Maurice Strong: The Artic A Potential Source of Conflict

As the Arctic has only recently moved toward centre stage, there is still much we must do to understand the true nature of the changes that are occurring there, writes Maurice Strong, who was the Secretary General of the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the first Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, and Secretary General of the 1992 UN Conference on the Human Environment

The biological resources of the Arctic, both terrestrial and marine, are especially vulnerable. Mining, oil, and pipeline development have environmental impacts that can be evaluated and regulated. But the impacts of climate change have their sources outside of the Arctic and beyond the control of Canada and other nations, and requiring an unprecedented degree of international cooperation.

Scientific evidence now makes it clear that the Arctic is particularly susceptible to these impacts and can become a source of them. Thawing of the permafrost could release vast amounts of methane that would contribute to global warming. Even small changes in temperature can give rise to migrations of both terrestrial and marine species with potential impacts on other species. There has been much attention to the plight of polar bears resulting from the reduction of the ice packs which provide their normal habitat.

My own belief is that we must prepare for an increased number and intensity of conflicts as the potential value of Arctic resources becomes subject to greater competition and other nations assert their right of passage through Arctic waters.

IPS