On risk management of shipping system in ice-covered waters : Review, analysis and toolbox based on an eight-year polar project

• Published in: Ocean Engineering
• Main Authors: Lu, Liangliang, Kujala, Pentti, Kuikka, Sakari
• Other Authors: Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Biosciences, Fisheries and Environmental Management Group, Doctoral Programme in Wildlife Biology, Doctoral Programme in Interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: PERGAMON 2023
• Subjects: Applicability; Ice-covered waters; Review and analysis; Risk management; Shipping system; Toolbox; 1172 Environmental sciences; Arctic; Climate change; Sea ice; ice covered waters
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10138/354865

With the climate change, polar sea ice is diminishing. This, on one hand, enables the possibility for e.g., Arctic shipping and relevant resource exploitation activities, but on the other hand brings additional risks induced by these activities. Increasing research focuses have been observed on the relevant topics in the complex and harsh polar environment and its fragile ecosystem. However, from risk management perspective, there is still a lack of holistic analysis and understanding towards safe shipping in the ice-covered waters and its available models applicable for managing risks in the system. Therefore, this paper aims to establish a framework and analysis for better understanding of this gap. The paper targets a comprehensive and long-term project specifically focusing on holistic safe shipping in ice-covered waters as the analysis basis. It firstly creates a holistic framework for the shipping system in ice-covered waters and then implements review and analysis of project publications on their overall features. Quantitative prediction models are selected for a structured applicability analysis. Furthermore, an extensive review outside the project following the elements established for the holistic shipping system is conducted so that this paper provides an overview of models for the shipping system in ice-covered waters, addressing the status of the current toolbox. Moreover, it helps to identify the next scientific steps on risk management of shipping in ice-covered waters. Peer reviewed