A study on the impacts caused by developments in the arctic region

With the effects of global warming, Arctic sea ices are melting rapidly. This has caused the previously inaccessible frozen area to transform into a seasonally navigable ocean, attracting companies to set up operations in the area. Such operations include oil and gas explorations and also shipping activities through the Arctic routes, which are shorter alternatives to some of the current major trade route. However, the Arctic, home to the North Pole, has an environment of harsh and extreme climate conditions. On top of that, the vast region and remoteness poses as a challenge for monitoring activities and response operations. Such environment will have various implications like frequent collisions caused by low visibility and underwater sea ice, and also delayed rescue operations in times of such accidents. In order to ensure safer business operations in the region, there have been developments and advancements in technology in order to reduce the effects of the Arctic environment. This research report attempts to identify and analyse the technological impacts brought about by developments in the Arctic region. These impacts are from various aspects, including the area of vessel structure and navigation, oil spill response and prevention and search and rescue operations.Bachelor of Science (Maritime Studies