Arctic Watch

Facts About the Arctic

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    Climate

    The decline of Arctic sea ice: Causes, impacts, and future projections

    Arctic sea ice loss is expected to continue over the next decades, with implications for the climate system and Arctic communities and ecosystems.

    Posted on Editor
    Photo: Beaufort Sea – USS Connecticut surfaces in support of Ice Exercise 2018. Credit: Michael Lee/North American Aerospace Defense Command.
    Security

    Confronting Arctic Insecurity Implications for the United States and NATO

    Geopolitics and strategic competition mean the Arctic security landscape is changing fast.

    Posted on Editor
    Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly speaks during a press conference regarding the launch of the Arctic Foreign Policy during an event at Global Affairs Canada headquarters, in Ottawa, on Dec. 6. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
    Cooperation

    Canada to open consulates, appoint Arctic ambassador under new foreign policy

    Canada will open consulates in Alaska and Greenland, appoint an Arctic ambassador and continue its boundary negotiations with the United States over the Beaufort Sea. 

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    Analysis

    Fresh Facts About the Arctic in December 2024

    Christmas is coming, and even as we speak Snow White is heading for the geographical North Pole to assist Santa’s little helpers in their annual gift delivery mission.

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    Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen. Credits: Anadolu Agency
    Cooperation

    Finland to withdraw from Barents Euro-Arctic Council after 2025

    Finland’s goal is a stable and prosperous Nordic region, and we will continue to invest in it through various forms of cooperation.

    Posted on Editor
    The Trans-Alaska Pipeline runs through Alaska; from the oil fields in the north of the state, to the Valdez Marine Terminal in the south (pictured). Here, the oil is loaded onto tankers for shipment to the international market. The 800-mile long pipeline is one of the world's longest pipeline systems and its construction was finished in 1977. (Photo: ConocoPhillips Company).
    Industry

    Increased Oil Drilling in Alaska on the Agenda With New Trump Administration

    The oil and gas industry plays a crucial role in the economy of Alaska, but many Alaskans are also torn on the issue of increased oil drilling.

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    On the menu at an Arctic Bay community feast: raw seal ribs, frozen arctic char and narwhal maktaq. Community feasts are held at the Community Hall, where everyone gathers to collect nutritious country foods donated by hunters. The curved ulu knife is used by women to cut skins and butcher animals and as an eating utensil. Acacia Johnson for NPR
    Habitat

    Exploring the future of food and nutrition in the Arctic

    The Arctic is a region highly affected by climate change, and as the climate changes, so does our food and nutrition production.

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    A researcher measures snow depth at NGEE Arctic's Kougarok field site. Photo courtesy of Bob Bolton
    Cooperation

    Decoding permafrost: research team concludes 12-year study of Alaska Arctic

    Researchers from a nationwide consortium have been conducting fieldwork in Alaska for over a decade.

    Posted on Editor
    Nagurskoye is Russia’s Northernmost air base, located on an island in Franz Joseph Land, an archipelago approximately 1,350 km north of Murmansk. Photo: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
    Security

    Applying the Lessons of History to NATO-Russia Relations in the Arctic

    With all Arctic nations (apart from Russia) now belonging to NATO (the Arctic Seven), the Alliance features prominently in Russian framing of the Arctic as a potential threat to its energy and sovereignty interests there.

    Posted on Editor