Boundary disputes, newly viable transportation routes, access to re-sources, and governance issues have generated significant questions about Arctic security and circumpolar geo-politics in the twenty-first century.
Anticipating future prospects for competition, conflict and cooperation in the region requires a systematic examination of the new forces at play, both internationally and domestically.
Our project examines the fundamental questions: what is Arctic security? What should policy makers anticipate that the circumpolar world will look like in the future, given the various forces that are now transforming this region?
Our research team will critically assess the interplay between traditional, state-based military security and environmental, health, and societal security concerns. Our development of future scenarios – based upon a robust knowledge of past decision-making processes and practices, Northerner’s experiences and priorities, and scientific modelling about climate change in the region – will facilitate responsible policy development.
Community consultations will ground our analyses of how the changing geopolitics of the Arctic will impact Northerners’ culture, well-being, and economies. We will refine existing frameworks and models to incorporate the complexity of these new forces, better explain the actions that are now being taken, and generate appropriate lessons for future relationship-building.
Study site locations
Cambridge Bay
Iqaluit
Resolute
Pond Inlet
Arctic Bay
Local collaborations
Kitikmeot Heritage Society
Joint Task Force North
Project contact information
Rob Huebert
Associate Director
Centre for Military and Strategic Studies
University of Calgary
Calgary, AB T2N 1N4