Forced Migration of Alaskan Indigenous Communities Due to Climate Change
In the Arctic, climate change is evident and occurring at a rate faster than other parts of the planet. The 2007 physical science report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) confirms that temperatures in the Arctic have increased
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Forced Migration of Alaskan Indigenous Communities Due to Climate Change Robin Bronen
1 Introduction In the Arctic, climate change is evident and occurring at a rate faster than other parts of the planet. The 2007 physical science report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) confirms that temperatures in the Arctic have increased by approximately twice the global average between 1965 and 2005 (IPCC, 2007: 339). Since 1975, temperatures in Alaska have increased by an average of 2–3.5 C. In addition, Arctic sea ice is decreasing in extent and thickness, wildfires are increasing in size and frequency, and permafrost is thawing. These phenomena are creating a humanitarian crisis for the indigenous communities that have inhabited the arctic and boreal forest for millennia. Approximately 200 indigenous villages are located along the navigable waters of Alaska’s coasts and rivers. Dozens of these communities are threatened because of accelerated rates of erosion or flooding due to climate change. Governments are struggling to respond. The traditional adaptation strategies of hazard prevention and disaster relief are no longer protecting communities. Relocation of the communities is required. This chapter adds to the body of research focused on defining the nexus between climate change and human migration. The empirical research discussed in this chapter identifies a migration type, permanent relocation, which specifically links climate change with human migration and demonstrates that new institutions need to be created in order to protect the human rights of those forced to migrate and prevent humanitarian crises. An accurate definition of this displacement category is essential in order to ensure that the permanent relocation of communities only occurs when there are no other durable solutions. A precise definition is also critical to the design and implementation of institutional frameworks of humanitarian response. This institutional framework needs to be based in human rights doctrine and created at the local, national, and international levels. R. Bronen (*) Resilience and Adaptation Program, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, USA e-mail: [email protected] T. Afifi, J. Ja¨ger (eds.), Environment, Forced Migration and Social Vulnerability, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-12416-7_7, Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010
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2 Identifying the Nexus Between Climate Change and Human Migration Climate change will create disparate environmental impacts that force people and communities to migrate. Erosion, flooding, and sea-level rise will be the primary causes of displacement. Water and food security issues, due to drought and salt water intrusion, will also impact the sustainability of communities and cause migration. The disparate drivers of climate-induced migration can be segregated into three distinct categories: random extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and tornadoes, the depletion of ecosystem services, such as drought and salt water intrusion, and on-going ecological c
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