Territories on Moon should be marked for resources rather than being free for all, as on Antarctica

In the words of Ann Mclain, we humans were built for exploration, and we were built to do it together.  

Helium-3... molecular water... hydrogen
Strides in space exploration have confirmed that the moon and other celestial bodies are gold mines of rare and essential resources which are crucial for space exploration. The tapping of these valuable resources on the moon would be highly beneficial for the advancement of mankind. 

However, when tapping these resources, it is highly imperative to ensure that it safeguards both the interest of mankind and the commercial interest of the country putting in the money and manpower. 

I strongly believe that considering the quantum of effort and investment required in moon exploration, treaties like the Moon Agreement, which are on similar lines to Antarctica treaty may not work on the Moon. Why would a country put in their efforts when they know that the benefits will be reaped by all including countries who did not add anything financially or technologically to the mission.  

Additionally, the free for all approach will favour the technologically advanced and powerful countries who will take up a major part of the resources leaving the underdeveloped countries with a miniscule amount.

Demarcation of territories is to lease, not sell the region to the country for a definite year. Learnings from history have also proved that demarcation of territories early on prevents future differences and complications. 

Artemis Accords, an international agreement drafted by the US Government rejects the highly ambiguous Moon Agreement. Countries are worried that the “common heritage of mankind” implies that nations who don’t do anything financially or technologically to extract resources would receive the benefits, thereby lessening the motivation for countries with the capacity to invest in research and development. 

We all know that in an office if all the workers are compensated equally irrespective of the efforts put by them, then it may reduce the motivation of the hardest workers to remain productive. Hence it is important to mark territories and come up with a treaty agreement which safeguards the commercial interests of the country and keeps it motivated to continue the exploration.

Also keeping moon explorations free for all, i.e. countries competing without restriction will lead to unequal distribution of resources among the developed and the under-developed countries. Our aim today is to bridge the gap between the countries, the haves and the have-nots. However the strategy of keeping resources free for all will widen the gap between them. This lies at the heart of our political and economic problems.  

Moreover, drawing on the ideas of the early theorists who emerged during the Industrial Revolution, mainstream economists believe that human beings develop an inherent need to control resources. Taking that in respect of the lunar surface, a fragile environment, sharing of resources will lead to disputes and troubled relations. We don't want countries fighting. Just the way we have a world order on earth where the limits of the demarcated territories are known, we need to build the same on the Moon.

Going back in time, it is observed that disputes about territories occurred because nobody knew where the line was or because the line had never been drawn. For example until 1972, much of the boundary between Morocco and Algeria was never formally defined having been declared ‘superfluous’ because the area was largely uninhabited; All these uncertainties have given rise to disputes. So it is time we formalize the territories early on to avoid any future conflict and maintain a cohesive and peaceful environment on the Moon.

This demarcation however, should not be rigid or opaque (like a wall), it should be more like a fence (porous). A fence eliminates any chance of someone trespassing into a zone which belongs to another country, but still allows certain resources and information to be passed through. Countries can use resources in their territory for commercial benefits, however a fair portion should be dedicated towards the upliftment of mankind. To keep a check on the overconsumption of resources there should be a cap on the commercial benefit a country can gain from the space resources.   

It has also been noticed that countries and people cooperate and share resources till the time there is adequate availability. Take the example of water on Earth. Earlier, when there was sufficient availability, people shared it amicably because everybody was able to get as much as they required. As the population grew, the water consumption increased and now only an exhaustible quantity of water is left on Earth. This awareness led to conflicts over how much water each country will consume. Going through history, we can ultimately see the timeline of the source of disputes. 

The Moon, like Earth, is a limited resource, which has valuable resources only at some places in a limited quantity. Some time in future, even resources on the Moon will become scarce which will eventually lead to conflicts. Demarcation of territories will ensure that there is controlled consumption of resources and is not overconsumed by any one country.

In the end, I would like to reiterate that there is a huge difference between claiming ‘sovereignty’ in space, and ‘marking territories for usage’. The concept is clearly exemplified by the saying “owning the fish, not the sea”. No nation can “OWN” space or any other body, as mentioned in the Moon agreement. However, with the help of debates and referendums, it is definitely possible that all 195 countries of the world can come to a consensus with regard to resource distribution with the help of territories, according to the need. The ancient Roman maxim, ‘Quod omnes tangit ab omnibus approbatur’ (What touches all must be approved by all) will prove to be useful in this kind of scenario.

Hence, it is highly important to demarcate territories at the right time and on the right parameters with clear guidelines for exclusive use between national entities. 

Views expressed are personal P.S. - A special thank you to Aanya Yaduvanshi for contributing in writing this article and sharing her valuable thoughts and suggestions.