Seminar with Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director General, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi. Chair: Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Discussant: Leiv Lunde, Director, Fridtjof Nansens Institute (FNI) PRIO welcomes you to a seminar on the Geopolitical Implications of Climate Change with Dr. Arvind Gupta (IDSA), in the event of Dr. Gupta's visit to PRIO under the institutional cooperation between PRIO and IDSA.
The Arctic region is estimated to hold over 40 per cent of global reserves of oil and gas. Ice melting due to global warming will open up areas for exploring and extracting resources. The race for resources, as history has shown, leads to geopolitical competition and contest. The Chinese have started articulating a ‘commons’ position, that is, no nation has sovereignty over the Arctic and that the resource are for all to exploit and use. The Arctic Council compromising five littoral states – Norway, US, Canada, Denmark and Russia – would not like outside intervention. While the Arctic might seem not to be in India’s strategic radar, it, however, does present an opportunity to articulate a view of ecological protection that is contrary to resource scramble. The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 freezing territorial claims and allowing for only research and scientific activities is a good guidepost.
Dr. Arvind Gupta assumed charge as Director General, IDSA on 5th January, 2012. On deputation to IDSA from the Indian Foreign Service, Dr. Gupta currently holds the rank of Additional Secretary to the Government of India. He has worked in the MEA in different capacities and served in diplomatic missions in Moscow, London and Ankara, and held the Lal Bahadur Shastri Chair on National Security at IDSA from 2008 to 2011. Prior to joining IDSA, he was Joint Secretary at the National Security Council Secretariat from 1999 to 2007. During his tenure at the NSCS he dealt with a wide range of international and national security issues and participated in the various working groups and task forces set up by the NSC. He also worked with the Kargil Review Committee. At the IDSA he headed the South Asia and Internal Security Clusters and edits the Institute’s flagship bi-monthly journal, Strategic Analysis. His current interests include the impact of globalization on India’s security, foreign policy, diplomatic challenges before India; energy security, climate change, India’s neighbours, internal security and technology & security issues. Dr. Gupta has three books, several edited books and a number of academic publications to his credit. He has been a member of several task forces on issues such as space security, climate change, cyber security, and nuclear disarmament.
