The Arctic region became one of the most important region in international politics. The climate changes problem creates a new access to the region for being developed and researched. Geographically, most scientific describes Arctic as region in the North Pole surrounded by Arctic Ocean above the Arctic Circle ( imaginary lines) in 66o33’N latitude and covering about eight percent of the earth surface. The Arctic region can be described by harsh climate with extreme temperature. The temperature in the region can rise around 20oC in the summer and can drop until -50o Celcius in the winter. Dramatic climate and wild environment had characterized the Arctic into treeless, icy landscape, low level of moisture and permafrost.[1]
The Arctic region is surrounded by eight Arctic states which is United States (Alaska), Russian Federation, Canada, Norway, Denmark (Greenland), Iceland, Finland, and Sweden. There are 10 percent of total population of 4 million people in the Arctic are indigeneous people. The Arctic region is place for several tribes of indigeneous people such as Inupiat, Yu’pik and Aleut in Alaska, Inuit in Canada and Greenland, Sammi, Chukchi, Even, Evenk and Nenets in Russia. There are many factors affecting the way indigeneous people to cope with the changing environment such as forms of political, economic, cultural and social among the Arctic states.[2]
North Pole, including part of Canada and Northern Russia has been experiencing annual downsize in terms of ice coverage. This condition, might be caused by the spike of average temperature, open up some possibilities for the Arctic region, including potential threat (such as the rise of sea level which threaten the ecosystem) and benefit (such as for the purpose of business and leisure).[3]
According to the united nations Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), the significant warming rate in the Arctic region, due to the emission of greenhouse gases and melting
[1] International Snow Ice and Data Center (NSIDC).1989. What is the Arctic? University of Colorado boulder https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/arctic-meteorology/arctic.html
[2] Gail Fondahl , Viktoriya Filippova , and Liza Mack, Indigenous Peoples in the New Arctic http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/9783319176017-c2.pdf?SGWID=0-0-45-1514669-p177335198.
[3] Climate change impacts in the Arctic – an essay. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256482940_Climate_change_impacts_in_the_Arctic_-_an_essay [accessed Jul 10, 2017].
ice in the region absorbs more solar radiation. In the summer, sun’s heat make the air temperature warmer almost all year long because in the winter, the temperature cannot be able to freeze the melting ice because of sun’s heat in the summer in the same volume. Scientific research has described this phenomenon known as the albedo effect or ice albedo feedback loop.[1]
Climate change in Arctic region could affect the region’s ability to:
- Reflect heat to the space, due to the decrease of snow and ice.
- Provide abundant source of food for Arctic fisheries, due to the change of temperature in the water and in turn affect the fish to emigrate to other part of sea.
- Maintain functionality of the region, which is to keep the global sea level at normal.
The impact of global warming in Arctic is effected to flora, fauna and also the way of live of indigenous people in the Arctic. They were being isolated for a long time and now they should face the challenge of climate change that affects their ecosystems.[2]
The impact of climate change in Arctic region creates also opens new access to the potential resources and potential development. The high amount of natural resources beneath the Arctic ice is mostly attracting major powers to explore this energy-rich region. it increases the access for human activities to explore and find the natural resources for their interest. The international scenario needs to be adjusted.
[1] Borgerson, Scott G, 2008. Arctic Meltdown: the Economics and and Security Implications of Global Warming. Vol. 87,No 2, Foreign Affairs council of foreign relation pp. 77
[2] WWF Global, Arctic climate change http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/arctic/what_we_do/climate/
