Expired News - Remote Alaskan village may need to be relocated due to climate change - The Weather Network
Your weather when it really mattersTM

Country

Please choose your default site

Americas

Asia - Pacific

Europe

News

Remote Alaskan village may need to be relocated due to climate change

Kivalina file photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Kivalina file photo courtesy: Wikipedia


Cheryl Santa Maria
Digital Reporter

Thursday, February 26, 2015, 1:03 PM - Warming temperatures are leading to diminished ice around Kivalina, a remote Alaskan village 133 kilometres above the Arctic Circle, and as a result leaving the tiny space of land exposed to to powerful waves.

Authorities believe area may soon become a danger to its 400 inhabitants and are exploring the idea of relocation.

"Global warming has caused us so much problems," Joseph Swan, Sr., a Kivalina elder, said at a town meeting last week according to the Washington Post.

He added the ice “does not freeze like it used to. It used to be like 10 to 8 feet thick, way out in the ocean."

The Iñupiat people who inhabit the region have hunted bowhead whales swimming under the sea ice for generations, but the recent warming trend has made the practice impossible.


RELATED: New Zealand accepts climate change refugees


Village elders are working with authorities to determine the best course of action for the community.

Moving Kivalina further inland or down the coast could cost upwards of $100 million.

Kivalina isn't alone: A 2009 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified 31 villages that face "imminent" environmental threats and may be forced to relocate.

U.S. President Barack Obama has proposed spending $50.4 million to help Native American communities mitigate the impact of climate change.

Should Kivalina decide to relocate, it's unclear where the outstanding $49.6 million would come from.

Sources: GAO | The Washington Post

RELATED VIDEO: CLIMATE CHANGE IN CANADA:

Default saved
Close

Search Location

Close

Sign In

Please sign in to use this feature.