Sea ice in the Arctic is one of the most rapidly changing components of the global climate system. Over the past few decades, summer areal extent has declined over 30, and all months show statistically significant declining trends. New satellite missions and techniques have greatly expanded information on sea ice thickness, but many uncertainties remain in the satellite data and long-term records are sparse. However, thickness observations and other satellite-derived data indicate a 40 decline in thickness, due in large part to the loss of thicker, older ice cover. The changes in sea ice are happening faster than models have projected. With continued increasing temperatures, summer ice-free conditions are likely sometime in the coming decades, though there are substantial uncertainties in the exact timing and high interannual variability will remain as sea ice decreases. The changes in Arctic sea ice are already having an impact on flora and fauna in the Arctic. Some species will face increasing challenges in the future, while new habitat will open up for other species. The changes are also affecting peoples living and working in the Arctic. Native communities are facing challenges to their traditional ways of life, while new opportunities open for shipping, fishing, and natural resource extraction.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/2013RG000431

Arctic sea ice in transformation: A review of recent observed changes and impacts on biology and human activity

Adaptation needs and options

This UNESCO report looks into the damaging effects of climate change on Indigenous cultures. When considering climate change, indigenous peoples and marginalized populations warrant particular attention. Impacts on their territories and communities are anticipated to be both early and severe due to their location in vulnerable environments, including small islands, high-altitude zones, desert margins and the circumpolar Arctic. Indeed, climate change poses a direct threat to many indigenous societies due to their continuing reliance upon resource-based livelihoods. Heightened exposure to negative impacts, however, is not the only reason for specific attention and concern. As many indigenous societies are socially and culturally distinct from mainstream society, decisions, policies and actions undertaken by the majority, even if well-intended, may prove inadequate, ill-adapted, and even inappropriate. There is therefore a need to understand the specific vulnerabilities, concerns, adaptation capacities and longer-term aspirations of indigenous peoples and marginalized communities throughout the world. Indigenous and traditional knowledge contribute to this broader understanding.

/pdf/weathering-uncertainty-traditional-knowledge-for-climate-3f89rph7gq.pdf

Weathering uncertainty traditional knowledge for climate change assessment and adaptation

Isu ketersingkiran masyarakat adat dari tanah ulayat dan perampasan hak sosial, budaya, ekonomi dan politik di tingkat internasional telah mendapat respon positif dari lembaga internasional seperti Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa. Menjadi hal yang sangat penting bagi perjuangan berbagai komunitas masyarakat adat di seluruh dunia ketika PBB kemudian berhasil mencetuskan Deklarasi Hak Masyarakat Adat pada 13 September 2007 setelah proses negosiasi panjang selama puluhan tahun. Prinsip-prinsip yang memuat jaminan pengakuan dan perlindungan hak masyarakat adat secara menyeluruh ini diharapkan dapat menjadi standar acuan regulasi pengakuan dan perlindungan hak masyarakat adat negara yang terlibat di dalamnya termasuk Indonesia. Hingga saat ini Indonesia belum dapat memberikan jaminan perlindungan hak-hak masyarakat adat karena lemahnya regulasi yang mengatur pengakuan dan pemenuhan terhadap hal tersebut. Hal ini dikarenakan kebijakan pembangunan yang sentralistik dan bergerak dari atas ke bawah sehingga mengabaikan keberadaan masyarakat adat yang seharusnya dapat menjadi subjek dalam pembangunan. Penulis menggunakan teori rezim internasional untuk menganalisa penguatan rezim internasional mengenai hak masyarakat adat muncul sebagai reaksi terhadap kebutuhan untuk melakukan koordinasi perilaku berbagai negara tentang isu tersebut untuk kemudian dapat mempengaruhi perilaku berbagai negara yang masuk ke dalam rejim tersebut termasuk Indonesia. Kemudian konsep keputusan dini tanpa paksaan berdasarkan informasi lengkap digunakan sebagai ukuran atau kriteria untuk menilai kebijakan yang telah dikeluarkan pemerintah Indonesia berkaitan dengan masyarakat adat. Kedua alat analisa kemudian menunjukan bahwa keberadaan deklarasi PBB mengenai masyarakat adat sangat penting untuk di adopsi dalam kerangka regulasi nasional karena prinsip di dalamnya dapat dijadikan standar acuan bagi Indonesia yang tingkat pelanggaran terhadap hak-hak masyarakat adatnya tinggi karena lemahnya regulasi mengenai hal tersebut.

United nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples: relevansi dan urgensinya terkait pembentukan regulasi mengenai jaminan perlindungan hak masyarakat adat di indonesia

The global response to warming of 1.5oC comprises transitions in land and ecosystem, energy, urban and infrastructure, and industrial systems. The feasibility of mitigation and adaptation options, and the enabling conditions for strengthening and implementing the systemic changes, are assessed in this chapter.

Strengthening and Implementing the Global Response

We explore the connections among indigenous climate-related narratives, documented temperature changes, and climate change impact studies from the scientific literature. We then propose a framework for enhancing synthesis of these indigenous narratives of observed climate change with global assessments. Our aim is to contribute to the thoughtful and respectful integration of indigenous knowledge with scientific data and analysis, so that this rich body of knowledge can inform science and so that indigenous peoples can use the tools and methods of science for the benefit of their communities if they choose to do so. Improving ways of understanding such connections is critical as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report process proceeds.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/bio.2011.61.6.10

Linking Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge of Climate Change

We present indigenous knowledge narratives and explore their connections to documented temperature and other climate changes and observed climate change impact studies. We then propose a framework for enhancing integration of these indigenous narratives of observed climate change with global assessments. Our aim is to contribute to the thoughtful and respectful integration of indigenous knowledge with scientific data and analysis, so that this rich body of knowledge can inform science, and so that indigenous and traditional peoples can use the tools and methods of science for the benefit of their communities if they choose to do so. Enhancing ways of understanding such connections are critical as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment process gets underway.

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20110011237/downloads/20110011237.pdf

Tero Mustonen

Papers

Linking Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge of Climate Change

Linking Indigenous Knowledge and Observed Climate Change Studies