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Climate strategies: thinking through Arctic examples
Barbara Bodenhorn1, Olga Ulturgasheva2
1Department of Social Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RD, UK bb106@cam.ac.uk.
Summary
Extreme weather in Siberia and Alaska is increasing, requiring flexible adaptation strategies. Local responses and flexibility are crucial for survival, alongside mitigation and adaptation policies for Arctic communities.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Climate Change Studies
- Arctic Research
Background:
- Frequent and unpredictable extreme weather events in Siberia and Alaska are causing significant infrastructure damage and threatening indigenous livelihoods.
- The Arctic region acts as a global climate driver, with future resource potential creating a conflict between environmental preservation and development goals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of increasing extreme weather events in Siberia and Alaska.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of local adaptive strategies and challenge centralized planning assumptions.
- To propose flexibility as a key survival value for Arctic communities and planners.
Main Methods:
- Drawing on material and case studies from Siberia and Alaska.
- Analyzing the interplay of local politics and strategic planning in extreme event response.
- Examining the tension between environmental and development objectives in the Arctic.
Main Results:
- Extreme weather events are becoming normalized in the Arctic, leading to fluctuating material demands and challenges in future needs assessment.
- Local-level responsive strategies are vital and should be integrated into planning, moving beyond a 'center-out' approach.
- Flexibility is identified as a critical survival value for diverse stakeholders, from reindeer herders to urban planners.
Conclusions:
- Arctic communities require integrated mitigation and adaptation policies to address the normalization of extreme weather.
- Promoting adaptive capacities, particularly in younger generations, is essential for future resilience.
- Rethinking material demand reduction strategies to include substitution alongside reduction is necessary.
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