The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of January 10, 2022

Increase in Lightning Storms in High Arctic Lighting Storms Worries Scientists

The Guardian reported on January 7 that the high Arctic has experienced over four times the number of lightning strikes in 2021 than in 2020, with a total of 7 278 separate strikes logged by Finnish meteorological services firm Vaisala. The firm notes that while lightning strikes across the Arctic region during the last 10 years have remained largely consistent, there has been a marked increase north of the 80th parallel. Vaisala concluded that the increase in the lighting strikes is caused by the increased temperatures in the region, which is changing the atmosphere of the high Arctic at a rapid pace. (The Guardian)

Take 1: As a region traditionally almost absent of lightning strikes thanks to a stable climate with low moisture and temperature, the increase in Arctic lightning storms is alarming. Previous years on record prior to 2018 have seen less than 100 lighting strikes in the region. The increase is therefore drastic- with close to double the lighting strikes in 2021 as in the previous nine years combined! Of particular concern is the insufficient infrastructure to manage the increased lighting storms in the region. The deficiency leaves local communities vulnerable to the increasing lighting strikes, and to alleviate it requires significant investment by both regional and national governments. This all highlights the need for swift and comprehensive action on climate change. With the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) calling the Arctic the climate change “barometer” of the world, such a significant change must be taken very seriously. This is particularly troubling as the Arctic is warming at more than three times the rate of the rest of the world, meaning that as air moisture and temperatures increase, lightning storms are going to become a regular occurrence. In an environment wholly unaccustomed to such events, the result will be further destabilization across the region. (Greenpeace, The Guardian, UNEP, Vaisala)

Climate Change Causing Damage and Destruction to Homes Across the Arctic

The BBC reported on January 11 that a review study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment concludes that 70% of the infrastructure in the Arctic is at risk of severe damage by 2050 as a result of permafrost melt. The international team of scientists estimate that tens of billions of dollars would be needed to remedy the ongoing destruction of infrastructure as the ground shifts, sinkholes form and areas flood. The research highlights that these changes will also affect up to 30-50% of critical infrastructure like pipelines, water and sewage systems, and road transport. (BBC)

Take 2: The study findings have widespread ramifications. Infrastructure constructed on permafrost has been extensive by all Arctic nations. Heavy investments in the region by the United States and Russia make these countries especially vulnerable. Over 85% of native Alaskan villages are impacted by erosion and flooding, while in Russia, up to 80% of the buildings on permafrost have suffered damage to some degree. While these figures are likely to increase for already constructed infrastructure, it also puts into question the long-term viability of any new construction. This is particularly concerning for Russia and Greenland, who are both attempting to considerably expand their infrastructure in the Arctic region such as through Russia’s Northern Sea Route, or Greenland’s airport construction projects. To counteract soil erosion and flooding construction, companies may have to move the planned sites of buildings and build significantly stronger foundations, or risk continuous spiralling costs of infrastructure repair. These considerations are likely to reduce the economic incentive for companies to invest in the region. At the same time, the costs will be environmental as well as economic– unstable soil from permafrost melt was one of the main reasons for the catastrophic 2020 Norilsk oil spill, which saw the rupture of a diesel storage facility with over 21,000 tons of oil expelled into the surrounding environment. (BBC, BBC, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, OECD, The Arctic Institute, White House)

Inuit Youth Outdoor Programme in Nunavik Grows Despite Pandemic

The CBC reported on January 9 that the Inuit youth group Nurrait, also known by its French name Jeunes Karibus, has grown to 300 participants during 2021 despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Modifying its programmes to match regulations, and expanding the non-profit organisation to include programmes aimed at vulnerable youth and adults, the organisation is now present in all 14 Nunavik villages. (CBC)

Take 3: While the pandemic has impacted the mental health of people worldwide, it has disproportionately affected Indigenous communities, as highlighted by a 2020 report from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA). A historical underfunding of infrastructure, and lack of social services, are seen as a particularly major concern as social problems associated with the pandemic develop. However, the expansion of Nurrait makes it possible to challenge some of these social issues facing the Inuit community. By going from a traditional focus on outdoor activities connecting youth, to now functioning as a “professional internship programme” hiring social workers and teaching carpentry skills, the programme is making it possible for Nunavik youth to improve their mental health while gaining employable skills and workplace experience. The Nurrait programme provides a powerful example of what the civil sector is able to achieve, yet more comprehensive measures are clearly needed. A significant investment of political and financial capital from the Canadian government is essential to alleviate the issues facing the population of Nunavik. As the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) continues to emphasise, resolving deeper infrastructural issues, particularly access to clean water and adequate housing, are essential to improving the health of the Inuit community- during the pandemic, but also in the future. (CBC, ICC, UN-DESA)

Cargo Delays Lead to Empty Shelves in Iqaluit

CBC News reported on January 11 that significant delays in the transport of groceries to communities in Qikiqtaaluk have seen multiple food stores in Iqaluit empty for several days, with some orders delayed up to four days. The disruption in the food supply shipments has led to the regional Nunavut government stepping in to assist with the running of the airborne supplier Canadian North. Canadian North blames weather conditions and Covid-19 isolation rules for its disrupted service and has vowed to focus on the food transport reducing its passenger flights where possible. (CBC)

Take 4: The cargo delays that have disrupted daily life in Iqaluit could look to be a regular occurrence for the foreseeable future, as main carrier of produce Canada North has been facing issues recruiting staff following a drop in employee numbers due to the first wave of the pandemic. The added effects of Covid illness with a poor economic climate have led the government to step in and recruit further carriers. However, this is not a solution sustainable in the long-term. A steadily growing population which has doubled since 1999- and is set to double again in 20 years time- presents an additional problem for the city’s already strained supply system. However, the ongoing issue of food insecurity may give residents and local government further negotiating power in acquiring funding for a new deep seaport, as the Canadian government has announced $4.3 billion to be distributed in a 4-year indigenous infrastructure development scheme. Despite being the region’s largest city, Iqaluit lacks a proper port, something which could be used to reduce dependency on airborne suppliers as well as attract economic development to the area. Currently, only $711.2 million of the grant has been invested across Indigenous communities in Canada to support what the national government deems to be ‘fundamental’ infrastructure: transport, fire-services, and energy systems. However, for the Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern, current investments are not enough- especially as Iqaluit faces a $160 million infrastructure deficit needed to resolve its supply issues, as well as waste treatment, and insufficient water in its local reservoir. Securing money for these projects will remain a top priority for Mayor Redfern and her team. (CBC, CBC, CBC, Indigenous Services Canada, The Maritime Executive)

Norwegian Wind Farms Still Standing Despite Sámi Victory in Court Battle

France24 reported on January 13 that despite a Norwegian Supreme Court verdict in October 2021 concluding that the Storheia and Roan wind farms on the Fosen Peninsula were constructed without valid operating permits and expropriation authorisations in violation of the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Norwegian government has not moved to dismantle the wind parks. Built on reindeer herding territory, herders claim that the 151 wind turbines have left local grazing areas unusable. The reindeer herders are Sámi, an Indigenous people who mainly occupy the Arctic regions of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia known as Sápmi. The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced that they are gathering more evidence before making a decision on how best to respect the ruling, something which the Sámi herders claim is a stalling tactic. (France24)

Take 5: Indigenous rights have been a long running issue in the Fenno-Scandian countries, with the right to land a particularly contentious topic. The Norwegian Supreme court ruling is a landmark legislation that will impact the rights of Sámi people across the region, as other communities look to use this ruling as precedent in their own cases. The legal aspects of the matter see the Sámi argue that their rights to their way of life, guaranteed in both the Norwegian constitution and the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights more broadly, are violated. The UN 2030 Development Goals have also clearly stated that no one should be left behind in the green transition, something the Sámi argue is happening as their herding territories are being industrially developed to become wind farms. Nevertheless, for the Norwegian state, dismantlement and relocation of one of its largest wind farms complexes might be a price too high for a country already facing a sluggish green transition and international condemnation for its substantial oil development programme. Yet, unless a compromise is reached with the local Sámi herders, any continued operation of the wind farm will be a source of substantial antagonism with the minority Sámi community. Dubbed as ‘green colonialism’ by detractors, the increasing encroachment of renewable energy development into large amounts of land containing Indigenous communities represents one of the most problematic aspects of the global green transition. (Arctic Review, France24, Minority Rights, UN-DESA)