The New Arctic: Navigating the Realities, Possibilities, and Problems

View from the bow of a ship navigating through fragmented sea ice in the Arctic

A July 2018 ISD report on “The New Arctic: Navigating the Realities, Possibilities, and Problems”  explores the implications of the New Arctic, and the broader geopolitical repercussions of these changes. The Arctic region has become a New Global Common. Increasingly navigable seaways and new access to natural resources create both opportunities for greater collaboration between Arctic and non-Arctic nations, as well as potential flashpoints, environmental disasters, and threats to indigenous communities. The challenge is to mitigate all of these potential threats, and develop the policies, partnerships, and infrastructure to help guide Arctic diplomacy in the decades to come.