The impact of climate change is here to stay. One dramatic example is that for the first time in at least 125,000 years (or the beginning of the last Ice Age), ships can travel around the North Pole. The opening up of the North-west and North-east passages in the Arctic region is witness to this.

Global warming and climate change has been touted as an issue that needs global collaborative solutions. So far, the response to the ice melt from countries can hardly be labelled as collaborative. Canada’s Prime Minister has warned that all ships entering the North West passage must report to the Canadian government, a move that is bound to be resisted by other countries, especially the United States. Shipping companies are already planning the first sail around the North Pole for an oceanic voyage from Germany to Japan that would reduce the distance by around 4000 miles, but potentially pollute one of the last remaining pristine environments on earth.

But the real stakes lie far beneath the ocean floor. These include about 22 per cent of the world’s untapped petroleum deposits, including 90 billion barrels of oil, 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids. The petroleum deposits are mainly offshore and are spread across 25 geological provinces in the Arctic, with over 50 per cent of the untapped oil and 70 per cent of the untapped natural gas deposits in just six geological provinces. The race to capture these fields in definitely on.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that there are currently no techniques available that would allow oil spills to be cleaned up in icy waters. Therefore it would be important to designate no-go zones for both shipping and oil exploration to prevent damage to the unique Arctic environment. New battle lines are expected to be drawn and unlikely partnerships are likely to form in the near future over a piece of land that no country was particularly interested in, when it was covered over by ice for centuries on end.

In 2002, Russia planted its flag on the Arctic Seabed. In July 2008, it sent war ships to patrol Arctic waters. In August 2007, Canada announced the building of a military base and deep water port to patrol and maintain its sovereignty over the North West passage. China has also planted a research ship within 200 miles of the North Pole. Danish and US researchers have conducted month long expeditions to collect geological data and map the sea floor in the last few years.

Russia has laid claims over the Arctic leading to a clash of claims with the US, Canada, Denmark and Norway. Canada, Denmark and Russia claim the Lononosov Ridge, as a natural extension of their continental shelves. While Canada and Denmark both agree that the ridge is not an extension of the Russian continental shelf, where their own borders begin and end are under dispute. Norway has a border dispute with Russia in the Barents Sea. The US position is unclear as they have yet to sign the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that governs the use of oceans and its resources. The melting ice and warmer waters could also lead to the potential development of new fisheries. However, so far no international fisheries conservation and management regime are in place that covers all of the Arctic sea.

With countries looking for a division of the spoils over the resources that the Arctic holds is it likely that the global collaboration and action that is required to prevent further melting of the Artic ice will actually come about? Or will the cold and frozen continent lead to a new cold war?