In the Arctic zone, the Inuit adapt to climate change that is more intense than elsewhere

When I was little, there were more sled dogs than people. Now it’s the opposite, because there is less ice to travel by sled in winter, says Pipaluk Hammeken, 29, from the village of Uummannaq, 600 km north of the Arctic Circle. For her, climate change is anchored in everyday life. In this world marked by extreme climatic conditions and the scarcity of food resources, the Inuit, indigenous peoples of Greenland and northern Canada, have always placed the question of climate adaptation at the heart of their lives.

Today, the melting of the ice due to climate change directly threatens hunters, who see their territory diminish while the fragility of the ice complicates their movements and shortens the hunting season. However, in this difficult context, signs of hope are emerging. Further south, rising temperatures improve the fertility of the land: cabbages are now grown there and some breeders graze cows. The warmer waters teem with fish, offering new economic opportunities.

This movement of adaptation is part of a deep desire of Inuit society, particularly among young people, to detach themselves from the values ​​imposed by Danish colonization. This return to cultural sources reaffirms the importance given to nature and its rhythms.