Dr. Kassab will be presenting a paper at the International Studies Association’s Annual Conference: Power Vacuums: Climate Change, the Arctic and Great Power Competition
Friday, April 9, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM.
The paper: Climate change, whether part of a natural process or man-made, is melting the polar icecaps. Once impenetrable, the Arctic ice gives way to a power vacuum, an area without any state authority or control. This melting reveals new opportunity for states seeking power. If the polar icecaps were to melt, shipping lanes would open new, less expensive, and quicker transportation opportunities. States of the Arctic circle like the United States, Russia, Denmark, among others, all have a stake in the game. States, like China, sees itself as a near-Arctic state even though it is thousands of miles away. This is because control of these shipping lanes, resources and strategic position are vital for a state seeking power. This paper will apply structural realism to explain competition over the Arctic in the next few years.
