Antarctica provides at least $276 billion in annual economic benefit to the world

News Excerpt:
A new research has calculated the economic value of services that Antarctica and the Southern Ocean provide in terms of fisheries, tourism and various natural processes supporting Earth’s functioning.

Objectives of the research:

  • It will help prioritise conservation actions in Antarctica.
  • It will help mobilise international support to protect the region from the detrimental effects of climate change.

Key findings of the research:

  • All humanity benefits from Antarctica and the Southern Ocean that surrounds it.
  • In our market-driven world, calculating the economic value of the environment can be a useful tool in garnering support for its protection.
  • Some services provided by Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are invisible to most people. 
    • For example, the Southern Ocean absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, and ice in the region reflects heat. These processes help regulate Earth’s climate. 
    • The Southern Ocean also helps transport water around the globe, which helps distribute heat, fresh water, carbon and nutrients. These are known as “regulating” services.
  • There is value in these services in terms of the cost that would accrue if it was not provided. 
    • For example, the Antarctic ice sheet contains 30 million cubic kilometres of ice. If that ice melted as a result of global warming, the effects on coastal communities around the world would be catastrophic.
  • Other benefits provided by the Antarctic region which are more visible:
    • For example, humans rely on toothfish and krill for food, pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements. 
    • A warmer and more acidic Southern Ocean would affect fish stocks – both in the region and elsewhere – and some species may become extinct.
    • The Antarctic region also provides cultural services such as hosting vital scientific research. In recent years, Antarctica has experienced a surge in tourist numbers.

Antarctica:

  • The Antarctic is a cold, remote area in the Southern Hemisphere encompassed by the Antarctic Convergence. 
    • The Antarctic Convergence is an uneven line of latitude where cold, northward-flowing Antarctic waters meet the warmer waters of the world’s oceans. 
    • The Antarctic also includes island territories within the Antarctic Convergence including: 
      • South Orkney Islands and South Shetland Islands, claimed by the United Kingdom.
      • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, administered by the United Kingdom and claimed by Argentina.
      • Peter I Island and Bouvet Island, claimed by Norway.
      • Heard and McDonald islands, claimed by Australia.
      • Scott Island and the Balleny Islands, claimed by New Zealand.
  • It covers approximately 20 percent of the Southern Hemisphere.
  • It is the fifth-largest continent in terms of total area. (It is larger than both Oceania and Europe.)
  • It is a unique continent in that it does not have a native human population. There are no countries or permanent populations in Antarctica. 
  • Seven countries made defined claims to Antarctic territory prior to the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. The treaty does not legally recognize any claims.

Economic value of services provided by Antarctica:

  • Various methods were employed to assess the value of each service, with some, like food provision, easily quantifiable based on market demand, while others, such as CO2 absorption benefits, were more challenging to evaluate.
  • Antarctic tourism, predominantly by ship, has seen a significant increase in visitor numbers over recent decades.
    • The economic value of tourism services is estimated to contribute approximately $820 million annually.
  • Fisheries, including toothfish and krill catches, were valued at around $370 million per year.
  • The economic worth of "regulating services" such as carbon storage, sea level regulation, and light reflection was calculated by multiplying the value of carbon stored in the Southern Ocean by the social cost of carbon, amounting to about $179.3 billion annually.
  • The total value of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean's ecosystem services was estimated at approximately $180 billion annually.
  • Scientific research in Antarctica, though challenging to quantify, is acknowledged for its potential to prevent significant global damage by monitoring changes in ice and sea levels.
  • The region also offers other vital services, such as the potential discovery of medicinal ingredients, for which valuation remains could not be done due to insufficient data.

Antarctica Treaty:

  • The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 by the twelve countries whose scientists had been active in and around Antarctica.
  • It entered into force in 1961 and has since been acceded to by many other nations. 
    • The total number of Parties to the Treaty is now 56.
    • India was not among the initial signatories of the Antarctic Treaty.

Some important provisions of the Treaty:

  • Art. I: Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only.
  • Art. II: Freedom of scientific investigation in Antarctica and cooperation toward that end shall continue.
  • Art. III: Scientific observations and results from Antarctica shall be exchanged and made freely available.
  • Antarctica Day: December 1 celebrated as Antarctica Day.
    • It is celebrated on the anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959.

Role of Antarctic Treaty:

  • As the Southern Ocean becomes warmer and more acidic, its natural systems will undergo huge changes.
    • This will reduce the many benefits the Antarctic region provides, at great cost to the world. 
  • The Antarctic and Southern Ocean is governed by the Antarctic Treaty, which was adopted in 1959. 
  • Treaty parties have the authority to safeguard some ecosystem services, such as tourism, fishing and science. But are unable to effectively safeguard others, such as regulating services when the threat comes from outside the Antarctic area.
  • The treaty has evolved over the years. Now it must go further, to safeguard the huge benefits – economic and otherwise – the region provides to the world.

Indian presence in Antarctica:

  • India's engagement with Antarctica began as early as 1956 when India proposed an item titled ‘The Question of Antarctica’ on the agenda of the eleventh UN General Assembly, stating that the vast areas and resources of Antarctica be used entirely for peaceful purposes and for the general welfare.
  • The Indian Antarctic Programme, overseen by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has been actively contributing to Antarctic research since its inception in 1981.
  • India established three research stations in Antarctica.
    • Dakshin Gangotri in 1983.
    • Maitri in 1989. 
    • The most recent addition to India's Antarctic presence is the Bharati base, commissioned in 2012.
  • The Ministry of Earth Sciences has announced plans to establish a new research station in East Antarctica.
    • The proposed station will be located in close proximity to the existing Indian research base, Maitri.

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