Abstract
Long neglected and dismissed as scientifically unfounded, global warming has now been accepted as a new reality that will have a direct impact the safety, security and the environment of human habitats. If global warming due to greenhouse gas accumulations is expected to be severe world-wide, it is enhanced in the Arctic regions. The coupled climate models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007 predicted that the warming in the Arctic over the next 50 years is in the range of three to four degrees Celsius, more than twice the global average, suggesting that the Arctic may be where the most rapid and dramatic changes will occur during the 21st century. With the warming of the Arctic comes the possibility of the opening of Arctic sea routes for commercial navigation which will tremendously cut down transit times between Europe and Asia. However, maritime infrastructure and services along the routes will have to be improved before navigation along these routes will become a reality.
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