Maritime Shipping on the Northern Sea Route: Need for Greater Emphasis on Mutual Cooperation and a Non-Negotiable Safety Culture. Part I
Journal Title: Arctic and North - Year 2020, Vol 39, Issue 39
Abstract
The opening of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) due to the melting of the Arctic sea ice ushers in many opportunities. The International Maritime Organization has introduced several regulations for shipping and the training of seafarers. The Northern Sea Route has several challenges concerning the infrastructure and the harsh weather conditions. The recent incident on board the Viking Sky cruise liner was a reminder of such challenges. The Norwegian authorities responded admirably, and the Search and Rescue operation was conducted with the necessary coordinated effort in the shortest possible time. Other incidents along the NSR and increasing ship casualties in the Arctic region have been analyzed concerning the adequacy of existing regulations. The author’s opinion is that these incidents bring out a need to examine the adequacy of the Polar code, infrastructure along the NSR, and the current state of Search and Rescue (SAR). From a practical point of view, the Norwegian experience would be of interest to all Arctic states and the IMO. The evolution of the Polar Code and the challenges in implementation are discussed. The article puts forth several recommendations for improving cooperation and safety to make the NSR a viable alternative route. This article can be used for educational purposes at universities. It is relevant for civil servants, shipping authorities, search and rescue authorities, and researchers involved in developing the Arctic sea routes and specifically the Northern Sea Route.
Authors and Affiliations
Jawahar BHAGWAT
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP684979
- DOI 10.37482/issn2221-2698.2020.39.5
- Views 326
- Downloads 0
Long-term Dynamics of Economic Development of the Russian Arctic
About a quarter of the world's natural gas and oil reserves are concentrated in the Arctic, which has led to increased interest of the world powers in this region in recent years. The Russian Federation has the greatest...
The Arctic with Chinese Characteristics
Year by year, the Arctic is becoming an increasingly complex geopolitical and geoeconomic epicenter of interaction and simultaneous confrontation between Arctic and non-Arctic actors in international relations. In partic...
Resilience of Arctic Communities: Concept, Methodology and Research Directions
This article is aimed at scientific review of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of social (community) resilience and its empirical applicability in the context of territorial development of the Arcti...
Barriers and Factors of Tourism Business Development in Russia and the Arctic (Based on the Results of an Expert Survey)
The tourism sector is the most important for the socio-economic development of countries and regions, contributing to the preservation of historical and cultural values, the formation of humanism and tolerance in the wor...
System problems and directions of municipal development of the Russian Arctic
The subject of the study is the municipalities of the Arctic, their specifics of functioning and development in comparison with the southern regions of the Arctic states. The purpose of the work was to identify problem a...