photo: Xinhua
The north pole waterways are losing ice each year at such a rate they will soon allow passage of merchant ships year round.
One of the countries that would benefit the most from this new passage will be China, who has some of the longest routes in the world for delivery of its merchandise and viceversa for its imports, like gas and other prime materials.
The north and north west passage will soon be transitable year round. These routes are already available for a few months each year, in the summer, but since a lot of the ice is not reforming, they will remain open and open a brand new chapter in circumnavigation.
A Chinese researchers who has spent five years aboard an ice breaker mapping eventual routes has said that the increased accessibility of the arctic routes will improve trade in a very significant way, both for Asian countries and for Europe.
Although the permanent melt is a large source of concern to climatologists and environmentalist, the Chinese researchers say that a shorter shipping route will save a lot of fuel and lower CO2 emissions in the long run. It will also reduce the cost of the merchandise.
90% of China's trade is by sea. And it is set to grow at a staggering pace. If only 10% of China's exports went through the Arctic routes, it would be worth 683 billions dollars.
The new routes would also allow for better relations between Russia and China.
The researchers have been in the polar region to map climatic changes in the region. They estimate that the ice coverage loss is about 10% each year. That is ice which does not reform when the colder season returns.
A Risk management company, Det Norsk Veritas AS while assessing risk management for shipping concerns, is also studying the environmental impact of increased traffic in the region. The Company has also determined that at the current rate of climatic changes and warming of the oceans, the Arctic Ocean could be ice free in a few decades.
Source : China Daily 3.14.13
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