For communities like Newtok along a river or coast, climate change can also accelerate erosion. In Newtok, Lisa says the cost of living is so high that everyone depends on seasonal subsistence. From berry picking in the summer to moose, seal, and beluga hunting during the colder months, Newtok’s residents have long relied on south-western Alaska’s ecosystem. In Mertarvik, residents have found a healthier environment, relying even more on subsistence when the general store is sparsely stocked. Climate change is not the only reason Newtok’s Yup’ik residents have been forced to change their way of life.

Source: The Guardian June 08, 2021 15:11 UTC