with the smell of wood and coffee, songs about reindeer and saying goodbye to new friends. And even frost and darkness – sometimes.
Anna Varfolomeeva
Environmental Sciences and Policy
Russia
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