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Arctic Council approves Russian biosecurity project

Heiner Kubny 22. February 2022 | Arctic, Science

Today’s creatures would hardly be protected from viruses that spread diseases and epidemics more than 30,000 years ago and are now hidden in the permafrost.

Russia has proposed a project to combat viruses hidden under permafrost. This was reported by Nikolai Korchunov, special envoy of the Russian Foreign Ministry for cooperation in the Arctic And Senior Arctic Official of the Russian Chair of the Arctic Council.

He previously said that global warming is dangerous in northern latitudes because it can “wake up” viruses that have been trapped by permafrost. As chair of the Arctic Council, Russia has proposed a biosecurity program to counter this threat through a concerted effort.

In 2014, the first species, *Pithovirus sibericum,* of this genus was isolated from over 30,000-year-old Siberian permafrost. To date, it is the oldest eukaryote-infecting DNA virus that has been recovered to infection. This suggests that more infectious viruses or microorganisms could be released from permafrost that is thawing due to global warming. At more than 1.5 micrometers long, pithovirus is the largest virus ever discovered. (Photo: Julia Bartoli & Chantal Abergel IGS /CNRS/AMU)

As global warming sets in and permafrost begins to melt, humanity could suffer more than just floods and typhoons. Nobel Peace Prize winner Rae Kwon Chung believes ancient viruses could threaten humanity. Right now they are still frozen, but could emerge from the permafrost soils soon. He mentioned this during his speech at the ‘Eastern Economic Forum’ in Vladivostok.

The scientist noted that climate change can cause numerous problems. COVID-19 is only one virus, but humanity should expect new viruses to appear as a result of thawing ice in the permafrost zone, he said.

**Nikolai Korchunov,** special envoy of the Russian Foreign Ministry for Arctic cooperation and Senior Arctic Official, said that climate warming in northern latitudes is dangerous because thawing permafrost could release trapped viruses. (Photo: Elena Chernenko)

Viruses that have lain dormant in frozen soils for thousands of years may resurface as a result of global warming. In the process, there is a risk that microbes could be brought back to life and become a high health risk for mankind.

In this context, the Russian Federation has initiated a ‘biosecurity’ project within the framework of the Arctic Council.

Nikolai Korchunov clarified that the project aims to mitigate all “risks and threats related to both permafrost melting and future infections. “We need to deal with early prevention and be prepared to deal with these threats.”

“This priority was put on paper in the documents adopted at the Council’s May 2021 ministerial meeting in Reykjavik – the Declaration and a Strategic Plan form the first advanced planning document outlining key areas of cooperation in the Arctic through 2030. All members of the Council support the Russian Chairmanship’s approach.

Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal

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