ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the opportunities and challenges posed by the development of the Arctic area, including shipping. It explores the marine aspect that addresses the prospects of shipping and natural resource exploration and production in the Arctic area, with a special focus on oil spills and how to deal with them. The chapter describes the land aspect that discusses the impacts of opening up the Arctic to northern communities, including a case study on the town of Churchill, Manitoba. Natural resource exploration and shipping in the Arctic have attracted attention lately. Research that focuses on the profitability and environmental implication of activities in the Arctic area has received much attention. Owing to the nature of the Arctic and the scattered nature of the communities, one question that keeps popping up is whether the Arctic communities have the capacity to respond to oil spills should they happen.
