2023-12-17 21:30:17
Updated Sunday, December 17, 2023 – 20:30
Both in the Arctic and in the rest of the world, Russian and Western researchers have cut almost all ties since the start of the war
Archipilago de Svalbard, an el rticoJONATHAN NACKSTRANDAFP
The glaciologist Andrew Hodson He used to work with his Russian colleagues in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic. But Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the scientific excursions that I used to do have come to a standstill..
“We used to work with Russian scientists and hydrologists specialized in permafrost in the Barentsburg region. This no longer happens,” the British scientist told AFP.
“We are saddened by not being able to use this base for collaboration, but we are obviously not happy with the actions of the Russian government,” he declared in his office at Longyearbyen University, in the capital of the archipelago, which belongs to Norway.
The area’s slogan, “high north-low tensions”, is now a thing of the past.
Both in the Arctic and in the rest of the world, Russian and Western researchers have cut almost all ties since the beginning of the war in ukraine.
Andrew HodsonVIKEN KANTARCIAFP
The Russian invasion of the former Soviet Republic, in February 2022, marked the end point of the cooperation between the two, although in reality, Relations had already worsened in recent decadeswith more aggressive policies of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
The change affects scientific research in a region that is warming four times faster than the planet and therefore, it is key for climate scientists.
Absence of data
He data flow with Russia It has been paralyzed since February 2022. “It is harmful because Russia is more than half of the Arctic,” says Rolf Rodvenexecutive secretary of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP).
“We don’t know what is happening there on the ground and, of course, what happens there will also affect the European, American and Canadian part of the Arctic,” he adds.
The lack of exchange deprives scientists of crucial information about permafrost and the recent forest fires.
He permafrostthe layer of permanently frozen soil, is especially present in Russia and constitutes a time bomb for the climate.
Aerial image of the Svalbard archipelagoVIKEN KANTARCIAFP
Some data can be obtained through international databases such as that of the World Meteorological Organization or by satellite. But they are incomplete.
“We know that there will be more uncertainty in our estimates and as a consequence there will also be more uncertainties in future projections,” Rodven said.
The studies prepared by AMAP are key because they are used in the reports of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
He Arctic Council It was long seen as a model of cooperation. But today it is divided between the Western countries (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United States) and Russia.
Several projects have been suspended and some studies have been delayed. Not only have relations with Russian research institutes been severed, but the few independent researchers are even reluctant to cooperate for fear of being accused of treason or espionage.
Brain drain
The Russian scientific community suffers from a “brain drain”, although this began even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition, it has also seen how its funding has been cut to pay for the war effort.
“It’s a double whammy”says Salve Dahle, marine biologist at the independent Norwegian institute Akvaplan-niva. “Not only are we no longer benefiting from data sharing, but data collection in Russia itself is also being cut,” she notes.
Dahle said that his main concern was the Siberian rosesthe largest source of fresh water in the Arctic Ocean.
Without being on the ground, it is impossible to measure the effects of oil and gas drilling, industrial activities and mining on rivers.
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