The rapidly changing Arctic and its societal implications

Abstract

The Arctic is undergoing rapid climate change and is projected to experience the most warming this century of any world region. We review the societal aspects of these current and projected changes. Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge holders living in communities across the Arctic have detected unprecedented increases in temperature, altered precipitation regimes, and changing weather patterns, documenting impacts on terrestrial and marine environments. These local observations situate climate change as one of multiple interacting stressors. Arctic societies have exhibited resilience to climate change, but vulnerabilities are emerging at the nexus of changing environmental conditions and socioeconomic pressures. Infrastructure is highly susceptible to permafrost thaw, coastal erosion, and sea level rise, compounded by the age of infrastructure, maintenance challenges, and cost of adapting. Livelihoods and cultural activities linked to subsistence harvesting have been affected by changes to wildlife, with coping mechanisms undermined by long‐term processes of land dispossession and landscape fragmentation. Reduced sea ice coverage and changing ice dynamics are creating opportunities for enhanced shipping, oil and gas production, and deep‐water fisheries. Legal, infrastructural, economic, and climatic challenges are expected to constrain such developments, with concerns over the distribution of potential benefits. Adaptation is already taking place in some sectors and regions, with efforts directly targeting climate impacts and also addressing underlying determinants of vulnerability. Barriers and limits to adapting are evident. Research that develops projections of future climate impacts is advancing, but studies examining the implications of such changes for communities or economies remain in their infancy. This article is categorized under: Trans‐Disciplinary Perspectives > Regional Reviews

Multi-hazard susceptibility mapping of cryospheric hazards in a high-Arctic environment: Svalbard Archipelago

“…In addition, there is a lot of transport by snow mobile and dog sledging during the winter season, and on foot in this area for recreational and practical purposes. This makes the present study highly relevant from a societal point of view, considering that this century the Arctic will undergo the most rapid projected climate change of any other region around the globe (Ford et al, 2021).…”

Moving Forward Together: Weaving Indigenous and Western Sciences with Practices and Peoples in Aquatic Research in Inuit Nunangat

“…In recent years, altered species availability and accessibility as well as unpredictable environmental conditions have rendered harvesting increasingly difficult and dangerous (Berkes and Jolly, 2001;Ford et al, 2013;Hansen et al, 2013), and disrupted relationships between Inuit and the land (Watt-Cloutier, 2015;Karetak et al, 2017). Understanding local changes can inform community decision-making in relation to species and habitat conservation and management, and support Inuit in fostering further resilience and adaptive capacity to environmental changes (Riedlinger and Berkes, 2001;Flynn et al, 2018;Ford et al, 2021).…”

“…When woven together, Indigenous and Western science observations can increase confidence and the depth of knowledge generated (Huntington et al, 2004;Gearheard et al, 2009). These collaborative efforts can strengthen conservation and co-management by enabling a richer understanding of ecosystem shifts, and community context and impacts (e.g., cultural, political, socioeconomic) (Ban et al, 2018;AMAP, 2018;Alexander et al, 2019;ICC, 2021;Ford et al, 2021). Mi'kmaw Elder Dr. Albert Marshall refers to this "gift of multiple perspective[s]" as Etuaptmumk (Mi'kmaw for 'Two-Eyed Seeing'), which is "learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing, and from the other eye with the strengths of Western knowledges and ways and knowing, and to us[e] both these eyes together, for the benefit of all" (Bartlett et al, 2012, p. 335).…”

“…Inuit resilience and adaptation to environmental change across Inuit Nunangat, the homelands of Inuit in the place now called Canada 16 , are being challenged by Arctic warming occurring nearly three times faster than the global average (Watt-Cloutier, 2015;Ford et al, 2021;IPCC, 2022). Profound disruptions in aquatic ecosystems are affecting species distribution, seasonal range, phenology, and interactions (Wassmann et al, 2011;AMAP, 2017;Huntington et al, 2020).…”

“…Temperature and ice-related changes are enabling increased shipping and the expansion of industrial activities, including the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas, minerals, fisheries, and tourism (Arctic Council, 2009;AMAP, 2018;Dawson et al, 2020). This multiplicity of threats creates a need for increased information to assess change occurring at local scales to guide community decision-making and planning (Flynn et al, 2018;Ford et al, 2021). In recent years, collaborations between Indigenous and Western scientists have grown, enabling more complete insight into shifting ecosystems and cultural relationships between Inuit and their land, or nuna in Inuktut 17 .…”