Ny Alesund, Arctic Circle:
The frozen land mass of the Arctic stretches for miles in each direction as our small propeller plane makes its short flight from Longyearbyen to Ny Alesund. This small settlement was first inhabited in 1916 during World War I to mine coal for battleships. Today, a united effort by the world is driving some of the top scientists to this place to understand and find ways to save the planet from the effects of climate change.
And there is reason to be worried says Jan-Gunnar Winther, the director of Polar Research Institute. "There is no question, Arctic ice is melting and is doing so at a rate not imagined by scientists."
There is cause for concern for countries like India. If the ice melts at a fast rate, this would directly find its way into the oceans, threatening coastal countries like India.
"It's not just the increase in sea level," says Manish Tewari, one of the Indian scientists posted at Himadri, the country's research station which was inaugurated by Union minister Kapil Sibal in 2008. "But the change in temperatures here have a bearing on the global weather pattern and air currents including the Indian monsoon," he adds.
Finding out some of those links are people of more than 20 nationalities who work in some of the 68 buildings here. Space can be quite an issue as most labs and homes are squeezed in the old mining huts and work areas left over from 1916. The Norwegian authorities, who manage and run the facilities, try and ensure that everyone gets space, but also put equal emphasis on ensuring that this pristine environment is not damaged by adding more structures, unless absolutely necessary.
While India is one of the countries to get a lab here, scientists come and work during the summer months. New Delhi has planned to spend more than 12 million dollars over the next five years to increase and add to its lab. It also plans to station a permanent scientific group in the coming years.