Svalbard: International Relations in an Exceptionally International Territory

Grydehøj, Adam

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20557-7_17

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Recent and ongoing research has highlighted the geopolitical aspect of coal production on Svalbard. Coal has been placed in the overall narrative of the history of Svalbard as a history of exploitation of natural resources, and the mining activity has been seen as a means for Norway to ensure its sovereignty (Arlov, 2022; Avango et al, 2011, p. 30; Berg, 2012, p. 183; Grydehøj, 2019, p. 270). The shift from a mining-based economy to one based on research, education and tourism caused changes in the population, because the latter was more international in nature (Sokolickova et al, 2022, p. 7).…”

Section: The Role Of Norwegian Coal Production On Svalbardmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phasing out coal on Svalbard: From a conflict of interest to a contest over symbolic capital

Vold Hansen

2024

Polar Record

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In 2021, the decision to close the last Norwegian coal mine on Svalbard was made, and with that, the Norwegian coal adventure on the archipelago came to an end. This was a result of a political process, which is the focus of this article. Drawing on fieldwork conducted during the fall of 2022, I argue that the political process of phasing out coal changed from a conflict over interests to a contest over symbolic capital. The article contributes to the understanding of Norwegian Svalbard politics and the “balancing act” that this represents. I focus on how power, in the form of shaping people’s perceptions and as prestige, influenced what interests prevail and why. The article addresses (1) why the decision to phase out coal was not made earlier, (2) what ultimately made this decision possible and (3) why and over what the key actors were still competing after the decision to phase out coal was made.

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Section: The Role Of Norwegian Coal Production On Svalbardmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phasing out coal on Svalbard: From a conflict of interest to a contest over symbolic capital

Vold Hansen

2024

Polar Record

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“…Viewed from above and outside, Svalbard appears a geopolitically significant place, an Arctic focal point of economic and political interests (Grydehøj, 2020). The archipelago's geopolitical importance runs as a red thread through its history and has very much defined the establishment and development of its settlements.…”

Section: Presence Control and Geopoliticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing Svalbard: Tracing interrelated socio-economic and environmental change in remote Arctic settlements

2022

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The archipelago of Svalbard is a good example of an Arctic locale undergoing rapid changes on multiple levels. This contribution is a joint effort of three anthropologists with up-to-date ethnographic data from Svalbard (mostly Longyearbyen and Barentsburg) to frame and interpret interconnected changes. The processes impacting Svalbard are related to issues such as geopolitical interests, and increasing pressure by the Norwegian government to exercise presence and control over the territory. Our interpretations are based on a bottom-up approach, drawing on experiences living in the field. We identify three great ruptures in recent years – the avalanche of 2015, the gradual phasing out of mining enterprises and the COVID-19 pandemic – and show how they further impact, accelerate or highlight preexisting vulnerabilities in terms of socio-economic development, and environmental and climate change. We discuss the shift from coal mining to the industries of tourism, education, and research and development, and the resulting changed social and demographic structure of the settlements. Another facet is the complexity of environmental drivers of change and how they relate to the socio-economic ones. This article serves as an introductory text to the collection of articles published in Polar Record in 2021/2022 with the overarching theme “changing Svalbard”. Issues discussed range from socio-economic change and its implications for local populations including identity of place, through tourism (value creation, mediation, human–environment relations, environmental dilemmas, balancing contradictory trends), to security and risk perception, and environmental and climate change issues.

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“…This redevelopment has sparked much debate in the context of Norwegian-Russian relations, which have been generally peaceful despite occasional disputes over the interpretation of aspects of the Treaty (Grydehøj, 2020;Todorov, 2020;Vylegzhanin, Zilanov, & Savva, 2019). Although some view Russia with suspicion and fear, suggesting an expansionist vision involving unilateral actions and re-militarisation in the Arctic (Laruelle, 2013), other analysts see Russia as being peaceful in the Arctic due to recognising the gains from cooperation (Nikitina, 2018;Wilson Rowe & Blakkisrud, 2014).…”

Section: Barentsburgmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disaster risk perceptions and multinational cooperation in Barentsburg, Svalbard

et al. 2022

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Svalbard’s geographical positioning, environmental characteristics and multinational population make it conducive for considering informality and multinational cooperation in disaster risk reduction and response. Most research examining disaster risks and disasters for Svalbard has focused on Norwegian efforts in and for the main settlement of Longyearbyen, with none covering Svalbard’s second-largest settlement of Barentsburg. This paper addresses this gap by analysing how 21 Barentsburg residents deal with disasters. We conducted semi-structured interviews, visually aided by the revised PRISM (Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure) tool, to examine interviewees’ disaster perceptions, sources for disaster-related information and learning, and formal and informal sources for dealing with disaster risks and disasters. Our findings suggest that, despite being risk-aware, Barentsburg interviewees consider the settlement, and Svalbard as a whole, to be safe. The explanation is their faith in the existing disaster-related mechanisms, made up of both local Russian entities and the Norwegian rescue services, especially Svalbard’s governor (Sysselmesteren). Interviewees rely significantly on Russian and Norwegian informal actors and relationships for disaster-related information. These findings suggest that alongside formal approaches, informality may play a significant role in dealing with disasters in Barentsburg, which itself might serve as a platform for international cooperation.

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Svalbard: International Relations in an Exceptionally International Territory

Cited by 10 publications

References 11 publications

Phasing out coal on Svalbard: From a conflict of interest to a contest over symbolic capital

Phasing out coal on Svalbard: From a conflict of interest to a contest over symbolic capital

Changing Svalbard: Tracing interrelated socio-economic and environmental change in remote Arctic settlements

Disaster risk perceptions and multinational cooperation in Barentsburg, Svalbard

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