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How Red Sea attacks put India's trade at risk?

The Houthi militia in Yemen has carried out a series of attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, making the usual route through the Suez Canal unsafe. As a result, ships have to take a longer route around the Cape of Good Hope, which is more expensive and time-consuming for deliveries. Since November, the Houthi rebels in Yemen have been attacking ships in the Red Sea as a way to demonstrate their solidarity with Hamas in the conflict with Israel.

Significance of the Red Sea trade route

  • The Red Sea has been a crucial route connecting civilizations and continents such as Asia, Africa, and Europe throughout history. 
  • The Suez Canal, established in 1869, has served as a major trade route, significantly reducing the distance between Europe and Asia by 7000km. 
  • Additionally, due to its economic importance and strategic location, particularly the narrow width of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea has also gained geopolitical significance.

 

red sea

Why Red?

Red Sea doesn’t appear red at all.

  • A popular hypothesis about the origins of the Red Sea''s name is that it contains a cyanobacteria called Trichodesmium erythraeum (a red-colored algae), which turns the normally blue-green water a reddish-brown.
  • Some other scholars believe it is linked to the way Asiatic languages often use colors to refer to cardinal directions, with “red” referring to “south” just as the Black Sea may be referring to the north.
  • If you’re diving in the Red Sea during a seasonal algal bloom, you may see a red tinge in the water

Physical Features

  • The Red Sea lies in a fault depression that separates two great blocks of Earth’s crust—Arabia and North Africa.
  • The land on either side, inland from the coastal plains, reaches heights of more than 6,560 feet above sea level, with the highest land in the south.
  • At its northern end the Red Sea splits into two parts, the Gulf of Suez to the northwest and the Gulf of Aqaba to the northeast.
  • The Gulf of Suez is shallow—approximately 180 to 210 feet deep—and it is bordered by a broad coastal plain. The Gulf of Aqaba, on the other hand, is bordered by a narrow plain, and it reaches a depth of 5,500 feet.

Salinity

The Red Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, Here are the reasons

  • High evaporation and low precipitation;
  • No significant rivers or streams drain into the sea, and
  • Its southern connection to the Gulf of Aden, an arm of the Indian Ocean, is narrow.
  • Its salinity ranges from between ~36 ‰ in the southern part and 41 ‰ in the northern part around the Gulf of Suez, with an average of 40 ‰. (Average salinity for the world''s seawater is ~35 ‰ on the Practical Salinity Scale, or PSU; that translates to 3.5% of actual dissolved salts).

Biodiversity:

  • The unique habitats of the Red sea support a wide range of marine life, including sea turtles, dugongs, dolphins and many endemic fish species.
  • Coral reefs mainly extend along the northern and central coasts, and decrease in abundance towards the southern region, as coastal waters become more turbid.
  • The special biodiversity of the area is recognized by the Egyptian government, who set up the Ras Mohammed National Park in 1983. The rules and regulations governing this area protect local marine life, which has become a major draw for diving enthusiasts.

Economic aspects

  • Resources - Five major types of mineral resources are found in the Red Sea region: petroleum deposits, evaporite deposits (sediments laid down as a result of evaporation, such as halite, sylvite, gypsum, and dolomite), sulfur, phosphates, and the heavy-metal deposits
  • Navigation-Red Sea is a part of an important trade route connecting Europe to Asia (Through Suez Canal)
  • Tourism - The sea is known for its recreational diving sites.

Impact on India

  • Global shipping companies have started adding additional charges to their normal freight rates due to the recent attacks along the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
  • Indian exporters are concerned that if the security threats in the Red Sea trade route continue, freight rates for shipments to Europe and Africa could increase by 25-30%. 
  • This is problematic for India as the European Union is one of its major export destinations, and the reduced demand from the region is impacting labour-intensive sectors like textiles and jewellery exports.

India has implemented various actions to address the issue:

  • The Indian Navy has substantially increased force levels and greatly enhanced maritime surveillance operations in the central and northern Arabian Sea.
  • To perform maritime security operations and support merchant vessels in case of an incident a task group composed of destroyers and frigates have been assigned to the mission.
  • Long-range maritime patrol aircraft and RPAs have added complete marine domain awareness to aerial surveillance.
  • The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy are partnering closely to ensure efficient monitoring within its economic exclusive zone.
  • The Indian navy together with various national marine authorities monitor the overall situation.
  • It is not yet clear whether India will participate in Operation Prosperity Guardian, as announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to protect trade routes in the Red Sea.


POSTED ON 07-01-2024 BY ADMIN
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