The Arctic in a Changing World: Climate, Security and Ethics of Global Governance – Analysis

Aug 6, 2026 | K.M. Seethi
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The Arctic is rapidly becoming one of the principal arenas of twenty-first century geopolitical competition. The retreat of sea ice, driven by accelerating climate change, is opening new maritime routes, exposing vast reserves of hydrocarbons and critical minerals, and expanding access to strategic waters that were once locked beneath permanent ice. What was long regarded as a region of scientific inquiry and environmental conservation has become an area where military strategy, economic interests and great-power rivalry increasingly have assumed considerable importance.