46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-46)

Recently, India successfully concluded hosting of the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-46)  in Kochi, Kerala.

• India expressed serious concerns about unregulated tourism in Antarctica, an issue it has been raising since 2007.

About Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM)

• About: The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) is an annual decision-making mechanism established under the Antarctic Treaty. 
• ATCM-46 Theme: ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ meaning ‘One Earth, One family, One future’. 
• Hosted by: The Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, through the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, with support from the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat headquartered in Argentina.
• Event reaffirmed: The event witnessed the reaffirmation of the Antarctic Treaty (1959) and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol, 1991) by the Parties.

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Highlights of the  Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

• Areas designated as Protected: At the Kochi meeting, additional areas of Antarctica were designated as ‘protected’.
• Prescribing Standard Biosecurity Guidelines for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): The meeting underlined prescribing standard biosecurity guidelines for HPAI to eliminate and mitigate the risk to humans, as well as spreading the disease in Antarctica through human activities.
• All Inclusive Governance: India pushed for ‘all inclusive’ governance, marking the first-ever introduction and initiation of drafting a tourism framework for Antarctica. Establishment of Maitri-II research station:  India announced plans to replace its 35-year-old Maitri research base with a new facility, Maitri-II.India will now start the draft of  the architectural and environmental plans for Maitri-II and submit them to the union government. Once finalised, the environmental report will be presented to the Committee on Environmental Protection for clearance. India aims to have Maitri-II operational by the early 2030s.
• Concerns about Antarctica Tourism: Recently, the continent has experienced an exponential increase in visitors and outside researchers, primarily facilitated by private tour operators from select countries. 
  • Estimates indicate that Antarctica saw 100,000 visitors in 2023.
  • For the first time, India introduced a dedicated working group focused on Antarctic tourism to address these concerns.
• Consensus for Tourism Framework: The ‘All Antarctica Treaty Parties’ in attendance in Kochi agreed upon the need for having a framework for tourism. 
  • Significant process on resolution and annex: In Kochi, significant progress was made on a resolution and an annex, which will address the environmental liability of activities in Antarctica. 
  • Challenges in Developing an Antarctic Tourism Framework:  However, developing such a framework is a complex and lengthy process that requires consensus from over 50 parties, making it impossible to finalise within a few days of the treaty meeting.
  • Future Deliberations: Further deliberations on the tourism framework are anticipated at the next ATCM in Italy in 2025. 
  • Implementation of Stringent Regulations for Antarctic Tourism: Once a consensus is reached, stringent regulations governing tourism activities in Antarctica will be implemented.
• Saudi Arabia’s Entry: At the recently concluded ATCM-46 in Kochi, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia became the newest member of the Antarctic Treaty Parties. 
• Key Discussions:  The meeting featured discussions on various critical issues, including sea ice changes, the protection of emperor penguins, enhancing environmental impact assessments (EIA) of major activities, and developing an international framework for environmental monitoring in Antarctica.

India’s Stance at the ATCM-46 meeting

• Inclusive Approach: India advocated for an ‘all inclusive’ approach to preserve Antarctica and its resources.
• Broader Participation: It underscored the need to open the ‘Antarctic Treaty’ to more nations and  advocated for shared responsibilities in governance, research, and the development of laws and policies.
• Geopolitics-Free Governance:  Stressed that geopolitics from the mainland must not be a deterrent when it came to the issue of governance of Antarctica.
• Against Exclusivity:  Urged the Consultative Parties to avoid treating the treaty as an ‘exclusive club’ of select nations.
• Support for New Members:  India reminded the Consultative Parties (those with authority to vote and take decisions) at Kochi that the treaty cannot remain as an ‘exclusive club’ of select nations. Example- Canada and Belarus have been working towards becoming Consultative Parties in the Treaty but they are yet to succeed.

Overview of Antarctica

• Size: It is the world’s fifth largest continent spanning 14 million sq km area.
• Ice Coverage: Nearly 98% of Antarctica is covered in thick ice sheets
• Freshwater Reserves: Holds about 75% of the Earth’s freshwater.
• Environment: Notable for its unique wildlife and pristine conditions.
• Climate: Located near the South Pole, characterised by extreme cold, dryness, and windy conditions.

Major issues faced by Antarctica

• Adverse effects due to Global Warming: Under the Global Warming Scenario, the three poles of the Earth i.e the North Pole, South Pole, and Himalayas are experiencing the maximum brunt.
• Fastened rates of permafrost thawing at the Poles:  Permafrost is the rock and soil layers frozen beneath the active ice sheet. 
  • Decomposition of Organic Matter: Rising temperatures have accelerated the thawing of this permafrost, which in turn exposes and causes the organic matter, like plants, to decompose.
  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions: This decomposition further releases carbon dioxide and methane, contributing to global climate change.
  • Antarctic Protection: More geographical areas designated as ‘protected’ due to unsafe conditions from thawing permafrost.
  • Management Plans: In this year’s meeting, 17 revised and new management plans for the Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPA) were adopted.
• Risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): The newest scientific findings point out that the air and atmosphere over Antarctica were polluted and carried the potential risk of HPAI due to growing tourism and increased human presence. This is affecting the indigenous living creatures. 

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