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

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. Accordingly, an increasing number of damages to buildings and infrastructures are reported. 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. In this presentation, we introduce the overview of our multidisciplinary research activities performed in the Qaanaaq region since 2012.

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 was surveyed to study the triggering mechanism of the failure. During the late summer season, research activities were performed in the largest glacial fjord in the region, 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. Recently, a dump site in the village was surveyed by waste management engineers to investigate possible soil and water pollution. Measurements were also carried out in houses to evaluate the performance of the buildings for energy efficiency and a healthy living environment.

Project activities and study results are reported to the community in a workshop organized in Qaanaaq 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.