US-Russian Cooperation on Arctic Science, Conservation Still Matters

This is an excerpt from a report originally published by Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs with the title "U.S.-Russian Cooperation on Science and Conservation in the Bering Strait Region: Past Achievements and Current Status."

Foreword

Over the last three decades, a spirit of cooperation characterized scientific research and environmental protection efforts across the circumpolar Arctic. In particular, the Bering Strait region became an area of active cooperation between both U.S. and Russian government agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), researchers and academic institutions, Indigenous Peoples organizations, and coastal residents, who worked across geographic and institutional boundaries to understand and respond to Arctic change. 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 abruptly forced hundreds of science and conservation initiatives to halt. Western governments, including the United States, directed employees of government agencies to curtail contact with Russian colleagues. Many universities and NGOs followed suit. Three years on, much of that work involving Russian experts and institutions has not resumed.

As the Trump administration revises the United States’ relationship with Russia, the potential for more communication between the two countries may offer an opportunity for renewed cooperation in the Bering Strait region. A review of the previous accomplishments and benefits of bilateral work may provide a foundation on which to build should tensions continue to subside.

This report summarizes key points taken from interviews with Russian and American scientists, conservation practitioners, resource managers, and representatives of Indigenous communities who have participated in joint research and conservation initiatives in the Bering Strait region. Our objective in conducting these interviews was not to comprehensively document the achievements of past transboundary cooperation in the Bering Strait region, but rather to capture the insights of some of the key individuals involved and to assess the value in restarting this work in some form, even at a time of high geopolitical tension.  

The experts we spoke to expressed concern about the negative impacts of the ongoing hiatus in cooperation with Russia. Almost every interviewee shared the sense that ruptured relations with Russia will have dramatic consequences for the wellbeing of people and ecosystems in the Bering Strait region. The following pages contain their reflections on the types of programs which proved effective, the challenges they face as a result of losing key partners in science and conservation, and their suggestions and cautions for moving ahead.

Subsequent sections are: "Key Achievements of U.S.-Russian Cooperation on Science and Conservation in the Bering Strait Region"; "Status and Impacts of the Hiatus in U.S.-Russian Cooperation"; and "Conclusions & Recommendations."

Opinions expressed in the text are solely those of the author.