The Big Thaw: who governs Antarctica’s ice?

Abstract

Antarctica, like all places on Earth, is being transformed by human activities. The volume and area of Antarctica’s ice are declining, with flow-on effects for Antarctic ecosystems, for regional and global climate systems, and for sea level rise. Australia has a special interest in preserving Antarctica, not only because of what it means for the Australian Antarctic Territory, but also because changes both to Antarctica’s ice cover and to deep ocean currents in the Southern Ocean influence temperature and rainfall patterns in Australia, affecting communities, ecosystems and agriculture. We can agree it is important that we pay attention to Antarctica’s ice, and hold on to as much of it as we can. But how can this be achieved? How is Antarctica’s ice governed?