NEWS & EVENTS

Revisiting Arctic Geopolitics: Climate, Competition, and Governance

As part of the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies Seminar Series, on October 13th, Rodger Baker, Executive Director of the Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics at RANE (Risk Assistance Network + Exchange), discussed the latest developments in the geopolitics of the Arctic.

Mr. Baker explored the ramifications of the Ukraine War on the Arctic Council and detailed the impact of climate change on Arctic security. With extensive ice melting and rising sea levels, economic activity in the Arctic is expected to surge in the short-term, notably in the form of shipping, oil, mineral exploration, and fishing, which pose new security concerns in the region. Mr. Baker also analyzed the US’s preparedness with regard to this new frontier. He assessed the US’s own ‘last frontier’ in Alaska and its geopolitical importance, further arguing for a more seamless and better managed military infrastructure in the state