Analysis of the social and cultural impacts of permafrost thaw in the coastal Russian Arctic: case study of Tiksi and Bykovsky (Republic of Sakha, Russian Federation)

• Main Author: Doloisio, Natalia
• Other Authors: Cultures, Environnements, Arctique, Représentations, Climat (CEARC), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris Saclay, Jean-Paul Vanderlinden, European Project: 773421,H2020,H2020-BG-2017-1,NUNATARYUK(2017)
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2022
• Subjects: climate change; permafrost thaw; Arctic communities; culture; adaptation; changement climatique; fonte du pergélisol; communautés Arctique; adaptatation; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; [SHS.ARCHI]Humanities and Social Sciences/Architecture; space management; Arctic; Arctique*; Climate change; permafrost; Republic of Sakha; République de Sakha; Tiksi; Yakutia; pergélisol
• Online Access: https://hal.science/tel-04566899; https://hal.science/tel-04566899/document; https://hal.science/tel-04566899/file/PhD%20dissertation%20Natalia%20Doloisio%20_%20VF.pdf

The Arctic is a vast and heterogeneous region known for its extreme climatic and environmental conditions. Humans have inhabitedthese territories for centuries. Recently, the effects of climate change in the Russian Arctic have gained visibility worldwide because of the role it plays in the regulation of the global climate system, as well as in various geophysical and biological processes. Scientific research often focuses on the material dimension of climate change and permafrost thawing, neglecting the importance of the nonmaterial dimension of these processes. This research proposes a broader perspective and analyzes the impacts on the stakeholders, elements and interactions that form the basis of the social configuration and cultural aspects of the coastal communities of Tiksi and Bykovsky (Bulunsky District, Russian Federation). By adapting the constructivist approach of grounded theory, it is here intended to delve into the perception of the inhabitants ofYakutsk, Tiksi and Bykovsky (Yakutia, Russian Federation). More specifically, their narratives are for this research, the starting point for examining their experiences, their interpretations and the implications of the multiple changes that their system is currently facing as a result of climate change and accelerated permafrost thaw. This provides fundamental information regarding terminological specificities, as well as information on the causal links between each event / process, actively contributing to the reconstruction of new risk patterns - as experienced by locals-. Life experiences suggest that the biophysical changes associated to climate change and thawing permafrost are also impacting thecultural and socio-economic dimensions of life in these coastal settlements. In this context, the interconnectedness between the different processes, elements and stakeholders became evident. Therefore, trying to analyze the impacts isolatedly could lead to an underrepresentation of relevant aspects for local residents. Despite their geographic proximity, ...