East Asia Monitor

UNU e-Newsletter

Issue 12. January 2005

In this issue

Editorial Comment:

Dr. Yasuaki Naito, Professor Emeritus at National Institute of Polar Research and the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Japan, comments on the importance of the Antarctic research and science, and the prospect of international collaboration.

Antarctica and Southeast Asia

Antarctica and Southeast Asia are geographically and historically far apart and they are located in diametrically opposite climate zones. People in Southeast Asia consider Antarctica as a very remote place due to a minimal exposure to information on Antarctica. However, when problems of global change and climate change started to emerge, it appeared that these two regions were no longer apart but closely related. This is because the two regions interact with each other through global physical, chemical and biological processes. All people on the earth are influenced by these global processes, and regardless where they live, should watch the present unstable condition of and fate of our earth system.
The earth system is dynamic and extremely complex, and is not understood very well. Balance of the system is determined through many complicated physical, chemical and biological processes including solar activities, atmospheric and ocean circulation, volcanic activities, biological activities from bacteria to animals and impacts by anthropologic activities. We do not know to what extent the natural earth system was affected by human activities, but what we do know is that unpredictable, abnormal weather has been occurring in many places all over the world.

Anthropogenic global change was first detected by the direct observation at Syowa Station in Antarctica in 1983, which is so called “Ozone hole” or “Ozone depletion”. Increase of the carbon dioxide content in atmosphere was easily recognized by station observations in Antarctica, because Antarctica is clean without any sources of those exhaust materials, and also because they are transported to Antarctica by atmospheric circulation system. We can, thus, observe trends of increasing rate of such materials with a high degree of reliability. From these facts, we can say that Antarctica is a key area to detect global changes, compared to any other region in the world. Antarctica is also a suitable region not only for global change observations, but also for the earth system observations. Solar spots and solar plasma wind activities, for example, are easily observed at Antarctica as these areas are the pole of earth’s magnetic field. Extremely cold climate of Antarctica is one of the major driving forces of atmospheric and oceanic circulation, which determine the global climate. Loss of ice-shelves and retreat of sea ice coverage are reliable indicators for such phenomena as global warming, loss of biodiversity, and sea level rise. In Antarctic deep ice sheet, there remain paleo-environment records and we can know natural change of earth climate in the past from analysis of drilled ice core samples. Needless to say, there are numerous, detailed examples of the role of Antarctica in the global change and earth system. But I would like to emphasize the fact that Antarctica is a special region for all people on earth. And this is for two reasons. One is that Antarctica does not belong to any country, and thus, no territory exists there. The other is that the place is of key importance for global change issue and the region is open to science and peaceful use under the Antarctic Treaty system, which is supported by the United Nations.

Industries of Southeast Asian countries are emerging and becoming a key region contributing to the global climate change issue. Scientists of this region are already aware of the situation and the role of Southeast Asia in the Antarctic research. To my surprise, when I spoke about Antarctica and its science at a university seminar in Thailand and a workshop of the United Nation University, many students and young scientists reacted enthusiastically and showed strong interest in Antarctica and its science. Some scientists have been already engaged in this science by actively visiting Antarctica. But, despite the great effort of some scientists to promote science in this region, general recognition about the Antarctic science is still insufficient due to the limited information available.

In order to bind these two regions, we need to support such scientists and students. We have long history of research activities and many experiences in Antarctica. And the Antarctic Treaty indeed requires international collaboration and cooperation. International organizations, more than ever before, are expected to play an active role in building such supporting system.
Antarctic and global change issues are the matter of international collaboration, and I believe that United Nations University is in a suitable position to play this role.