Exploring Maritime Challenges and Limitations With Arctic Option - Research Paper

Acknowledgement

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my heavenly Father for the grace that He has given to me throughout my studies. I wish to express my gratitude to my supervisors for their hard work, encouragement, ideas, support and patience during the course of this research.

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I would also want to acknowledge the West Marine University and Arctic Ocean stakeholders for providing information that help in making this thesis successful.

I acknowledge the help that was given to me by west marine university, global maritime experts in giving me the permission to carry out the study in the Arctic Special thanks go to managers of arctic transit cargo who helped in the identification of the vessels and the sampling. I am also thankful to my colleagues for the assistance in analysis of the data. I would also like to appreciate my department chair for her assistance and advice.

Last but not least, I would like to thank my family for their support and encouragement, for the prayers and encouragement, my friends for supporting me all the way and to my pastor for the prayers, advice and daily scriptural encouragement.

Abstract

The decreasing arctic sea ice had led to the amplification of human activities in the arctic. This has increased interest and concerns about the future of the region. The United States, by its virtue of Alaska, has heightened fears in the northern part.

The low records of arctic sea ice for the last few decades has led to increasing focus by the policy and scientific institutions on the link of global warming and climate changes as well as a projection of ice-free seasons in the region for the next few decades. The changes mentioned above high chance of consequential weather in the United States of America, assess to mineral and oil and other biological resources in the northern region, the cultures of the people, and the economics of the communities in the north of the area. Similarly, It has potential consequences to the national security if these nationals as well.

Despite that there are substantial international cooperation's in the northern matters, the region is regularly being seen as a potential to developing security issues. Some vital northern stakeholders, such as Russia, have heightened their actions to ensure that military forces in the region are beefed up. Similarly, the United States coast guard and navy have started to give more attention to the northern region in their routine manning and operational activities.

All northern states (U.S, Denmark, Canada, Norway, and Russia) have so far made or are in the course of preparing proposals to the commission on the limits of the continental shelf regarding the outer limits on the protracted continental shelves. Russian project includes the underwater Lomonosov Ridge. This is a feature that covers a considerable length of the distance across the centric of the Arctic Ocean.

The decline of the arctic ice can lead to heightened commercial shipping in the near years, primarily on the two transaction sea passageways. Although the rate of increases in usage of this passageways might to as significant as it will be expected, it will anticipate pressing amounts. Moreover, international regulations and procedures on shipping operations have been adopted in the arctic region in the recent past.

Variations to the artic that is due to climate changes and particularly the warming temperatures will be more likely to give room for more exploration work in search of oil, minerals, gas, and other natural resources. Onshore exploration activities risk challenges due to warming that causes the permafrost to melt, thus will bring difficulties in the exploration. Additionally, increased oil and gas exploration, as well as tourism in the region, posse a high risk of pollution to the environment. It is on records that cleaning oil spills in the region will be more difficult compared to cleaning In other areas as a result of effective cleaning mechanisms for cleaning the oil spoils in the ice-covered waters, which are yet to be revealed by scientists who are working hard to unveil effective strategies.

Vast commercial fisheries are exiting the arctic. Currently, the United States of America is holding discussions with other nations concerning the management of the artic aquatic stocks. Climate change in the artic can affect endangered and threatened marine species. Thus this could lead to the immigration of the fish species to other waters, which are favorable for their survival. Furthermore, the artic changes are also projected to affect other sectors, such as economics, health, and the cultural aspects of the indigenous communities in the region.

List of Abbreviations IMO International Maritime Organization

• NWP North West Passage
• NSR Northern Sea Route
• UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
• ICLSat Ice Cloud and Land satellite
• UNEP United Nations Environment Program
• NEP Northeastern Passage
• TEU Twenty-foot equivalent unit
• FEU Forty-Foot Equivalent Unit
• USGS United States Geological Survey
• GBN Global Business Network

Introduction

Background of the Study

Arctic climate change is contributing a substantial effect on the environment, health, and economic activity of northern people. Traditions and cultural identity of the people on the Arctic are closely associated with the natural environment, and thus, any mutation to the climate change will result inconsequential to this community in several ways (Weidacher, pg. 250).

The Northern people, on the other hand, global warming has over the last few decades been the topic of concern within the national and international politics, economics, press, research, and other bodies concerned. Arctic and Antarctic regions are one of the significant issues which have been given a lot of attention, which, as a result, global warming, is undergoing a lot of changes. Survey and collection data on arctic began early in 1979, whereby a clear and more consistent data is so far confirming that indeed snow and the ice on the poles are steadily disappearing at an alarming rate, especially during the summer as well as during winter (Hill, LaNore and Veronneau pg. 63)

Due to this, countries and explores have been for many years drawn towards the hostile parts of the northern hemisphere. To begin with explores and the nations hold the view that this route could indeed connect the continents of the world, mainly on issues to do with trade. This saw the first explorer to land on the arctic region in 325 B.C.

As technological advancement and new building techniques gain momentum with industrialization and late advances in the 1800s, the northern routes such as the arctic routes were explored vigorously until the beginning of the 1900s. The Soviet Union is on record as the first one to make use of the arctic ocean as the main scheme of delivering goods as well as the supplies. However, this was only limited to the summer months (van den pg. 73).

As mentioned above, for over four-six hundred years, the nations and voyagers have been under pressure to discover the shortest possible route, particularly to the eastern trade from the regions of Europe to Indian countries. Thousands of ships, mainly from Spanish and English nations, sailed to discover the northern way, but because of the icing condition in those regions, it downcast the outcome of the success.

Geopolitical activity in the polar region has been low for many years historically. With the onset of global warming, the region is changing in geopolitical conditions. As the arctic ice melts, it is expected to expose underwater resources and new shipping opportunities, thus as a result, it has great fear of interstate hostility and aggressiveness towards each other. States have been seen scrambling foe new territories in the polar sea for instance Russia flag was seen in 2007 in the North Pole sea bed.

Despite hardships and massive failures, the mariners never give up, and as at the moment, the northern route and the frozen land close to the basin are acknowledged as a vital study site. Today, the condition of the north route are all favorable. The researchers are equipped with more sophisticate materials. The ships are also durable, among other achievements. However, despite the many successes made, there are still worries, especially to achiever the whole-year round operations of the route. This motivates a good number of organizations to keep on exploring facts mainly to do with the frozen waters of the northern region.

The opening of arctic routes gave rise to many opportunities, risks as well as challenges for the whole maritime industry. Therefore, there was a need to study the effects of adopting the northern route to the global marine industry (Andreassen, pp.80). Furthermore, the thawing of ice alone is not sufficient to invite shipping in the region. This is because it requires good infrastructure in place as well as a highly specialized port to handle the cargo the ships carry. This thesis will focus mainly on describing the effect of the option of using the arctic passage was in terms of changes and limitations of the route. Additionally, it will explain the impact of arctic on the environment, climate, and geopolitics of the nations in the arctic (Kaiser, Fernandez and Vestergaard, pp.155).

Generally, the adoption of artic route in the marine industry has contribute to many positive outcome, for instance, there is increased economic activity through easy supply of goods and supply, furthermore, the route has led to improved political status of the region. Last among other benefits, is that there is faster movement of people.

Research Objectives

• This study aim at describing the following areas of controversy interest:
• The effects of global warming on the economic conditions...