GEOSEAS: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of the Arctic - Analysis

GEOSEAS: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of the Arctic - Analysis
By Dan Carter - NewsTeam
www.GEOPoliticalMatters.com

The latest project papers from the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) presents a thought provoking theories from Senior Research Fellow, Andreas Østhagen on the Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Maritime Spatial Disputes in the Arctic (GEOSEAS).

They argue that to understand geopolitical challenges in a changing Arctic, we first need to understand the dynamics of emerging spatial disputes over maritime space and related marine resources and outline exactly why the Arctic is being targeted in the Geopolitical ambitions of the words controlling nations including the US and of course China.

The past decade's rapid technological changes and the growing preoccupation of states with maritime space are prompting a rethink of how we view conflicts and dispute management at sea.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the Arctic. Examples include overlapping continental-shelf claims, marine protected areas, the status of Arctic sea lanes, and the distribution of trans-boundary fish stocks.  

However, research on maritime disputes tends to be case-oriented and is rarely seen in relation to inter-state conflicts, international law and political geography. Moreover, maritime disputes have often been dismissed as peripheral in the conflict literature or treated on a par with disputes on land. What determines the emergence and evolution of disputes over marine resources and maritime space in the Arctic? What factors prompt changes in these dynamics? What can this tell us about conflict management and resolution more generally in the maritime domain? Read Full Project Article

About the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI)

The Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) is an independent foundation engaged in research on international environmental, energy and resource management politics and law. The overall objective of the FNI is to understand the underlying forces in international environmental and resource politics, and on that basis make well-founded contributions to political solutions  of problems in these areas. The institute also works to promote greater awareness of how Norway is influenced by, and may exert influence on, international framework conditions in these areas. More/...