Coastal Communities
Coastal communities such as Kivalin, Shishmaref, and Newtok are threatened by climate change due to melting permafrost, more intense storms, less buffering from sea ice, and rising sea level. It is estimated that citizens of these communities will lose their homes within 10 years.
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Coastal communities such as Kivalin, Shishmaref, and Newtok are threatened by climate change due to melting permafrost, more intense storms, less buffering from sea ice, and rising sea level (US National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change).
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86% of native communities are affected by erosion and flooding
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It is estimated that citizens of these communities will lose their homes within 10 years.
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Relocation costs are estimated at $355 million, again illustrating the costs of climate change.
Case Study: Newtok
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Intensified storms from climate change, continued degradation of permafrost, and heightened tides lead to erosion.
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2-3 miles of coastal land has been lost in the last 40 years, making Newtok an island. (New York Times).
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Newtok is below sea level and shrinking, and homes have to be readjusted to account for the shifting soils.
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The Army Corps of Engineers has estimated that it will cost $130 million to relocate these people, as their homes continue to wash away.
- Photo: Kawerak Transportation Program - Shishmaref.
