The Impact of Climate Change on Kivalina, Alaska

Along Alaska’s west coast, about 80 miles above the Arctic circle, sits the village of Kivalina, situated on a narrow strip of land between a lagoon and the Chukchi Sea—one of several native coastal villages dealing with problems due to the warming of the Arctic. Joe Raedle, a photographer for Getty, recently flew to Kivalina to spend some time with the villagers and photograph their lives and surroundings. The warming climate has led to troubles such as the accelerated erosion of the land the village sits on, which used to be mitigated by sea ice (which is vanishing), and permafrost (which is melting). Fish and wildlife that villagers rely on for food have been forced to change their migration patterns—and poor hunting means more food must be bought from a store, further increasing the cost of living. Raedle: “The residents of Kivalina are hoping to stay on their ancestral lands, where they can preserve their culture, rather than dispersing due to their island being swallowed by the rising waters of the ocean.”

Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • Bibek Ghosh / 2020 Audubon Photography Awards
    • In Focus
    • July 13, 2020
    • 28 Photos

    The 2020 Audubon Photography Awards

    Some of the best bird photography of the year—a collection of the 2020 winners and runners-up

  • Dave Allen Photography / Shutterstock
    • In Focus
    • July 12, 2020
    • 35 Photos

    Tennessee: Images of the Volunteer State

    A few glimpses of Tennessee’s landscape, and some of the animals and people calling it home

  • Gary Hershorn / Getty
    • In Focus
    • July 10, 2020
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Chicken Offering, Virginia Creeper, Comet Neowise

    Ominous statues in Thailand, solar boats in the Netherlands, the empty streets of Pamplona, a zoo reopening in Ecuador, a nuclear-power plant in France, and much more

  • Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters
    • In Focus
    • July 8, 2020
    • 23 Photos

    Photos: Deadly Flooding in Japan

    Days of unprecedented rainfall have caused rivers to overflow their banks, sweeping away bridges and roads, thereby cutting off many communities.

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. The Role of Cognitive Dissonance in the Pandemic
  2. A New Understanding of Herd Immunity
  3. The Anti-Semitism We Didn’t See
  4. Dear Therapist: My Husband and I Never Have Sex, so I’m Having an Affair
  5. COVID-19 Cases Are Rising, So Why Are Deaths Flatlining?
  6. Why Joe Biden Has His Eye on Karen Bass
  7. Poland's Rulers Made Up a ‘Rainbow Plague’
  8. The Cost of the Evangelical Betrayal
  9. Trump Might Not Want to Relinquish Power
  10. The Traditional Interpretation of the Pardon Power Is Wrong
Back to Top