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Brazil’s first scientific expedition to the Arctic aims to
explore the biodiversity of one of the planet’s coldest territories,
learn more about its ecological importance and its role in global
climate change, and contribute to its preservation.
The Brazilian team of scientists from the University of Brasília
and the Federal University of Minas Gerais has been in the
Svalbard archipelago—a section of the Arctic Circle that belongs
to Norway—since July 8.
According to the expert, research in the region is crucial in
monitoring relevant developments in Brazil as well as worldwide.
“What happens here in the Arctic affects Brazil, so we should
have the right to speak and vote, which is not happening.”
Brazil is the only among the ten largest global economies
without a voice on issues related to the region. Therefore,
Brazil’s scientific presence in the Arctic—a region covering
more than 16 million square kilometers—can prove significant
for the inclusion of the nation as an observer member of the
Arctic Council, the international cooperation body on
environmental strategies for the territory. The country should also
join the Svalbard Treaty, which not only recognizes Norway’s
sovereignty over the archipelago, but also grants access to the
area’s resources for signatory nations.
Internet: <agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br>
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