U.S. Arctic Policy: Climate Change, UNCLOS and Strategic Opportunity

The changing Arctic environment holds significant implications for U.S. national security interests. A measurable increase in average annual temperature in the Arctic region has resulted in icecap melting. As this trend continues, U.S. national interests in the Arctic will become increasingly import...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bunker, Wayne M
Other Authors: ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Government and Political Science
Geography
Civil Defense
Underwater and Marine Navigation and Guidance
*ARCTIC REGIONS
*POLICIES
*UNITED STATES
ARCTIC OCEAN
CLIMATE CHANGE
COMMERCE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
HOMELAND DEFENSE
MILITARY CAPABILITIES
NATIONAL SECURITY
NATURAL RESOURCES
NAVIGATION
SHIPPING
TREATIES
EEZ(EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONES)
FREEDOM OF THE SEAS
INTERNATIONAL WATERS
MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS
MARITIME TRANSPORT
NAVIGABILITY
NAVIGABLE WATERS
NORTHERN SEA ROUTE
NORTHWEST PASSAGE
OIL RESERVES
SHIPPING LANES
UNCLOS(UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEAS)
Arctic
Arctic Ocean
Northwest Passage
Lanes
Climate change
Northern Sea Route
Northwest passage
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA568008
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA568008
Description
Summary:The changing Arctic environment holds significant implications for U.S. national security interests. A measurable increase in average annual temperature in the Arctic region has resulted in icecap melting. As this trend continues, U.S. national interests in the Arctic will become increasingly important. The strategic implications of this environmental change include access to previously inaccessible natural resources. Additionally, this environmental change holds the possibility for the opening of previously un-navigable trade routes that could significantly reduce transit times and shipping costs for global maritime commerce. Finally, the changing Arctic environment is opening the region to increased levels of human activity which has revealed significant gaps in key national capabilities required to support U.S. interests there. This SRP examines U.S. Arctic policy and offers recommendations for achieving the U.S. desired strategic end-state for the Arctic Region.: a stable and secure Arctic where U.S. national interests are safeguarded and the U.S. homeland is protected.

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