1
Name
Professor
Climatology
24 February 2024
Capstone Assignment 2
What is the threat?
According to the report issued by the US Global Change Research Program, the Arctic in Northern Quebec impacts of climate change are multilayered and touch upon ecosystems, environments, and human societies. The fast sea ice reduction leads to higher sea levels, ecosystem disruption, and the threat to the traditional livelihoods of the indigenous communities that rely on ice for hunting and transport (Chapter 11).
Why is that place/region vulnerable?
Northern Quebec is vulnerable because of fast rate of warming, caused by polar amplification and mechanisms of feedback such as the albedo effect, triggers the alteration of the ecosystem and disturbance of ice-cover-dependent communities (Chapter 11). Sea ice melting threatens marine animals and the means of living of indigenous nations.
What are the forecasts in terms of environmental change?
Predictions imply that the Arctic will keep getting warmer, resulting in decreased sea ice, a thawing of the permafrost, and a change in the weather conditions. Such alterations will most likely lead to significant consequences for Arctic communities, such as shortages of the supplies that people have been dependent on, for example, for food, as well as the impact of infrastructure built on unstable permafrost and increased threat of coastal erosion and flooding.
What are the forecasted impacts on communities?
The alleged consequences on the socio-economic sphere of the Arctic communities are numerous. Intense climate changes undermine the essential earning activities of indigenous groups, such as hunting and fishing. The thawed permafrost creates problems for infrastructure, thus leading to repairs or more expensive relocation (Chapter 11). The surge of sea levels enhances the risks of coastal erosion and flooding, and accordingly, residential properties and cultural sites are endangered. Challenges to health worsen due to diseases transferred through the water as a result of permafrost thawing and disruptions to health access. Economic difficulties are due to the inability to access traditional resources as well as higher adaptation costs, which could intensify poverty (Chapter 11). The handling of those impacts requires close collaboration of various stakeholders who could develop resilience strategies adapted to the reality of the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of Arctic communities.
What are the solutions? (If applicable)?
Adaptation strategies are necessary to solve the problems related to the vulnerabilities faced by the Arctic communities. Examples can be engaging in building infrastructure resistant to thawing permafrost, working with indigenous knowledge and practices, and fostering viable economic development sensitive to the environment and unique cultural heritage of the Arctic region. Furthermore, there is a need for a global deployment of emissions reduction strategies to ease the pressure caused by climate change and its impacts on the Arctic and beyond.
Works Cited
Chapter 11: Arctic Changes and their Effects on Alaska and the Rest of the United States. https://science2017.globalchange.gov/chapter/11/
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