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Brazil has decided to send an expedition to the Arctic. Planned for 12 July, Operation Arctic I involves a nine-day trip by five Brazilian researchers from different universities to Longyearbyen, the capital of Spitsbergen (Svalbard), located beyond the Arctic Circle.
Brazil is the only country among the ten largest economies in the world that is not yet involved in the region. Brazilian scientists have been working in Antarctica for four decades, but have not yet explored the Arctic.
During this unprecedented expedition in July, researchers plan to collect samples of soil, sediment, lake water, rocks and plants to identify micro-organisms and flora of the region, according to Toda Palavra, partner of the TV BRICS network. The resulting material will be used for comparison with samples collected in Antarctica.
Brazil’s first step towards geopolitical proximity to the Arctic was the signing of the Svalbard Treaty.
The document recognises Norwegian sovereignty over the eponymous archipelago, but guarantees access to it to countries that adhere to the treaty.
The expedition will be funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MC – TI) with the participation of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). It has the institutional support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Interministerial Secretariat for Maritime Resources of the Brazilian Navy.
The project involves experts from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), the University of Brasilia (UnB) and the Pontifical Catholic University of Brasilia.
The Arctic Council consists of eight countries: Russia, Canada, Denmark, the United States, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Sweden, as well as six organisations representing the region’s indigenous peoples.
A further 13 countries participate in the Arctic Council as observers. To join the group, you need to show interest in the region and get the approval of the eight permanent members.
Operation Arctic I therefore aims to enhance Brazil’s role in polar research and to establish a direct partnership between Brazilian researchers and the Arctic scientific community.
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