THE ARCTIC GEOPOLITICAL STRUGGLE: CLIMATE CHANGE, GREAT POWER COMPETITION, AND REGIONAL DYNAMICS

Abstract

The Arctic region is undergoing profound changes due to accelerating climate change, with melting ice unlocking access to valuable natural resources and opening new shipping routes. These transformations have heightened global interests in the region, turning it into a stage for strategic competition and environmental risk.

China and Russia have emerged as key actors, and Western actors are also actively adapting to these shifts, with NATO's strengthened position in the region after the accession of Finland and Sweden to the Alliance.

Importantly, the thesis explores how climate change acts as a security issue, intensifying great power competition and threatening the stability of the region. It also addresses the critical social dimension, emphasising the impact on Indigenous communities whose livelihoods and cultures are closely tied to the Arctic environment.