Community Impacts

Climate change affects communities in the Arctic and Alaska in many ways. Climate change threatens food security, damages infrastructure, disrupts ecosystems, impacts physical and mental health, and affects national security. While climate impacts are felt locally, changes in the Arctic can also have global effects.

Explore the sections to learn more about:

Food Availability, Security, and Sovereignty

Warming temperatures, thawing permafrost, and ocean acidification threaten food security for people living in the Arctic. Environmental changes can especially affect Alaska Native communities like the Yup’ik, Iñupiat, and Inuit, who rely on traditional ways of getting food. Climate change can affect the quality and quantity of food as well as how it is stored and transported.

Fishing

Ocean acidification can disrupt marine food webs. The increasing acidity in the water (lower pH values) makes it more difficult for corals, some types of plankton, and other creatures to produce a mineral called calcium carbonate, which they need for their hard skeletons or shells. Research suggests that ocean acidification will negatively affect important species in the Arctic region like crabs, walleye pollock, Pacific cod, salmon, and some plankton.1 Disruptions to fish and shellfish populations can have major consequences for communities that rely on them for subsistence or commercial fishing.

Hunting

Climate impacts such as changing precipitation and warming temperatures affect the availability of commonly hunted animals like whales, walruses, seabirds, seals, and caribou.2 Less sea ice coverage and thickness make it harder to access food sources and lowers birth rates for some animals, which in turn affects the availability of traditional foods for Indigenous hunters. Indigenous hunters and fishers in the Arctic have reported thinner seals and a general decrease in the health of wildlife.3

Gathering

In many Alaska Native and rural communities across Alaska, berries are a highly nutritious and culturally important food.4 Studies have found reports of reduced reliability, abundance, and quality of berry harvests for communities in Alaska and northern Canada.5,6

Food Safety

Climate change threatens traditional food storage and processing, creating conditions that can harm health and food safety.7 In many rural and Alaska Native communities, permafrost is important for food preservation, and it is common to use ice cellars for storage. Thawing permafrost and warming temperatures can threaten the safety of stored food when it can’t be kept cold enough.8 More precipitation can also make drying fish and meat more difficult.9 Thawing permafrost can release more mercury, which can become concentrated in fish and pose health risks when consumed.10 Warming ocean temperatures can increase conditions for harmful algal blooms (HABs), which produce a toxin that can be dangerous for humans and animals.11 The Chukchi Sea has the largest bed of resting cysts of HAB species, and warming temperatures could make these more likely to hatch into dangerous blooms.12

Supply Chains

Most purchased food in Alaska is imported and often travels through long supply chains to reach rural and remote communities. About one in nine Alaskans struggles with hunger. Climate change is expected to increase extreme events, like weather changes and wildfires, which can disrupt supply chains and delay food shipments, causing spoilage.13 Food insecurity can lead to malnutrition and obesity.

Human Health

Flooding around red roofed building Copper Valley Library

Changing conditions in the Arctic can impact human health in many ways. Climate events like wildfires, thawing permafrost, and erosion threaten the safety and health of Arctic communities.14 Geographic isolation, lack of health infrastructure and poverty can make healthcare disparities worse between rural and urban Alaskans.15 Climate change makes these factors worse and can directly affect health through events like floods. Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts and can face institutional barriers to getting funding and resources to adapt.16

Water and Sanitation

Many households in Alaska currently do not have piped water and sewer services, which already contributes to health problems, and climate change could make these challenges worse.17 Extreme weather like heavy precipitation and floods can damage water and sanitation systems, disrupting critical water and sewer services and increasing the risk of water-borne illness.18 Thawing permafrost can cause soil to shift affecting critical infrastructure, including water and septic systems under homes.19

Wildfires and Air Quality

Arctic wildfires have increased a lot in recent years, mainly due to drier weather conditions brought by climate change.20 Wildfire smoke contains small particles called particulate matter (PM), which can get deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. PM exposure can cause breathing problems, irregular heartbeat, heart attacks, and premature death for people with heart or lung disease.21 Some Alaskans are more vulnerable to these effects due to preexisting conditions and difficulty accessing healthcare in remote areas.22

Mental Health

Displacement due to climate events can cause stress to individuals and disrupt social networks, negatively affecting mental health.23 Disruption to the environment can increase rates of suicidality.24 Climate change can alter landscapes, resulting in spiritual grief, and disrupt subsistence activities and cultural traditions, especially for Alaska Natives, who have deep connections to the environment.25 Alaska Native populations already have high rates of suicide, particularly among youth.26

Vector-Borne Illness

Warming temperatures and changing conditions can expand the geographic range and distribution of certain pests and animals, increasing exposure to certain viruses and bacteria that cause illness in humans. The expanding range of tick species that carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease is a concern. While there have not been documented cases of locally acquired Lyme disease in Alaska, models predict an increase of suitable tick habitat.27 The 2020-21 winter season saw higher-than-average cases of rabies, which can be carried by Arctic and red foxes. Scientists believe changing sea ice may have played a role in the spread.28

Extreme Events

Extreme events like major storms and wildfires threaten safety, livelihoods, and homes.29 Although all Alaskan communities are at risk of extreme events, coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to major storms and in turn erosion, flooding, and storm surges.30 Storms can damage power lines, roadways, and airports, making it harder for Alaska to receive aid after extreme events, especially in remote communities. Reduced ability to travel can affect the health of residents by making it more difficult to access healthcare. Damage to structures can cause injuries or worsen pre-existing conditions. Extreme events can also increase food and freshwater insecurity.

Infrastructure

Permafrost thaw driven by climate change is a big risk to buildings and other infrastructure in Alaska.31 When permafrost thaws, it can’t support the weight of the soil and plants above it. It turns into a mud slurry that destabilizes roads, buildings, pipes, and other infrastructure. Permafrost thaw has already caused some communities in western and southern Alaska to move. More than half of Alaska's communities are already at the maximum threat level from flooding, erosion, and permafrost thaw.32,33 In addition to permafrost thaw, some parts of Alaska face threats from earlier ice breakup on rivers in the spring. Early ice breakup can lead to river jams, destructive floods, and infrastructure damage.34

Community Spotlight: Kivalina

Aerial view of Kivalina, Alaska
Source:  Alaska Shorezone/NOAA

Kivalina is an Iñupiaq community located on a barrier island in Northwest Alaska. As the sea ice that once protected the island from weather patterns has melted, Kivalina has faced more challenges from winter storms, flooding, and erosion. Several climate impacts threaten the health, safety, and security of Kivalina residents, including:

  • Permafrost thaw has caused more sediment to wash into the river, negatively affecting the quality of the community's water supply.
  • Warming temperatures threaten the food safety of ice cellars that have historically provided year-round cold storage.
  • Shrinking, patchy sea ice makes hunting more difficult and changes the territories and migration routes of key prey species, endangering the village's food security.

Kivalina residents are currently looking for a site to move to. In 2000, they chose a location called Kiniktuuraq, but they found out that this site might face many of the same climate change impacts as Kivalina. The residents have implemented many strategies to adapt and limit impacts, including beach protection measures, rock revetment, and improvement of the village sanitation system.

To learn more, visit U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit's case study about Relocating Kivalina.

National Security

Climate change impacts in the Arctic can affect national security. For example, Department of Defense installations in Alaska are impacted by coastal erosion, thawing permafrost, wildfires, and other climate impacts.35 The reduction of sea ice allows for more maritime traffic and activity, but unpredictable ice conditions can put seafarers in danger and increase search-and-rescue missions. Geopolitical competition in the Arctic may also increase with maritime activity.36 For Indigenous communities in the Arctic, security and sovereignty means being able to lead and make decisions for themselves.37

Global Implications of Change in the Arctic

Global systems are connected. A warming climate affects the Arctic region, and changes in the Arctic in turn can have major impacts on the whole world, including:  

  • Accelerating warming: As sea ice decreases due to the oceans absorbing more solar energy, this ice has less of a cooling effect, which can make the original warming worse.38 Thawing permafrost can also release methane, a greenhouse gas that traps roughly 28 times more heat than carbon dioxide.   
  • Sea levels: When ice sheets and glaciers in the Arctic melt, much of the water flows into the oceans, adding volume and contributing to sea-level rise.39    
  • Ocean currents: Melting Arctic ice adds fresher and comparatively warmer water to the Arctic Ocean, impacting salinity and density. These changes affect the global deep-ocean heat transport system (sometimes referred to as the global ocean conveyor belt), which helps regulate the Earth’s climate by distributing heat around the world.40   
  • Weather: Warming in the Arctic and resulting changes in atmospheric and ocean circulation can alter weather patterns thousands of miles away.41

References

1  Huntington, H.P., C. Strawhacker, J. Falke, E.M. Ward, L. Behnken, T.N. Curry, A.C. Herrmann, C.U. Itchuaqiyaq, J.S. Littell, E.A. Logerwell, D. Meeker, J.R. Overbeck, D.L. Peter, R. Pincus, A.A. Quintyne, S.F. Trainor, and S.A. Yoder. (2023). Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. Crimmins, A.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, B.C. Stewart, and T.K. Maycock, Eds. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-28. 

2 AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme). (2021). Arctic Climate Change Update 2021: Key Trends and Impacts. Summary for policy-makers. https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/arctic-climate-change-update-2021-key-trends-and-impacts.-summary-for-policy-makers/3508

3 AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme). (2021). Arctic Climate Change Update 2021: Key Trends and Impacts. Summary for policy-makers. https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/arctic-climate-change-update-2021-key-trends-and-impacts.-summary-for-policy-makers/3508

4 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29 p. 29-21.

5 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29- 21.

6 AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme). (2021). Arctic Climate Change Update 2021: Key Trends and Impacts. Summary for policy-makers. https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/arctic-climate-change-update-2021-key-trends-and-impacts.-summary-for-policy-makers/3508

7 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-13.

8 AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme). (2021). Arctic Climate Change Update 2021: Key Trends and Impacts. Summary for policy-makers. https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/arctic-climate-change-update-2021-key-trends-and-impacts.-summary-for-policy-makers/3508

9 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29

10 AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme). (2021). Arctic Climate Change Update 2021: Key Trends and Impacts. Summary for policy-makers. https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/arctic-climate-change-update-2021-key-trends-and-impacts.-summary-for-policy-makers/3508 

11 AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme). (2021). Arctic Climate Change Update 2021: Key Trends and Impacts. Summary for policy-makers. https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/arctic-climate-change-update-2021-key-trends-and-impacts.-summary-for-policy-makers/3508 

12 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29 p. 29-13

13 USDA. Food Security and Climate Change in Alaska. Accessed December 11, 2024 https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/northwest/topic/food-security-and-climate-change-alaska

14 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, pp. 29 -5-7.

15 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-40.

16 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-21.

17 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-12.

18 Markon, C., S. Gray, M. Berman, et al. (2018) Alaska. In Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II. Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, et al., Eds. U.S. Global Change Research Program. doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018.CH26 

19 CDC. (2024). Regional Health Effects - Alaska. Accessed December 12, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/climate-health/php/regions/alaska.html

20 Arctic Council. (no date). Wildland Fire. Accessed December 11, 2024, https://arctic-council.org/explore/topics/climate/wildland-fire/

21 EPA. (2024). Health and Environmental Effects of Particulate Matter (PM). Accessed December 11, 2024 https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/health-and-environmental-effects-particulate-matter-pm

22 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-12.

23 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-12.

24 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-12.

25 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-12.

26 CDC. (2024). Regional Health Effects-Alaska. Accessed December 12, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/climate-health/php/regions/alaska.html

27 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-13.

28 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-13.

29 Thoman, R. & J. E. Walsh. (2019). Alaska’s changing environment: documenting Alaska’s physical and biological changes through observations. H. R. McFarland, Ed. International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks. https://uaf-iarc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Alaskas-Changing-Environment_2019_WEB.pdf

30 USDA Climate Hubs. (no date). A Storm is Brewing: Climate Change and Coastal Storms in Western Alaska. https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/northwest/topic/storm-brewing-climate-change-and-coastal-storms-western-alaska

31 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29

32 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29

33 EPA. (2024). Climate Change Indicators: Permafrost. Accessed December 11, 2024 https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-permafrost

34 EPA. (2024). Community Connection: Ice Breakup in Three Alaskan Rivers. Accessed December 11, 2024 https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/alaskan-rivers

35 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA.  https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29- 30

36 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA.  https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-32

37 Huntington, H.P., et al. (2023): Ch. 29. Alaska. In: Fifth National Climate Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA.  https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH29, p. 29-34

38 EPA. (2024). Climate Change Indicators: Arctic Sea Ice. Accessed December 20, 2024 https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-arctic-sea-ice

39 U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. (2024). Arctic-Global Linkages. Accessed December 20, 2024 https://toolkit.climate.gov/regions/alaska-and-arctic/arctic-global-linkages

40 U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. (2024). Arctic-Global Linkages. Accessed December 20, 2024 https://toolkit.climate.gov/regions/alaska-and-arctic/arctic-global-linkages

41 U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. (2024). Arctic-Global Linkages. Accessed December 20, 2024 https://toolkit.climate.gov/regions/alaska-and-arctic/arctic-global-linkages

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Last updated on January 17, 2025