Impact of Climate Change on the Inuit People of Canada

Impact of Climate Change on the Inuit People of Canada

Introduction

The modern world currently grapples with climate change menace, which poses an existential threat to both humans and other species. The climate changes result in multiple aspects that affect both the social and economic well-being of people in various locations in the world (Harley, 2011). The most affected people are those who live in the Arctic who have seen the ice at the Arctic gradually melting and their lives getting continuously disrupted. For instance, the Inuit people in Canada have over the years, dependent on the ice, sea, and the general aspects that characterize the arctic for livelihood and the perpetuation of their culture in a very different way. Their livelihood, traditions, and general mode of life and survival have undergone a tremendous transformation. The aspect has forced to effectively adapt to and devise new ways to counter the challenges that emanate from the impacts of climate challenge (Harley, 2011). Thus, the essay would delve on various ways in which climate change affects the Inuit in northern Canada, taking into the challenges they face in their livelihood, traditions, and the general economy.

First, the increasing temperature at the Arctic puts the traditional livelihood of the Inuit under threat. At the Arctic, several studies have revealed that there is a continuous increase in temperature. Pearce et al. (2010) noted that as at the end of the year 2010, the temperature at the Arctic stood at five degrees Celsius. However, there was a pattern indicating a gradual increase in temperature continuously. Such development translates to an increased rate in the speed of melting the ice around the arctic. Consequently, the melting of the ice would lead to the destruction of the natural habitat of both the Inuit and even the animals that they hunt, resulting in a sudden shift in livelihood among the Inuit people (Richard Hodson, 2017). Initially, the Inuit thrived in the ice, built their houses in the ice, and used the existing ice cover for hunting and motion. However, currently, the effects of climate change characterized by thinner ice cover have pushed the Inuit people to modern forms of living to meet their daily expectations and needs. For instance, the Inuit people take up several paid jobs, which are less paying to get money to buy required nutritious meals that are lost due to climate changes (Ford, 2009). Therefore, the melting ice around the climate has resulted in precarious living among the Inuit, rendering them highly vulnerable and pushing them to take up paid jobs. The aspect does not only threaten their culture buts also exposes them to several dangers at the workplace.

On the other hand, unpredictable weather patterns have prompted the Inuit people to look for alternative economic means. Among the Inuit, hunting is a revered practice that is passed down from one generation to another (Ford et al., 2008). The hunters in the Inuit society epitomize the breadwinners in any modern society. Due to unmatched nutrition present in the game animals that the Inuit people hunt, hunting has been the source of food for this indigenous group since time immemorial. The Inuit reveres hunting since it is not only a source of food but also a source of pride, tradition, and culture of the people that are passed down from one culture to another. However, the current changes that are brought by climate change have significantly impacted on their lives (Richard Hodson, 2017). Before the impact of climate change reached the tipping point, the Inuit people used to hunt several marine mammals such as polar bears, whales, walrus, and other animals (Ford et al., 2008). The elders and the renowned hunters in the Inuit society could effectively predict the movement patterns of the hunted animals and effectively hunt them for food. However, currently, the climatic patterns remain substantially unpredictable, making it relatively impossible for hunting practices to go on. Thus, instead of embarking on hunting expedition during summer, the Inuit hunters always go hunting during the autumn. On most occasions, such expeditions are also met with multiple challenges, especially regarding movements from one location to another during the hunting expeditions (Pearce et al., 2010). Initially, these hunters used to travel using the kayaks during the hunting expeditions. However, the current development brought by climate change has seen them moving on dry land. The ice sheet has remained relatively thinner, making it a dangerous journey was someone embarked on it (Ford et al., 2008). Such a shift in practice does not only pose a danger to the hunters but also translates to the migration of the hunted animals to other cooler and inhabitable places towards the North Pole. Additionally, traveling on land means that the individual hunters have to cover long distances on land compared to if they used the traditional kayaks in their hunting expedition.

Finally, there has been a remarkable shift in community-based living among the Inuit people. Due to the rising temperatures leading to the melting of the ice, the Inuit have resorted to living in dryer lands, constructing standard houses using modern architecture. Pearce et al. (2010) note that the Inuit initially lived in a communal set-up where they lived as units for protection and as a mode of promoting their traditions. In the communal set-up, they lived in makeshift structures such as the Igloos, which effectively supported their lifestyle. Such structures do not only equate to houses and sources of protection from dangerous animals like the bears but also gave them identity and preserved their culture to a great extent. However, with the ice in the arctic melting gradually, leaving bare lands, the Inuit have no option but to live in the modern housing units (Ford, 2009). Currently, the Inuit people rely much on modern housing units. These modern housing units mean that the occupants must live independently and rely on themselves for protection. The planning characterized by the structures means that the houses are built distances apart from each other. Thus, such practice erodes the Inuit’s fabric that perpetuated communal living among its members. The communal aspect of living among the Inuit that was encouraged by the traditional living styles is on the brink of oblivion. The development does not only spell a dark future for the culture and traditions of the Inuit but also signifies the end of essential components that bound the Inuit people together in their units. On the same note, the sudden change in housing and the lack of communal living among the Inuit people remains a struggle for most of the conservative or older Inuit people (Ford, 2009). The change should be spontaneous and within acceptable speed. Climate change has pushed the Inuit people to adopt modern ways of living by constructing modern houses. The practice exposes them to multiple illnesses that typify the climate change menace. In that regard, owing to substandard living conditions and houses, the Inuit people are highly susceptible to various diseases and infections. Thus, they remain struggling in a bid to adapt to the change that human activities leading to climate change have meted on them.

Conclusion

The climate change menace has exposed the fragility of the indigenous groups that live around the arctic and are dependent on normal climatic conditions for survival. The Inuit people are just a sample of several people that have borne the brunt of climate changes in the contemporary world. The livelihoods and the leaving standards of these people have been significantly impacted adversely, compelling them to resort to alternative means to fend for themselves as well as make provisions to their families. These groups remain fragile and highly susceptible to multiple instances that could negatively impact their lives and their belief in a communal way of life. Again, the culture and traditional source of livelihood are bound to undergo a tremendous transformation, an aspect that would shake the fabric where the identity of these people is woven. Therefore, there is a need to work on several initiatives, such as the promotion of the use of clean energy and cutting down on the emissions of harmful gases. The challenges facing Inuit people are just a representation of what is happening in different locations on earth and acts as a warning bell of the tragedy that awaits the entire population on earth. Therefore, both collective and individual efforts are needed to ensure that everyone plays a role in mitigating the impacts of climate change or reducing its occurrence.