The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of December 13, 2021

New Covid Restrictions Cast Shadow on Visits to Santa Claus in Finland

As reported by The Barents Observer on December 15, arge of Covid-19 cases in Finnish Lapland is becoming a major source of concern for the local tourism industry. The region has seen its highest coronavirus infection rates since the start of the pandemic, with a total of 276 infections diagnosed in the regional hospital district last week. During this time, the proportion of tourists among all infections in Lapland rose from 3.5 percent to 16.5 percent. Tougher restrictions are now being evaluated by the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, including the need for international travelers to provide two negative test results upon arrival. (The Barents Observer)

Take 1: The potential decision to enforce vaccination in Finnish Lapland has both benefits and downsides. The many measures taken to safeguard public health, including vaccine passports, lockdowns, home-offices, the closure of public and educational spaces, and so on, have all had dramatic impacts on the global economy and overall health of the population. From bankruptcy to worse mental health, the Covid-19 pandemic will continue to have long lasting impacts – some of which are yet to be uncovered. For Finnish Lapland, whose tourism industry relies on its recognition as the home of Santa Claus, a decrease in international travel at this time of the year will be a e a hard blow for the local tourism industry. The impact will be particularly devastating as tourism professionals were hoping to gather many travelers during the upcoming high season to recover from the damage of the last two years. Let’s not forget Santa Claus himself. With Christmas quickly arriving, we better hope that a return to international restrictions will not prevent the beloved figure and his elves from embarking on their much-anticipated global tour.

Trial By Fire: Covid-19 Outbreak in Kalaallit Nunaat

As reported by the Eye on the Arctic on December 10, a current COVID-19 outbreak in Upernavik, Greenland, has triggered the launch of a new strategy by Greenlandic health authorities after 200 people tested positive. Due to the extent of the outbreak, the government says all residents must now be considered “close contacts,” and are therefore requested to limit social contact as much as possible. The new strategy will further focus on delivering quick treatment for those in need, expanding testing capacity, and creating a system to manage the virus should it spread to further settlements around Upernavik. (Eye on the Arctic)

Take 2: Kalaallit Nunaat’s (Greenland) successful management of Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic has been a major source of legitimacy for the government as it seeks independence from Denmark. Now able to prove its resilience and crisis management capabilities once more, the self-governing capabilities of Naalakkeruisut (Cabinet of Greenland) could be even further strengthened. However, the crisis management comes amid the context of very limited healthcare resources and precarious living conditions for many, taking place at the same time the country faces a major housing shortage. These two dynamics combined, a Covid-19 epidemic will spread like fire with very little room for manoeuvre. Under these conditions, this recent outbreak is the latest test of the Naalakkersut’s governing capacities. The result will be a trial by fire, one which could either leave the new Cabinet with a damaged record, or provide further support in their legitimacy. (Nordic Co-operation)

Iqaluit’s Drinking Water Finally Drinkable Again

As reported by High North News on December 15, the Government of Nunavut has declared Iqaluit’s drinking water fit for consumption after Nunavut’s Chief Public Health Officer confirmed that hydrocarbon levels in the water are either undetectable or within safe levels. Since October 12, Iqaluit’s drinking water has been contaminated with petroleum, with a do-not-drink advisory in place for the local population. (High North News)

Take 3: It is difficult to wrap your head around two months of undrinkable running water in Canada, one of the world’s richest countries. Two months, even amid a global health pandemic! Yet some Indigenous communities in Canada have in fact not had safe drinking water for decades, a deeply entrenched discrimination the country is finally facing fierce criticism for. Infrastructure in the North is a continuous challenge for the safety and development of the region, where housing, as well as public health facilities, struggle to meet the demands from the local population. Unsanitary and overcrowded homes are a major source of health insecurity, especially for women and children. Failure to provide basic public amenities like running water further reinforces potential harmful conditions for those most at risk. People are now faced with choosing between minimising Covid-exposure and searching for water, revealing the vulnerability of the community to potential large outbreaks. Building crisis adaptation governing capacities comes through sufficient and efficient local infrastructure. In the context of Nunavut, excessive building and management costs mean that this will continue to be a struggle. (Global News, Nunavut Government)

Marine Trash in Not-So-Pristine-Anymore Arctic Ocean

As reported by Arctic Today on December 14, scientists are warning of increasing amounts of marine trash in the Arctic due to a rise of shipping activities in the region. The direct relationship of the observed increase in pollution to climate change through Arctic sea ice loss and the opening of new shipping routes, were outlined in the 2021 Arctic Report Card released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this Tuesday. (Arctic Today)

Take 4: The latest annual report on Arctic regional navigation by the Canadian Observatoire de la Politique et de la Sécurité de l’Arctique (OPSA) details how most maritime traffic is composed of supply traffic for local communities and traffic related to resource extraction. In December, the Russian Ministry of Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic announced the need to ensure northern shipments in order to better safeguard the health and living conditions of local communities in the future. There is clearly a tension between needing to provide northern communities with livelihoods and resources in order to not only survive, but thrive, but also needing to protect the fragile Arctic environment from mass pollution caused by shipping. However, decreasing sea ice and permafrost in the region does not only jeopardize regional ecosystems with consequences for the wider world , but also deeply impacts the ability of local communities to live on the resources provided by their lands alone. This renders the increased shipments as described as necessary for community wellbeing counterproductive. A vicious circle is coming into existence. Insecurity caused by climate change reinforces dependence on the State and its remotely sourced supplies. However, this reliance in turn contributes to yet more environmental degradation in the region. Breaking free from this vicious circle may not only come through the implementation of strong emission-reduction targets, but also through a rethinking of power dynamics between local communities and governing institutions regarding land management. The North American Land Back movement is fueled by the return of degraded land to those with the knowledge and ontological foundations needed for sustainable usage. Could the increasing amounts of trash in the Arctic Ocean lead to an equivalent regional -or even circumpolar- “Water Back” movement? (The Arctic)

Tanning weather? Summer in the Russian Arctic

As reported by BBC News on December 14, all-time record Arctic temperatures observed in Russia last June have now been confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization. The temperature of 38 degrees Celsius, 18 degrees higher than the daily maximum average, was recorded in the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk on the 20th of June 2020. The WMO said the result was measured at a meteorological station during “an exceptional and prolonged Siberian heatwave“. It is the first time the UN specialized agency has included the Arctic Circle in its collection of extreme weather reports. (BBC)

Take 5: Now officially recognised as some of the most extreme weather ever seen in the Arctic, the heatwave in Siberia notably caused massive wildfires which both released record amounts of carbon, and caused massive sea ice loss at the time. However, heatwaves in the region not only have the potential to cause unprecedented massive wildfires, but also accelerate the thawing of the permafrost. In addition to the release of greenhouse gases, this thawing releases both known and unknown viruses and bacteria. The consequences of the Russian heatwave are therefore multilayered. Sea ice loss and wildfires both deeply impact local ecosystems by destabilizing already fragile dynamics, which in turn gravely impact the ability of local communities to find livelihood opportunities and sustain their cultural practices. The vulnerabilization of local Indigenous communities then opens the region to exploitation interests. These interests often disregard local communities which do not have sufficient political power and capital to become equal negotiators. Changing the narrative regarding respect for local Indigenous peoples is therefore challenged by the ongoing climate crisis. The recently measured temperatures in Verkhoyansk can therefore be considered a symbol of underlying political and economic power dynamics; dynamics built on a continued legacy of exploitation. (The Barents Observer)