Living condition of indigenous people and relations of gender in the Arctic in light of rapid climate change and globalization
Abstract
The residents of the circumpolar Arctic are currently facing numerous critical issues and challenges. The Arctic environment has been undergoing major changes in recent years due to global warming. Climatic changes together with rapid globalization are not only having significant impacts on the region´s natural environment but on human development and living conditions as well. Arctic ecosystems are very vulnerable, and climatic and environmental changes are altering the Arctic faster and more severely than other parts of the world. This extensive region is geographically diverse and marked by strong cultural traditions and rich cultural diversity. Arctic indigenous people, in particular, are under threat from global warming which is having strong impact on their natural environment and subsistence resources. As Arctic warming continues, causing constant changes of their environment, indigenous people must confront ever-new challenges and threats to their security and well-being. This thesis broadly focuses on climate change and it´s impacts on human development and living conditions in the Arctic and, more specifically, it addresses the particular issues of security, well-being, the diverse and differentiated situations of woman and men, and the conditions of indigenous people in the Arctic.