Securing Threatened Maritime Corridors

Abstract

The significance of safe and secure transportation has increased considering recent geopolitical shifts, including the Russian-Ukrainian war and the Israeli-Hamas conflict. The latter caused shipping companies to opt for more secure transportation routes despite the associated costs, and new routes avoiding high-risk areas have become more prominent. As part of the Belt and Road Initiative's (BRI) 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road, which connects Europe and Asia via the Red Sea and Suez route, major shipping companies had to circumnavigate the Cape of Good Hope in response to the Houthis' attacks. The U.S. Operation “Prosperity Guardian” and “Operation Aspides” launched by the E.U. did not entirely deter Houthi strikes against commercial ships with links to Israel. The increased frequency of piracy attacks in the Indian Ocean is another risk posed to commercial ships after the disruption in the Red Sea because of an increase in the intensity of shipping off the coasts of Eastern Africa. The security risks associated with the 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road and the potential security risks for the sea passages of the India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) corridor are examined in this study. The conclusion drawn is that despite existing drawbacks such as capacity issues, there is potential for increased utilization of the Arctic Route and other multimodal transport corridors in the future for transporting goods from Asia to Europe.