Human Rights and Climate Change CIEL The Inuit Case Study income for the Inuit and contributes Prepared by Ana Núñez, CIEL Law greatly to their overall well-being. Fellow HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE INUIT CASE STUDY AFFECTING THE INUIT The Arctic region consists mostly of The Inuit, indigenous people inhabiting permafrost soil—permanent frozen soil. the Arctic region of Canada, Alaska, During the winter, the average Greenland and Russia, share a unique temperature oscilates between -28°C heritage, culture, and homeland. 1 (-18.4°F), and -70°C (-94°F). During the Transported by dog teams, finding summer, temperatures rise to an average temporary shelter in igloos, and warming of 12°C (53.6°F), melting the top layer up with furry karpas, Inuit inhabit one of of the permafrost, and forming marshes, the most isolated and harsh lands on lakes, bogs and streams where some Earth. The warming of temperatures vegetation can grow. over the last 30 years has resulted in major changes to their ancestral land and consequently, their livelihoods. United into a major human rights movement with wide international support, the Inuit are currently fighting to defend their right to live and conserve a land that is literally melting under their feet.
THE INUIT The more than 155,000 Inuit people located in the Northern Polar Region have successfully managed to balance their traditional practices and modern life. The economy of the region is based largely on natural resources, from oil and gas to fish, caribou, and whales. Tourism is also a growing source of income and the public sector, including the military, employs a wide part of the population in the area.
In addition to the cash economy, traditional subsistence through hunting ACIA, Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (2004) and fishing represents a main source of The Interngovernmental Panel on Climate Change described in its Fourth 1 The Inuit Circumpolar Charter defines Inuit as Assessment Report an increase of Artic “indigenous members of the Inuit homeland temperatures between 2 and 3.5°C since recognized by Inuit as being members of their people and shall include the Inupiat, Yupik (Alaska), Inuit, 1970. The fragile equilibrium of the Inuvialuit (Canada), Kalaallit (Greenland) and Yupik permafrost, which needs to remain (Russia)”. Human Rights and Climate Change CIEL The Inuit Case Study frozen in the lower layers, is being where most Inuit live, to fierce altered by these warmer temperatures— storms and erosion. Some homes resulting in greater ground melt during have already fallen into the sea, such the summer and loss of critical soil as in the town of Shishmaref in moisture due to excessive runoff. Alaska. As a result, whole towns have had to relocate. Also, thawing Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Nobel Peace Prize permafrost has damaged buildings, Nominee and member of the Inuit roads, pipelines and other Circumpolar Conference, described the infrastructure. effects of these temperature increases Natural Disaster: There has been before the Inter-American Commission harsh and unexpected weather, such on Human Rights in March 2007: as record-breaking winds in Iqaluit
last February that tore roofs off Human Safety: Deteriorating ice buildings and homes. conditions imperil hunters traveling on ice. For example, ice pans used Culture Loss: Warmer weather has for hunting are more likely to detach also affected traditional lifestyles. and take hunters away, and thinner For example, most Inuit can no ice has meant that many hunters have longer rely on the traditional practice been killed or seriously injured after of food caching because food rots falling through ice that was and insects invade caches. traditionally safe. The Inter Governmental Panel on Biodiversity Loss: Thinner ice has Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment affected ice dependent species, such Report points to climate change as the as ringed seals, walrus and polar cause of these alterations of weather bears, which may be pushed to conditions. Moreover, an acceleration of extinction as a result. these climatic trends is projected to occur during this century, due to ongoing increases in concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The IPCC predicts a continuing reduction in the thickness and coverage of glaciers and ice sheets, as well as detrimental changes in natural ecosystems affecting many organisms including migratory birds, mammals, and predators higher on the food chain. Barriers to invasive species Global Warming Awareness2007. July 25 2007. will also be lowered, putting additional http://globalwarming-facts.info/globalwarming- awareness2007.html stress on endemic species. Additional impacts include reductions in the extent Food Security: The decline of lake of sea ice, increased coastal erosion, and trout and other freshwater fish are an increase in the depth of permafrost impacting local food security, sport seasonal thawing. These changes are fishing, and tourism. already changing the Inuit’s environment Property Damage: The melting and could transform the way they live in land-ice has exposed the coastline, the near future. Human Rights and Climate Change CIEL The Inuit Case Study INUIT EFFORTS TO ADAPT Commission of Human Rights regarding Inuit are renowned for their ability to the violation of their human rights prosper in a harsh climate, and for their resulting from climate change. The Inuit resilence in changing conditions. complained that climate change However, climate change poses a threat jeopardizes their right to life, physical unlike any they have ever faced. integrity and security, their right to use and enjoy the lands they have Inuit hunters are now navigating new traditionally used and occupied, to use travel routes, trying to avoid areas of and enjoy their personal property, and decreasing ice stability and changing the inviolability of their home—rights their hunting practices to coincide with that are recognized by both The shifts in the migration times and routes Universal Declaration of Human Rights of caribou, geese, and new species that and the American Convention on Human are moving northwards. Rights.
References: Reallocation of human settlements has American Convention on Human Rights, been a major change for some Inuit O.A.S.Treaty Series No. 36, 1144 U.N.T.S. 123, people. The entire town of Shishmaref, entered into force July 18, 1978, reprinted in Basic Documents Pertaining to Human Rights in the Inter- in Alaska, moved recently due to American System, OEA/Ser.L.V/II.82 doc.6 rev.1 at increasingly violent weather events such 25 (1992). as storms and winds. European Environment Agency, (2004) Arctic Environment: European Perspectives. Why Europe Should Care, Environmental Issue Paper No 38 Crowley, P. (2005) Petition to the Inter American Commission on Human Rights for Dangerous Impacts on Climate Change. Hassol, Y.S., (2004) Impacts of a Warming Artic: Arctic Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press Inuit Circumpolar Council Chapter Retrieved July 17th from http://inuitcircumpolar.com/index.php?auto_slide=&I D=374&Lang=En&Parent_ID=¤t_slide_num= IPCC (2007) Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Summary for Policymakers. Retrieved on July 18th from Ken Grahan, Stone/Getty Images. Encyclopaedia Britannica online. 26 July 2007. http://www.britannica.com/ebi/art- http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM13apr07.pdf 52504/The-Inupiat-speak-a-dialect-of-the-Inuit- IPCC (2007) Climate Change 2007: mitigation of th language?articleTypeId=31 Climate Change. Retrieved on July 19 from http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM040507.pdf HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN Sheila Watt-Courier (2007) Testimony before the Inter American Commission Inuit have also experienced a remarkable Universal Declaration of Human Rights, G.A. change in their governance system, from Res. 217A, at 71, U.N. GAOR, 3d Sess., 1st plen. organizing decision-making processes in Mtg., U.N. Doc A/810 (Dec. 12, 1948) small and nomadic communities to The Center for International Environmental Law spurring new climate change initiatives (CIEL) is a nonprofit organization working to in international fora. For example, use international law and institutions to protect international Inuit communities the environment, promote human health, and organized the Inuit Circumpolar ensure a just and sustainable society. Conference to pursue an unprecedented complaint before the Inter-American