Introduction
Since 1995, major ice shelves have been melting in Antarctica and scientific consensus is that the next major geographic event will be the breaking of Antarctica.
About Antarctica
- Antarctica, defined as all land and ice shelf south of 60°S, but not the sur- rounding waters, is regulated by the Antarctica Treaty System (ats) ratified on December 1, 1959, which predates the 1972 Stockholm Declaration.
What is Antarctica Treaty System(ATS)?
- December 1 is observed as Antarctica Day as on December 1 1959 the ATS was ratified.
- The treaty aims for peaceful exploration of the continent for science and prohibits military activity other than as support for research; free exchange of information and personnel with the UN and other international agencies; prohibits new territorial claims; disallows nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; and gives treaty state observers free access to all stations, premises and equipment.
- Before this treaty was ratified, the UK, Norway, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and France had made territorial claims in Antarctica.
- Australia’s claim is the largest; almost half of the entire continent.
- By not signing the treaty, the US, Russia, South Africa, Peru, and Brazil reserve the right to make territorial claims.
- As of 2022, ats has been signed by 53 countries.
Did India sign ATS and what does it mean?
- India signed it in 1983, attracting opposition within the country and from third-world nations that were initially against ats for its rule of “no new territorial claims”.
- This rule means earlier claims by the rich na- tions must be respected by the signatoties.
- In a way, ats is similar to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: both endorse privileges to “original” players in the field—wealthy imperialists— and can be termed vestiges of colonialism.
- Alvaro de Soto, a Peruvian diplomat, once stated ATS would enable the rich and powerful to turn Antarctica into “their private hunting grounds.”
Impact of Global Warming on Antarctica
- The effects of global warming are becoming apparent in Antarctica, with rapid melting of glaciers, changes in plant distribution, and breaking of ice sheets.
- Occurrences of warm winds have intensified, increasingly forming massive sastrugi (wavelike ridges of snow, formed perpendicular to the wind direction).
- East Antarctica is colder and more resilient to the effects of global warming than the western part.
- Scientists have confirmed that the central-west region of the continent is the most-rapidly warming region; it has warmed 2.5°C since 1950, almost five times than the rest of the world.
- Some 87 per cent of glaciers in the Antrarctic Peninsula are in retreat. The sliding of ice streams—glaciers that are 50 km wide and up to 1 km thick that slide on the muddy base and drain the ice into the ocean— is accelerating.
What this could lead to?
- A substantial rise in global sea level.
- The melting of Antarctica’s ice is so massive that the resulting mass imbalance has caused changes in the Earth’s gravitational forces.
- “Greenifihcation” of the continent is another significant concern; as Antarctica gets warmer, species distributed in temperate and sub-polar regions can be introduced here.
India’s scientific expedition to Antarctica
- India began its Antarctica expedition in 1981.
- It has two stations: Maitri (in an area claimed by Norway) and Bharati (under Australia’s claimed territory).
- Earlier this year, the Centre drafted the Antarctic Bill for governance of the stations.