Where One Health Meets the Arctic Climate Resilience Reality Op-ed: The Arctic is warming at about 3.5 times the global average, reshaping food systems, infrastructure, and posing a significant health risk for more than four million people. The One Health approach offers a path forward, but only if it moves beyond coordination and delivers protection on the ground, writes Hassan Alzain.
Sharing Strategic Geography: The Nordics Amid a Changing Security Reality As the security environment in northern Europe is rapidly changing, the North should now be considered as having a shared strategic geography, writes Postdoctoral Fellow Gabriella Gricius in this op-ed.
Norway, European Defence, and The Future of The Nordic Welfare Model Norway, European defence, and the Future of the Nordic welfare model - What the European Banking Federation report reveals about Europe’s most crucial non EU defence partner.
Ticking Clock: Arctic States Have Less Than a Fortnight to Act on Black Carbon and Polar Fuels The Arctic is warming four times faster than anywhere else on Earth - this is a warning sign for elsewhere on the planet. The shipping sector has been gifted an opportunity to cut black carbon emissions from shipping in the region, which would have a near-immediate positive impact. But time is tight, writes Dr. Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance, in this op-ed.
Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in Svalbard – More Work is Needed in The Tourism Sector
One Ocean Expedition: Highlighting Social Dimensions of Safe and Green Shipping Op-ed: During last week’s activities on the Statsraad Lehmkuhl, attention centered on maritime safety in the Arctic, bridging science and society, and advancing comprehensive approaches to ocean research. Nord University contributes to this emerging dialogue, writes Roberto Rivas Hermann and Julia Olsen at Nord University.
An Arctic Movement: Dancing our way to Cultural Democracy Op-ed: Climate change will displace 1-in-every-9 people on the planet, and intercultural and transcultural competence can help us tackle the challenges that will arise, writes Professor Nicholas Rowe, UNESCO Chair in Dance and Social Inclusion.
An Arctic Movement: Dancing our way to Cultural Democracy Op-ed: Climate change will displace 1-in-every-9 people on the planet, and intercultural and transcultural competence can help us tackle the challenges that will arise, writes Professor Nicholas Rowe, UNESCO Chair in Dance and Social Inclusion.
Whispers in the Wind: Aerosols as the Arctic’s Urgent, Unseen Ally Op-ed: Aerosols are reshaping the Arctic in ways that greenhouse gases alone cannot explain. A dedicated management program could turn this hidden climate driver into a lever for immediate action, writes Hassan Alzain.
BRICS by BRICS: Brazil’s Accession to the Svalbard Treaty and the Politics of Partnership The Brazilian government has submitted the proposal to sign the Svalbard Treaty to the National Congress, which is now under consideration.
Norway Arms Itself... But Who Will Pay The Bill? Rising defense spending puts pressure on the welfare state and on taxpayers, says Ioanna Liouta, political and economic analyst.
Secretary McMahon Should Consider Establishing a National Resource Center on Arctic Studies within the University of Alaska System The U.S. Department of Education needs to address the geographic bias against Arctic Studies and Pacific Studies in the NRC Program. That could start with the establishment of a Center for Arctic Studies within the University of Alaska System, writes researcher Michael Walsh in this op-ed.
Managing Cruise Volume at Nordic Cruise Destinations Op-ed: Cruise destinations take a more active role in managing growing cruise tourism, four researchers write in this op-ed.
A Quick Playbook for Congressional Oversight on Arctic Research Op-ed: It is clear that there are many Arctic research issues that warrant more engagement by the U.S. Congress, including potential non-compliance issues with statutory obligations, writes researcher Michael Walsh.
Arctic Research Should Advance More Than U.S. National Security Interests The U.S. Government does not have a good grasp on the federally funded research needs for advancing U.S. national interests in the Arctic. That became clear to me when the U.S. Arctic Research Commission (USARC) recently published a new report that was intended to articulate those needs, writes researcher Michael Walsh in this op-ed.
Ice Melt Drives Earth's Sea Level Rise "Reducing black carbon emissions would help slow the meltdown", says Kay Brown, Arctic Policy Director at Pacific Environment.
Zero Emissions Day in the Arctic: A 24-Hour Stress Test for the Planet Op-ed: The 21st of September is Zero Emissions Day. The High North could make it a one-day trial, transforming it into a global call to act now rather than later, Hassan Alzain writes in this op-ed.
Trump Administration’s Securitization of Arctic Affairs and Its Implications for U.S. Federally Funded Research The Trump Administration is in the process of securitizing Arctic affairs. "That will almost certainly have a significant impact on the future of U.S. federally funded research related to the Arctic", says Michael Walsh, researcher atthe University of the Witwatersrand.
Stories of Frustration from the «Third Pole» I came to Kathmandu for a conference. I left as the airport shut, protests turned deadly, and the prime minister resigned. These are the impressions I carried home.
Norway Under Pressure: A New Strategy for the High North in 2025 Op-ed: In a world where security policy is intertwined with all other policy areas and geo-economic rationales diverge from purely economic considerations, Norway must navigate increasing interest and interference in its northern regions. The Arctic and High North are increasingly arenas for power projection, geo-economics, and symbolic politics, writes researcher Andreas Østhagen.
Knowledge Needs for Navigating the Central Arctic Ocean Op-ed: The Central Arctic Ocean is becoming more accessible for shipping. The ability to navigate at the top of the globe presents new opportunities, risks, and uncertainties. We need more transdisciplinary research to develop proactive responses to shipping growth, writes Julia Olsen, Associate Professor at Nord University.
From the North to the Tropics: Why Arctic Adaptation Must Be a COP30 Priority Op-ed: The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average, yet its communities receive virtually no adaptation support. COP30 must start to close that justice gap, writes Hassan Alzain.
The Evolving Concept of Arctic Exceptionalism: From Isolation to Geopolitical Leverage "Shifts in the region’s climate, along with changing geopolitical dynamics that are increasingly affecting the region, have begun to challenge the notion of Arctic Exceptionalism, with some calling it out as an illusion. To speak plainly, did we all get tricked?" asks High North Center director Andreas Raspotnik, Arctic Intitue director Romain Chuffart and Arctic Institute associate Pavel Devyatkin.
Trump’s Geopolitical Alignment With the Kremlin - Prioritizing Power Over Democratic Principles and Arctic Security
Thawing Ground, Rising Stakes: Why Arctic Change Demands New Resilience Op-ed: The melting of permafrost in the Arctic leads to a plethora of unwanted consequences, and there is an urgent need for action. "Waiting until permafrost thaws is a visible emergency will already be too late," writes Master of Environmental Management candidate at Yale University, Hassan Alzain, in this op-ed.
Arctic Economic Council and Arctic Mayors’ Forum Welcomes the New Chairship Programme From the Kingdom of Denmark
ICC Welcomes Strong Emphasis on Indigenous Peoples in Arctic Council Chairship Programme The Inuit Circumpolar Council supports the strong and important aspirations of the incoming Chairship to “keep the Arctic Council vibrant and resilient, first and foremost for the Indigenous Peoples, and for the Arctic to remain a region of stability and constructive cooperation”.
US Policies in the Arctic Are Changing but the Extent Remains to Be Seen The Arctic States will need to have some patience as various American policies become clearer. And in the meantime, they can task their diplomats with expressing to the U.S. their thoughts on some of these topics in the hope of influencing the formulation of U.S. positions, writes Evan Bloom at UiT in this op-ed.
Our High North Neighbor, Iceland The Battle of the Atlantic would never have been won without the support of the people of Iceland, writes US Army Veteran Mike Thornton in this op-ed. He takes a historical look at Iceland and its strategic position.
Chasing the Stag, Losing the North: Strategic Drift in the Arctic Op-ed: Picture a tense tableau along the Arctic frontier: state actors, frost-nipped and watchful, arrayed in a loose formation, their eyes fixed on a shared prize—the stag. This image, drawn from game theory’s Stag Hunt, captures the essence of strategic collaboration. The stag, a symbol of collective prosperity—security, resources, stability—requires unified effort to secure. Yet the lure of smaller, solitary gains—the hare—constantly tempts each player to break ranks.
JD Vance to Accompany Wife on Greenland Trip Statement by Dr Dwayne Ryan Menezes, Founder and Managing Director of Polar Research and Policy Initiative (PRPI), on the announcement by JD Vance that he will be joining Usha Vance in Greenland later this week.
The Combined Air Operations Center, an Abbreviated History Op-ed: US Army Veteran Mike Thornton shares his perspective on Combined Air Operation Centers (CAOCs) in light of the ongoing location debate surrounding the Norwegian CAOC. "The modern CAOC is a place where a group of assigned military people will come together to think, coordinate, and collaborate to plan and execute a variety of air operations," he writes in this op-ed.
The World of Yesterday: Time for a Joint Nordic Approach to the High North European unity has never been more important than since the end of the Cold War. It is time for the Nordic states to amplify their focus on the High North.
Security for the High North: The Cold War Op-ed: US Army Veteran and historian Mike Thornton provides a historical perspective on the current tensions in the High North, applying Cold War lessons to today's situation. Appeasement was not effective when confronting Hitler in 1938, and it will not work now when confronting Vladimir Putin in 2025, he writes in this op-ed.
