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When Ice Melts, Life Melts Too: the Impact of the Climate Crisis on Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic
Indigenous peoples live in close connection with nature and are the first to notice its changes. We shared how they cope with the climate crisis — and how their experience can help others.
Due to human activity, the climate is changing, affecting people's lives: floods destroy homes and roads, droughts lead to crop failures, and extreme heat causes a rise in mortality in cities. Those with poor health, limited financial resources, or fewer opportunities to adapt are hit particularly hard. As warming intensifies, these problems may only worsen.
Indigenous peoples are among such vulnerable groups. They live in close connection with nature and are the first to notice its changes. In this article, we explore how the Indigenous communities are coping with the climate crisis and how they can help others in doing so.
Close Connection with Nature
At the end of the last century, when climate change still seemed distant and insignificant to many urban dwellers, Indigenous peoples were already experiencing significant changes in nature and climate.
In a 1998 study, Indigenous communities living along the coasts of the Bering and Chukchi Seas reported retreating sea ice, drying tundra, intensifying storms, reduced summer precipitation, warmer winters, and shifting migration patterns and populations of certain wild animals. These changes were already directly impacting their lives.
For instance, the later formation and earlier melting of sea ice shortened their hunting season, while humid air during the “drying” season when Indigenous peoples prepare food reserves for winter (such as walrus, fish, and birds)—led to mold and food spoilage.
A quarter-century ago and especially today, as planetary warming has accelerated, Indigenous peoples have been particularly affected by these changes because their lives are deeply intertwined with nature.
For Arctic Indigenous peoples, reindeer herding, gathering, fishing, and hunting are not only sources of food but also the foundation of their cultural and social identity.
“In the Arctic, we are deeply connected to our lands, waters, rivers, and forests. Our lives unfold there. We live with nature and within it. We depend on it for food, and it sustains our culture and language, allowing us to pass our traditional knowledge to future generations.”
Amid milder winters and unpredictable weather, a “pasture crisis” is unfolding in Jåma’s community. Due to more frequent winter rains, pastures are covered with an icy crust. Reindeer cannot break through it with their hooves to reach lichen. As a result, the animals go hungry, requiring supplemental feeding, and become dependent on imported feed, losing the ability to forage independently.
Among other challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in the Arctic, the UN highlights shifts in the composition and availability of traditional food sources and the inability to predict weather or assess the safety of travel due to changing ice and weather conditions.
Additionally, global warming exacerbates existing issues for Indigenous communities, such as political and economic marginalization, loss of land and resources, and human rights violations.
Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples in Russia
In Russia, the topic of the climate crisis long remained sidelined, though it has gained more attention in recent years. People are increasingly discussing climate risks, such as permafrost thawing, as well as measures taken by the state and businesses. However, the interests of Indigenous peoples are still insufficiently addressed in these discussions.
Rosgidromet lists Indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East among the groups most vulnerable to climate crisis, as they primarily inhabit Russia’s northern latitudes where warming is most pronounced and directly impacts their way of life.
Based on the results of surveys and expeditions, scientists have documented the following negative consequences of climate change for Indigenous communities:
- Hunting difficulties: Rising temperatures reduce fish populations and alter species composition, while terrestrial game animals migrate at different times and along new routes.
- Health issues: Atypical seasonal temperatures and humidity exacerbate cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Earlier melting sea ice increases travel dangers, leading to more injuries.
- Permafrost thawing risks: This can spread infectious diseases, as seen in the 2016 Yamal anthrax outbreak during a summer heatwave, which killed thousands of reindeer and one child.
- Reindeer herding challenges: More frequent winter thaws and winds in the tundra create ice crusts, preventing reindeer from accessing lichen. Shifts in snow cover and ice formation also alter reindeer migration routes.
According to Rosstat, Russia’s domesticated reindeer population dropped by 20% from 2019 to 2024, and by 10% in Arctic zone farms.
Authorities of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO) estimate the total damage from the decline in reindeer populations due to ice crust formation in 2014–2015 and 2020–2021, as well as the anomalous heatwave in 2016, at over 100 million rubles.
Oil extraction worsens the situation
Beyond the climate crisis, which alters reindeer migration routes and limits access to lichen, the loss of animals is driven by accumulated environmental issues from industrial development in Russia’s Arctic zone—particularly soil degradation and pasture contamination. The Nenets in YNAO note that reindeer have become smaller, less resilient, and produce fewer offspring.
These problems are often linked to the activities of extractive companies. In the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (KhMAO), a region responsible for nearly half of Russia’s oil production, the conflict between oil companies and Indigenous peoples has persisted for decades. Oil companies displace the Khanty from their ancestral lands, cause thousands of spills annually, and make reindeer herding increasingly difficult due to roads and pollution.
It is a cruel irony that burning the extracted oil intensifies the climate crisis, negatively impacting Indigenous communities in a perpetuating vicious cycle.
What Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Arctic Say
Indigenous communities in the Russian Arctic have been vocal about their challenges for years, striving to draw attention to their plight.
At international climate conferences, they have highlighted issues such as difficulties with reindeer herding, the destruction of winter roads (“zimniks”), ecosystem changes (e.g., wild reindeer migrating further north), and unpredictable weather. Another grave concern is the erosion of old cemeteries, where victims of plague and smallpox are buried, posing risks of disease re-emergence.
“For Indigenous people who rely on hunting or fishing, it’s getting harder to find food. Tragedies happen—fishers venture onto the thin ice of lakes and rivers in search of catch, putting their lives at risk and sometimes losing them.”
The impact of the climate crisis runs deeper, affecting the very culture of Indigenous peoples. Ksenia Bolshakova, a Dolgan activist from the Russian Arctic, emphasizes the profound connection between the Dolgan language and reindeer herding—the cornerstone of Dolgan life and their primary livelihood.
As climate change makes reindeer herding increasingly difficult on the Taymyr Peninsula, and Dolgans engage less in their traditional way of life, they speak their native language less frequently. This threatens the loss of the Dolgan language, a fate already experienced by other Indigenous languages in Siberia.
Another Example is the Sámi languages which have over 300 words to describe snow and eight for different seasons. As climate change progresses, some words are used less often and may disappear, as the variations of snow and weather they describe become rarer.
“Jassa means lingering snow in the mountains or highlands during summer. In the Finnish part of Sápmi, there are only a few places left where you can still see jassa.”
Indigenous peoples don’t just know about melting permafrost and ice on an abstract level—they witness it directly. For example, Bolshakova notes that Dolgans used to travel by snowmobile in early June, but now river ice breaks up by late May, and freezing begins in early October instead of September.
Additionally, the Dolgans of Popigay on the Taymyr Peninsula long sought to build a communal underground ice cellar in the permafrost to store food. But when the funds were raised, the chosen site had already thawed and was unusable as a natural refrigerator. A similar issue exists in Alaska where thermosiphons are used to preserve Indigenous ice cellars amid thawing permafrost.
Fighting to Be Heard
Despite the low priority of the climate crisis in Russian society and the marginalization of Indigenous peoples, which limits their voice, they persist in advocating for their rights.
In 2022, defenders of the rights of the Sámi, Udege, and Itelmen, alongside activists and NGOs, filed Russia’s first climate lawsuit to the Supreme Court. They argued that the state fails to reduce greenhouse gas emissions enough, jeopardizing the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
After the Russian court refused to look into the case, the group appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, which is currently reviewing the complaint. The plaintiffs highlighted discrimination against northern Indigenous peoples who face disproportionate harm from the climate crisis due to their land-based lives, increased exposure to climate-related infectious diseases, and existing social inequalities.
How Indigenous Knowledge Can Help Combat the Climate Crisis
The climate crisis is a complex issue with no single solution, requiring all available efforts and strategies. Indigenous knowledge, rooted in living in harmony with nature, can play a key role. At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP-29) in November 2024, Russian Indigenous representatives stressed the need to incorporate their sustainable practices into corporate operations.
“We ourselves are sustainable resource use. We can guide industrial and extractive companies on how to manage resources properly. … When I say, ‘we went fishing because the rosehip dried up,’ it’s a folk sign. Scientifically, it means the water temperature is optimal, and the fish have risen from the sea, ready to be caught.”
Integrating traditional knowledge and sustainable practices of Indigenous peoples—such as mindful resource use, avoiding overconsumption, adapting to local conditions, and minimizing environmental impact—can enhance strategies to combat and adapt to the climate crisis.
For instance, in the Arctic, with the involvement of local Indigenous communities, the Linnunsuo wetlands in Finland’s North Karelia region were restored. Incorporating Sámi traditional knowledge from the project’s outset—such as understanding local water flows or identifying suitable plants and animals for species reintroduction—led to a successful ecosystem restoration, reviving its role as a key carbon sink.
In Russia, Indigenous peoples are now contributing to climate crisis research. In 2023, scientists from Tomsk State University signed a cooperation agreement with Indigenous communities of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO) to study how climate change has affected their quality of life in the Arctic. Previously, a survey of 1,500 people revealed that the diets of Nenets, Khanty, and Selkup peoples are becoming less traditional, negatively impacting their health.
For Indigenous knowledge to be effectively integrated into Russia’s climate strategy, open collaboration between the state, businesses, scientists, and NGOs is essential. The first step must be acknowledging historical injustices, such as the fact that the benefits of burning fossil fuels and exploiting natural resources largely go to wealthier groups, while the negative climate impacts disproportionately burden vulnerable communities like Indigenous peoples.
To change this, each of us must recognize our role in addressing the climate crisis. Supporting the rights of Indigenous peoples and their traditional knowledge can be key to a more sustainable and just future. We must listen to those who have historically lived in harmony with nature and join them in efforts to preserve our shared home.
Cover photo: Aleksandr Veligurov
