7.7A Disputes over ownership

• • There are some areas of the world where ownership of the resources is disputed
  • This can lead to disagreements over the exploitation of resources and ultimately conflict
  • As the resources already available are depleted the pressure to exploit other areas increases
• Arctic:

  • The area within the Arctic Circle is mostly ocean, this means there is no international treaty to protect the environment
  • Recent claims from Norway Canada, Denmark, USA and Russia all seek to extend their territorial claim and allow mining.
  • estimated that the Arctic contains 160 billion barrels of oil and 30% of the world's undiscovered gas.
  • Attic territorial claim is a 200 nautical mile limit

  
• Resource exploitation in the Arctic

  • Norway has granted licences for the exploration for oil and gas in the Barents Sea
  • The first offshore oil platform in the Arctic was set up in 2013 and is operated by Gazprom the Russian energy company
  • Greenland now has two active mines and the potential for more increases as the ice which covers 80% of Greenland melts  
• Tensions in the artic:

  • All five states have begun to strengthen their military presence in the Arctic Circle
  • Russia has reintroduced a military presence making improvements to bases in the north of Russia
  • Norway has focussed investments in the military in the north of the country
  • NATO exercise Cold Response in 2022 was led by Norway and based around conflict in the Arctic
  • The Canadian Armed Forces have engaged in a number of military exercises with the US based around defending their claim in the Arctic
• China (11 dash line):

  • China is trying to make claim to the uncontested part of the south-China sea by building islands there
  • said to have 1/4 of the earths undiscovered natural gas
  • Created tensions between with the Philippines, Taiwan and the USA by having military operations there