Global warming is transforming the way we live everywhere on Earth, but since the Arctic is warming twice as quickly as the rest of the planet, you would think that Arctic communities would be twice as affected by these temperature changes. However, a new study shows that the travel skills and regional knowledge of Inuit communities have helped mitigate the effects of climate change on travel conditions in the Arctic.
The study, led by University of Leeds professor James Ford and co-authored by University of Ottawa professors Jackie Dawson and Luke Copland, used interviews with members of nine Inuit communities in the Canadian Arctic to assess trail viability. The researchers then compared this information to 30 years’ worth of weather records to determine changes in travel conditions.
Their results indicated that despite significant changes in climate-related conditions between 1985 and 2016, including warming temperatures, overall trail access was much less affected than the researchers had expected.
Continue reading at University of Ottawa.
Image via Dylan Clark - McGill University