India participates in Third Arctic Science Ministerial – ASM3

India participated in the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3) - the global platform for discussing research and cooperation in the Arctic region.

• The Arctic Science Ministerial meetings are intergovernmental events, hosted biennially by countries with an interest in Arctic research.
• The objective is to coordinate Arctic observation and research, and to strengthen Arctic science cooperation through an inclusive process – involving Arctic and non-Arctic States, as well as indigenous communities. 
• The first two meetings—ASM1 and ASM2—were held in the USA in 2016 and Germany in 2018, respectively.

What are key-takeaways of ASM3?

• Organized by: ASM3, jointly organized by Iceland and Japan, is the first Ministerial meeting being held in Asia.
• Objective: The meeting is designed to provide opportunities to various stakeholders, including academia, indigenous communities, governments and policymakers, to enhance collective understanding of the Arctic region, emphasize and engage in constant monitoring, and strengthen observations.
• Theme: The theme for this year is ‘Knowledge for a Sustainable Arctic’.
• Joint statement: The Joint Statement signed by all Parties at ASM3 outlines cooperative actions to support science collaboration in the future such as the implementation of observing networks, data-sharing, enhancing understanding for Arctic environmental and social systems and preparing the next generation through capacity building.

• Arctic warming and its ice melt are global concerns as they play a pivotal role in regulating climate, sea levels, and maintaining biodiversity.
• Moreover, there is growing evidence of connection between the Arctic and the Indian Ocean (which modulates the Indian monsoon).
• Hence, improving the understanding of physical processes and quantifying the impact of Arctic ice melt on the Indian summer monsoon is very important.

• India shared its plans to contribute observing systems in the Arctic, both in-situ and by remote sensing.
• The country would deploy open ocean mooring in the Arctic for long-term monitoring of upper ocean variables and marine meteorological parameters.
• The launch of NISER (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite mission, in collaboration with the USA, is underway.
  • NISER aims to conduct global measurements of the cause and consequences of land surface changes using advanced radar imaging.
• India’s contributions to the Sustained Arctic Observational Network (SAON) would continue.

• India’s engagement with the Arctic dates back to 1920 with the signing of the Svalbard Treaty in Paris.
  • The Treaty recognizes the sovereignty of Norway over the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, at the time called Spitsbergen.
• Since July 2008, India has a permanent research station in the Arctic called Himadari in Norway.
  • Himadri is India's first permanent Arctic research station located at Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway.
  • It is located at the International Arctic Research base, Ny-Ålesund. It was inaugurated on the 1st of July, 2008 by the Minister of Earth Sciences. 
• It has also deployed a multi-sensor moored observatory called IndARC in the Kongsfjorden fjord since July 2014.
  • IndARC is India's first underwater moored observatory in the Arctic region. It was deployed in 2014 at Kongsfjorden fjord, Svalbard, Norway. 
• The research in the Arctic region from India is coordinated, conducted, and promoted by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.

Arctic is the region on Earth where climate change is happening faster, with consequences for sea-level rise and weather patterns that affect the whole planet. Arctic science is therefore an essential area of global responsibility. Such meetings and collaborations show collective willingness to join forces in support and commitment to Arctic research and innovation.