THE IMPACTS OF PERMAFROST THAW ON NORTHERN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

The report documents how permafrost degradation affects Northern Indigenous communities in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut. It identifies critical impacts across five themes: hunting, trapping, and fishing; travel and access; food sovereignty; cultural continuity; and infrastructure. Key findings include the loss of traditional food storage (permafrost lockers), increased travel risks and costs due to slumping and boggy ground, and significant financial burdens on homeowners for building maintenance. The report argues that current policy is too technocentric and fails to account for the social and cultural dimensions of infrastructure and the cumulative effects of colonial history and climate change.

• Permafrost thaw is altering the habitats of key species, specifically causing ponds and small lakes to drain, which threatens the breeding and nesting grounds of waterfowl.
• The degradation of permafrost leads to a loss of lichen, a critical forage source for caribou, as the ground becomes more saturated and boggy.
• Thawing ground and 'thaw slumps' (landslides) make traditional trails difficult or dangerous to traverse, increasing travel times, fuel costs, and safety risks for land users.
• Permafrost thaw undermines food sovereignty by destroying traditional 'permafrost lockers' or underground cellars used for seasonal meat storage and fermentation.
• The instability of the ground causes significant damage to household and community infrastructure, including cracked walls and shifting foundations, which often results in high out-of-pocket costs for homeowners as insurance may not cover these damages.
• Permafrost degradation threatens cultural continuity by reducing the time and safety of travel on the land, which is essential for Elders to transfer traditional knowledge and skills to younger generations.
• Infrastructure damage extends to critical community links, such as the Iqaluit airport landing strips, which required $300 million in repairs between 2014 and 2017 to maintain functionality.
• Indigenous communities are adapting through the use of new technology, such as generator-powered freezers to replace permafrost lockers and satellite communication devices (inReach) to manage travel risks.
• There is a significant policy gap where responses to permafrost thaw focus on technocentric engineering solutions for infrastructure rather than supporting the social structures and community networks necessary for adaptation.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2022). THE IMPACTS OF PERMAFROST THAW ON NORTHERN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Impacts-permafrost-thaw-Climate-Institute-Firelight-Report.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. THE IMPACTS OF PERMAFROST THAW ON NORTHERN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. 2022. https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Impacts-permafrost-thaw-Climate-Institute-Firelight-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=THE IMPACTS OF PERMAFROST THAW ON NORTHERN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES |date=June 2022 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Impacts-permafrost-thaw-Climate-Institute-Firelight-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitute2022impacts, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{THE IMPACTS OF PERMAFROST THAW ON NORTHERN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Impacts-permafrost-thaw-Climate-Institute-Firelight-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }