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

  • Kyodo / Reuters
    • In Focus
    • Oct 15, 2019
    • 28 Photos

    Scenes From the Aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis in Japan

    Images of the damage and immediate recovery work taking place in Japan after its worst storm in decades

  • Jam Sta Rosa / AFP via Getty
    • In Focus
    • Oct 11, 2019
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Ute Muster, Snow Leopard, Highway Acrobat

    A dog exhibition in Bishkek, a Kali Uchis performance in Texas, a demon-king burning in India, attacks on Kurdish sites in Syria, unrest in Haiti, the Masham Sheep Fair in England, and much more.

  • Tomacrosse / Shutterstock
    • In Focus
    • Oct 10, 2019
    • 15 Photos

    A Photo Trip to the Bungle Bungles

    Spectacular karst sandstone formations in Western Australia’s Purnululu National Park

  • Dolores Ochoa / AP
    • In Focus
    • Oct 9, 2019
    • 23 Photos

    Anti-austerity Protests and Strikes Shut Down Quito, Ecuador

    Demonstrations have roiled Ecuador’s capital city for more than a week, after the government eliminated a long-standing subsidy, doubling the price of fuel.

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. The Millennial Urban Lifestyle Is About to Get More Expensive
  2. Why You Never See Your Friends Anymore
  3. The Greatest, Fakest World Record
  4. Trump Betrayed the Kurds. He Couldn’t Help Himself.
  5. How America Lost Dinner
  6. Jeff Bezos’s Master Plan
  7. The Democratic Primary Is Now a Sideshow
  8. Are China's Tantrums Signs of Strength or Weakness?
  9. 1491
  10. Scenes From the Aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis in Japan
Back to Top