May 29, 2024 02:54 AM IST
Over 350 researchers and officials from nearly 40 countries are expected to attend the meeting.
India will discuss the new research station it wants to build in Antarctica at the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) being held in Kochi between May 20 and 30 . Over 350 researchers and officials from nearly 40 countries are expected to attend the meeting.
“The Maitri research station built in 1989 is old and we wish to have a new station there. This is important for our research team. So we will discuss this proposal and seek approval from member states,” said M Ravichandran, secretary ministry of earth sciences (MoES). But, overall, the most important agenda of the meeting tracking climate change impacts, past climate assessments and better monitoring of climate impacts, he added.
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The meeting will also see the first-ever discussions on regulating tourism in Antarctica. “Tourism needs to regulated in Antarctica. India is driving discussions on this. We need to regulate the number of visitors, areas that can be accessible, areas that need to be protected, seasons when tourism can be allowed and how whereabouts of visitors can be effectively and continuously monitored. We believe this is very important for Antarctica’s ecology,” said Ravichandran. India’s proposal is being backed by like minded European nations especially Netherlands.
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Another issue that is likely to be discussed is giving consultative status to Canada and Belarus who can then have voting rights in the Treaty. Antarctic Treaty is a multilateral agreement of 56 Contracting Parties signed in 1959. India has been a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty since 1983 along with 28 other countries.
“India has a crucial role in governing Antarctica’s scientific exploration and environmental protection. It has the right to propose and vote on decisions and resolutions made during the ATCM in matters of administration, scientific research, environmental protection, and logistical cooperation. Further, it can establish research stations, conduct scientific programs and logistic operations, enforce environmental regulations and access scientific data and research findings shared by Antarctic Treaty members. The Contracting and Consultative Parties are responsible for compliance with the Antarctic Treaty, environment stewardship, promoting scientific research, and maintaining Antarctica as a zone of peace, free from military activity and territorial claims. The ATCM is administered through the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat headquartered in Argentina,” MoES said in a statement on May 21.
“India, being a committed member of the Antarctic Treaty System, recognizes the pressing need to address the growing tourism activities in Antarctica and their potential impact on the continent’s fragile environment. With the number of tourists visiting Antarctica increasing significantly over the past few years, tourism has become a front-burner issue, making it crucial that comprehensive regulations be framed to ensure the sustainable and responsible exploration of this unique and pristine region,” it added.
Ravichandran further highlighted that India has advocated for a comprehensive, proactive, and effective tourism policy anchored in precautionary principles. Discussions around regulating tourism have been ongoing in ATCMs since 1966, but these have been agenda items, sessions, papers, or resolutions. A dedicated working group for regulating tourism in Antarctica has been formulated for the first time at the ongoing 46th ATCM, hosted by India.
Thamban Meloth, Director of National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) said that India has a legal framework to regulate activities in Antarctica, including tourism, through the Indian Antarctic Act enacted in 2022. “The Indian Antarctic Act aligns India’s tourism regulations with international standards and collaborates with other Antarctic Treaty nations to achieve common conservation goals,” he said in the MoES statement.
