Changes in coastal environments and their impact on society in northwestern Greenland

Back ground of the study
Coastal environments around Greenland are rapidly changing under the influence of a warming climate. Glaciers are melting and glacial meltwater discharge is affecting ocean environments, resulting in a wide range of impacts on marine ecosystems. Steep terrains along the coast are destabilized by thawing permafrost and more frequent heavy rain events. These changes in natural environments are serious concerns of Greenlandic societies. An increasing amount of glacial melt causes flooding of streams. Settlements at the foot of steep slopes are threatened by landslide hazards. To investigate changing coastal environments and their impact on society in Greenland, we have been running a research project in Qaanaaq, a small village in northwestern Greenland, under the framework of Japanese Arctic research projects GRENE (Green Network of Excellence), ArCS (Arctic Challenge for Sustainability) and ArCS II.

Natural envirnment change
On Qaanaaq Ice Cap, annual mass balance and ice speed have been measured since 2012 to investigate glacier changes and processes driving rapid ice loss. Discharge of a glacial stream is measured to study the mechanism of foods, which frequently destroy a road connecting the village with Oaanaaq Airport. In a nearby smaller settlement Siorapaluk, a slope affected by a landslide is surveyed to study the triggering mechanism of the failure. Research activities are also performed in glacial fjords, Bowdoin Fjord and Inglefield Bredening. Using boats operated by local collaborators, seawater properties are measured, moorings are installed for year-round measurements, and habitats of fish, seabirds and marine mammals are surveyed. Biologger tagging is performed in collaboration with hunters as well as a researcher from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources in Nuuk.

Social aspect
Recently, our study has expanded to more society related research subjects. A dump site in the village is surveyed by waste management engineers to investigate possible soil and water pollution. Measurements are also carried out in houses to evaluate the performance of the buildings for energy efficiency and a healthy living environment.

Involvement of Qaanaaq society
Project activities and study results are reported to the community in workshops in Qaanaaq every year since 2016. About 50 people attend presentations by researchers. The focus of discussion after the presentations is health and safety. Questions are raised about possible pollution around the dump site and concentrations of toxic substances in animals. The involvement of local society in scientific research is a matter of importance in the Arctic. To contribute sustainable future of Arctic societies, we continue collaboration, conversation and designing research together with the local community.

Project framework
This project is running under Arctic Challenge for Sustainability Project II (ArCS II). ArCS II is a Japanese initiative to investigate rapidly changing Arctic and its influence to global environment and society. Our study is one of the ArCS II research projects "Arctic Coastal Change and Its Impact on Society" and supported by ILTS as one of the Research Program of Joint Research Division.

Qaanaaq –study site–
Field campaign 2022
Field campaign 2023
Field campaign 2024
Project members
Publications
Previous project (GRENE 2011-2015)
Previous project (ArCS 2015-2020)