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Cultures threatened

Cultures threatened by the effects of climate change in arctic locations must deal with changes in temperature, snow, and ice conditions. On one hand, the increase in warmth can have such benefits as greater ease of navigation along sea routes and lowered costs for heating. On the other hand, traditional sustenance practices and cultural systems face new stresses as well as new limitations on conventional solutions.

Though the practices and beliefs of indigenous arctic peoples vary between families as well as communities, cultures threatened within these regions encounter some common challenges. The Inuit and many others within the Arctic rely on hunting, fishing, herding, and gathering food directly within their environment for at least half of their nourishment, often more. Caribou, seals, walruses, and polar bears are some traditionally-hunted animals whose ranges of location have shifted as a result of changes in ice conditions. This makes them harder to locate, while thinner ice makes the hunt more dangerous.

Many roles within traditional communities are based on certain individuals hunting and certain ones preparing the food while others focus on gathering. For this reason, cultures threatened by climate change and its effect on food availability may also find traditional social systems falling apart. In previous times, nomadic lifestyles allowed people dealing with this harsh environment to move to better locations. Unfortunately, newer government regulations and economy systems make this option less feasible, if not impossible, to pursue today.