Melting Boundaries: Rethinking Arctic Governance

Created as part of the 2011 Jackson School for International Studies SIS 495: Task Force. Vincent Gallucci and Nadine Fabbi Task Force Advisors; Julia Gourley, Evaluator; Jeung Hwa (Victoria) Choe, Coordinator.Global warming has triggered fundamental ecological changes to the Arctic landscape. As the sea ice melts, greater access to lucrative natural resources and new shipping lanes is intensifying economic and political interest in the region. Ownership and control over these resources has spurred debate at international, regional, national, and sub-national levels. State and non-state actors are seeking to position themselves to exploit these resources and benefit economically. If left unchecked, unsustainable resource extraction has the potential to seriously degrade the natural environment and threaten the human security of Arctic inhabitants. Existing governance frameworks in the Arctic require reassessment and alteration in light of these recent changes