India to discuss new research station in Antarctica at Kerala climate 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,” mentioned M Ravichandran, secretary ministry of earth sciences (MoES). But, general, an important agenda of the assembly monitoring local weather change impacts, previous local weather assessments and higher monitoring of local weather impacts, he added.

The assembly can even 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,” mentioned Ravichandran. India’s proposal is being backed by like minded European nations particularly Netherlands.

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Another concern that’s prone to be mentioned is giving consultative standing to Canada and Belarus who can then have voting rights within the Treaty. Antarctic Treaty is a multilateral settlement of 56 Contracting Parties signed in 1959. India has been a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty since 1983 together with 28 different international locations.

“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 mentioned in an announcement 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 additional highlighted that India has advocated for a complete, proactive, and efficient tourism coverage anchored in precautionary rules. Discussions round regulating tourism have been ongoing in ATCMs since 1966, however these have been agenda objects, periods, papers, or resolutions. A devoted working group for regulating tourism in Antarctica has been formulated for the primary time on the ongoing forty sixth ATCM, hosted by India.

Thamban Meloth, Director of National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) mentioned that India has a authorized framework to manage actions in Antarctica, together with tourism, by means of 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 mentioned within the MoES assertion.