Australia's national interests in the Antarctic region: what is important?

For much of the past 100 years, interest in the Antarctic has been limited mainly to environmental groups, explorers and scientists. More recently, however, it has received increased attention as nations seek solutions to the challenges of climate change, energy, water and food security. Accordingly, it seems inevitable that Australia's national security interests in the Antarctic region are likely to be increasingly challenged over the next 20 years.

The paper examines the geopolitical context and significant current and emerging pressures in Antarctica, and assesses the impact of these pressures on Australia's national security interests. It argues that it is in Australia's national interests to retain influence in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region, given its close geographic proximity. It concludes by identifying three key policy initiatives that should be given priority consideration, arguing that their implementation would demonstrate Australia's commitment to remain an important, relevant and legitimate leader in the management of Antarctic issues.

This paper was also published in the Indo-Pacific Strategic Digest series.

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