scholarly journals Interdisciplinary cooperation on impacts of climate change in the Arctic

Eos ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 93 (39) ◽  
pp. 376-376
Author(s):  
Lois Wardell ◽  
Linling Chen ◽  
Sara Strey
2014 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 113-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Ann Kronk Warner ◽  
Randall S. Abate

The Arctic region is in crisis from the effects of climate change. The impacts of climate change pose a particular threat to Arctic indigenous communities. Because of the disproportionate impacts of climate change, these indigenous communities are environmental justice communities. Part I of this article discusses how indigenous nations are environmental justice communities and discusses the unique factors that may apply to environmental justice claims arising in Indian country. The article then presents two case studies to explore how, if at all, these concepts have been previously applied to environmental justice claims brought by various Arctic indigenous communities. Part II addresses the Inuit Circumpolar Conference’s petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Part III considers the Native Village of Kivalina’s lawsuit against numerous private emitters of greenhouse gases. These case studies underscore the failure of international and domestic forums’ consideration of the special situation of Arctic indigenous peoples as environmental justice communities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 468-497
Author(s):  
Clive Schofield ◽  
Suzanne Lalonde

Abstract This article addresses both the physical impacts and international legal issues arising from two interlinked stressors on Arctic coastlines: sea level rise and coastal erosion. Key aspects of the legal regime governing the baselines from which coastal States calculate the outer limits of their maritime zones are reviewed and a synopsis of the practice among the Arctic littoral States is provided. The article then turns to a discussion of the practical and international legal responses available to deal with the present and future challenge of rising seas and retreating coasts. The concluding section offers with some reflections on the way forward for a region experiencing some of the most devastating impacts of climate change.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Falardeau ◽  
Elena M. Bennett

Climate change affects Arctic marine ecosystems, the ecosystem services they provide, and the human well-being that relies on these services. The impacts of climate change in the Arctic and elsewhere involve cascading effects and feedbacks that flow across social-ecological systems (SES), such as when sea ice loss alters food security through changes in the distribution of marine animals. These cascades and feedbacks across social and ecological systems can exacerbate the effects of climate change or lead to surprising outcomes. Identifying where cascades and feedbacks may occur in SES can help anticipate, or even prevent unexpected outcomes of climate change, and lead to improved policy responses. Here, we perform a systematic literature review of multidisciplinary Arctic research to determine the state of knowledge of the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. Then, in a case study corresponding to Inuit regions, we use network analysis to integrate research into a SES perspective and identify which linkages have been most versus least studied, and whether some potential cascades and feedbacks have been overlooked. Finally, we propose ways forward to advance knowledge of changing Arctic marine SES, including transdisciplinary approaches involving multiple disciplines and the collaboration of Indigenous and local knowledge holders.


Climate ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilan Kelman ◽  
Marius Næss

Migration, especially of indigenous peoples, related to or influenced by climate change continues to gain increasing research and policy attention. Limited material remains for this topic for Scandinavia’s indigenous people, the Saami. This paper contributes to filling this gap by providing a review for the Scandinavian Saami of the possible impacts of climate change on migration. Environmental influences, social influences, and a synthesis through livelihoods impacts, including for reindeer herding, is provided, followed by a discussion of Saami responses to climate change and migration mainly through a governance analysis. Overall, climate change’s impacts on the Saami do not necessarily entail abandoning their traditions, livelihoods, or homes. Instead, the most significant impact is likely to be migrants moving into the Arctic to pursue resource opportunities. Working collaboratively with the Saami, policies and practices are needed to ensure that indigenous interests are respected and that indigenous needs are met.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Lipson ◽  
Kim Reasor ◽  
Kååre Sikuaq Erickson

<p>The predominantly Inupiat people of Utqiaġvik, Alaska are among those who will be most impacted by<br>climate change and the loss of Arctic sea ice in the near future. Subsistence hunting of marine mammals<br>associated with sea ice is central to the Inupiat way of life. Furthermore, their coastal homes and<br>infrastructure are increasingly subject to damage from increased wave action on ice-free Beaufort and<br>Chukchi Seas. While the people of this region are among the most directly vulnerable to climate change,<br>the subject is not often discussed in the elementary school curriculum. Meanwhile, in many other parts<br>of the world, the impacts of climate change are viewed as abstract and remote. We worked with fifth<br>grade children in Utqiaġvik both to educate them, but also to engage them in helping us communicate<br>to rest of the world, in an emotionally resonant way, the direct impacts of climate change on families in<br>this Arctic region.<br>The team consisted of a scientist (Lipson), an artist (Reasor) and an outreach specialist (Erickson) of<br>Inupiat heritage from a village in Alaska. We worked with four 5th grade classes of about 25 students<br>each at Fred Ipalook Elementary in Utqiaġvik, AK. The scientist gave a short lecture about sea ice and<br>climate change in the Arctic, with emphasis on local impacts to hunting and infrastructure (with<br>interjections from the local outreach specialist). We then showed the students a large poster of<br>historical and projected sea ice decline, and asked the students to help us fill in the white space beneath<br>the lines. The artist led the children in making small art pieces that represent things that are important<br>to their lives in Utqiaġvik (they were encouraged to paint animals, but they were free to do whatever<br>they wanted). We returned to the class later that week and had each student briefly introduce<br>themselves and their painting, and place it to the large graph of sea ice decline, which included the dire<br>predictions of the RCP8.5 scenario. At the end we added the more hopeful RCP2.6 scenario to end on a<br>positive note. The artist then painted in the more hopeful green line by hand.<br>The result was a poster showing historical and projected Arctic sea ice cover, with 100 beautiful<br>paintings by children of things that are dear to them about their home being squeezed into a smaller<br>region as the sea ice cover diminishes. We scanned all the artwork to make a digital version of the<br>poster, and left the original with the school. These materials are being converted into an interactive<br>webpage where viewers can click on the individual painting for detail, and get selected recordings of the<br>children’s statements about their artwork. This project can serve as a nucleus for communicating to<br>other classes and adults about the real impacts of climate change in people’s lives.</p>


2022 ◽  
pp. 136346152110666
Author(s):  
Laurence Lebel ◽  
Vincent Paquin ◽  
Tiff-Annie Kenny ◽  
Christopher Fletcher ◽  
Lucie Nadeau ◽  
...  

Climate change is disproportionally impacting the Circumpolar North, with particular impacts among Indigenous populations. Environmental changes are felt in many aspects of daily life of Northern communities, including both physical and mental health. Thus, health institutions from around the Arctic must meet emerging needs, while the phenomenon remains marginal to their southern counterparts. In this systematic review, we aimed to review current scientific knowledge on the mental health impacts of climate change in Indigenous Peoples across the Circumpolar North. Seven databases were searched. Original peer-reviewed research articles were included if they addressed links between climate change and mental health in Arctic or Subarctic Indigenous Populations. After extraction, data were synthesized using thematic analysis. Of the 26 articles that met inclusion criteria, 16 focused on Canadian Inuit communities and 21 were exclusively qualitative. Being on the land was identified as a central determinant of wellbeing. Immediate impacts of climate change on mental health were felt through restricted mobility and disrupted livelihoods. Effects on mental health were further felt through changes in culture and identity, food insecurity, interpersonal stress and conflicts, and housing problems. Various ways in how communities and individuals are coping with these effects were reported. Understanding climate-related pathways of mental health risks in the Arctic is crucial to better identify vulnerable groups and to foster resilience. Clinicians can play a role in recognizing and providing support for patients affected by these disruptions. Policies sensitive to the climate–mental health relationship must be advocated for.


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