The white continent, the Antarctica, virgin territory and also a bit uncertain, is an essential component in determining the effects of climate change Worldwide. Being the territory that has 90% of the planet’s ice, this cold and windy desert is a key factor in international political and economic negotiations.
Since 1985 Uruguay is an advisory member of the Antarctic Treaty, this means that the country has a voice and vote in the annual meetings held by the member states. As a relevant country within the treaty, Uruguay has the Uruguayan Antarctic Institute (IAU) – the administrative body of the Uruguayan National Antarctic Program (PNA) – and who articulates Antarctic activities in the scientific, technological and logistical areas.
Thus, the country cooperates in the development of scientific research with other countries that also have bases in Antarctica, an essential requirement for the country to be part of the Antarctic Treaty. “Uruguay “It is part of the treaty because it develops scientific research,” stated the current advisor of the IAU and former director of Scientific Coordination and Environmental Management of the institute, Alvaro Soutullo, in dialogue with Ambit.
Political and economic benefits
Now, the big question is to question why the Antarctica has such global relevance and, specifically, why it is important that Uruguay participate in it. From scientific discoveries that are applicable in production systems to their impact on geopolitical negotiationsthe white continent is an essential asset for the participating countries.
“You co-administer with 28 other countries the Antarctica and you make decisions about what and how it is done on that continent,” Soutullo explained regarding the political importance it has. The scientist considers it one more component when negotiating with other member countries of the treaty, which often have nothing to do specifically with the continent and function as a kind of “leverage.”
While the spirit of the continent and the treaty that manages it is primarily scientific, there are economic activities that surround the Antarctica and that are regulated by the members of the treaty. Among them is the tourism – where the main beneficiary is Argentina and the city that functions as a starting point to the continent: Ushuaia – but also the fishing.
Regarding the latter, Soutullo commented that there is the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which is responsible for conserving Antarctic marine fauna and flora in response to the growing interest in the commercial exploitation of resources derived from Antarctic krill.
Antarctica Uruguay
Uruguayan Antarctic Institute
Climate change and how science is linked to the economy
Caring for the planet is an essential factor for the economy. Although the relevance that the climate change In the immediate future, it is necessary to pay attention to the effects it will have on natural resources, as well as extreme climate events that directly affect the world economy. There, the Antarctica plays an essential role in predicting possible disasters.
“Although the Antarctica It does not allow you to manage these changes, it allows you to anticipate them and be more prepared,” said Soutullo, who emphasizes that the continent plays a central role in regulating the planet’s climate. In this way, it is possible to anticipate climatic events that may occur on the other side of the globe, such as droughts, tsunamis either strong rains causing major flooding.
On the other hand, research on the continent allows us to analyze what the planet’s responses were to changes in climate in the past. “This allows us to learn from it and what can happen, but it also serves to have early signals of the risks that climate change can generate,” the scientist specified.
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Uruguayan Antarctic Institute
The IAU, without a coordinator
The IAU has been headless since 2021 since the position of director of Scientific Coordination and Environmental Management of the Institute It was not occupied. Being an institute that depends directly on four ministries (Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of EnvironmentMinistry of Industry, Energy and Mining), the science sector is still waiting for a response from the Environment portfolio.
Soutullo – who held that position until 2020 – assured that it is a problem for the institute, since coordination with the other sectors of the institute depends on it. IAU and co-participation in the science sector with other countries that research on the continent. “We have been managing it in a reasonable way, but it is not the same as having a person who dedicates himself exclusively to that,” he explained.
Despite having remained on the government agenda in a stable manner, reflected in the visits of all the presidents to the Artigas Base since the return to democracy in 1985 – except for Jorge Batlle – the attention of Executive power For more than three years, the scientific sector at IAU has not had a coordinator, a fact that, according to Soutullo, is balanced by the commitment and effort of the institutions to the cause.
Source: Ambito
