The legal position of Inuit in the exploitation of natural resources in Greenland

• Main Author: Fusco, Sara, 1991-
• Other Authors: Háskólinn á Akureyri
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Meistaraprófsritgerðir; Heimskautaréttur; Inúítar; Umhverfisbreytingar; Bráðnun (jöklafræði); Polar law; Natural resources; Arctic; Greenland; Climate change; inuit; National Snow and Ice Data Center
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/33941

Among the many topical issues dominating international discourse, are climate change, pollution, and human rights violations. Regarding environmental problems, the Arctic is going through one of the darkest periods of its history and the consequences will not tend to fade over time. Issues such as the rapid melting of polar ice and the resulting rise in sea levels have not only negatively affected the vulnerable Arctic ecosystem, but have also compromised the lifestyles of indigenous peoples who for centuries have lived in seemingly uninhabitable environments. In fact, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), in 2019 the Arctic marine ice has reached its minimum extension. This means that in the autumn the ice expanded more slowly than usual. This makes indigenous communities more vulnerable, because lack of ice creates floods and reduces the mobility of the local communities and fauna that use the ice caps to move . Despite these many threats of climate change, opportunities are also generated as ice retreats, with many countries now examining economic possibilities presented by climate change. In fact, in these years the routes of communication have grown and a real race to exploit natural resources has been triggered. Greenland is a prime example of a country where the threats and opportunities of climate change coexist. This thesis will outline the history of Greenland from the point of view of the regulation of the mining sector and the protection of Inuit rights there with respect to the social, environmental and economic consequences of mining.