Chi Guangqing, Zhou Shuai, Mucioki Megan, Miller Jessica, Korkut Ekrem, Howe Lance, Yin Junjun, Holen Davin, Randell Heather, Akyildiz Ayse, Halvorsen Kathleen E, Fowler Lara, Ford James, Tickamyer Ann
The Pennsylvania State University, 112E Armsby, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Cornell University, 250 Warren Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Reg Environ Change. 2024 Jun;24(2). doi: 10.1007/s10113-024-02212-9. Epub 2024 Mar 16.
The Arctic is experiencing a rapid temperature increase, four times faster than lower-latitude regions, disproportionately affecting rural, coastal, and Indigenous communities. These areas confront multiple urgent climate challenges. Adaptation strategies encompass out-migration, community relocation, and enhancing resilience, yet research in this critical area is notably limited, particularly for the most vulnerable communities. This paper presents a comprehensive review of environmental stressors and contextual factors influencing migration decisions in the North American Arctic. While migration is primarily driven by job opportunities, education, healthcare, cultural, and infrastructural factors, factors such as family, culture, safety, subsistence life, and community ties strongly influence residents to stay. The study reveals a lack of clear evidence for climate-driven migration at the individual/household level, but it underscores well-documented community-level relocations. Two major challenges in studying Arctic climate migration are identified: the complexity of migration and the uniqueness of Arctic climate change. Recommendations include considering migration typology, disentangling climate drivers from contextual factors, and addressing data limitations through systematic collection, integration, and creative use of traditional and nontraditional data. The paper underscores the importance of establishing partnerships with local communities to achieve a holistic understanding of factors driving migration or immobility, ensuring research outcomes are connected to addressing community challenges. This review lays the groundwork for empirical research on Arctic migration and community adaptation, aiming to comprehend the challenges faced by these communities and explore potential solutions.
北极地区正在经历快速升温，速度比低纬度地区快四倍，对农村、沿海和原住民社区产生了不成比例的影响。这些地区面临着多重紧迫的气候挑战。适应策略包括向外迁移、社区搬迁以及增强复原力，但在这一关键领域的研究明显有限，尤其是针对最脆弱的社区。本文全面综述了影响北美北极地区移民决策的环境压力因素和背景因素。虽然移民主要受就业机会、教育、医疗、文化和基础设施因素驱动，但家庭、文化、安全、自给自足生活和社区纽带等因素强烈影响居民选择留下。研究表明，在个人/家庭层面缺乏气候驱动移民的明确证据，但强调了有充分记录的社区层面的搬迁。确定了研究北极气候移民的两大挑战：移民的复杂性和北极气候变化的独特性。建议包括考虑移民类型，区分气候驱动因素和背景因素，并通过系统收集、整合和创造性地使用传统和非传统数据来解决数据限制问题。本文强调了与当地社区建立伙伴关系的重要性，以全面了解推动移民或定居的因素，确保研究成果与应对社区挑战相关联。这篇综述为北极移民和社区适应的实证研究奠定了基础，旨在理解这些社区面临的挑战并探索潜在解决方案。
