Alaska and the Arctic [US Climate Reslience Toolkit]

Warming temperatures, thawing permafrost, and other climate-related changes in Alaska are transforming ecosystems, disrupting cultural practices, harming fisheries and other livelihoods, exacerbating health disparities, and placing critical infrastructure at risk. Many Alaskans, particularly Alaska Native Peoples, have a distinct connection to and understanding of the natural environment and depend on natural resources. This close connection to local ecosystems, combined with geographical isolation and distance from healthcare and other services, creates a population particularly vulnerable to health impacts from the local effects of a changing climate– yet also fosters self-reliance and resilience. Climate change has negatively impacted nearly all aspects of the life history of commercial groundfish, salmon, and crab. Salmon in particular is vital for food security in much of Alaska. Rapid climate changes threaten national security. Coastal erosion, degrading permafrost, wildfire, and other climate effects will continue to impact Department of Defense installations in Alaska. Adaptation efforts are underway across the state, but their effectiveness will depend on substantial investment and capacity building in the communities most at risk.