Traditional Cultures
The impacts of global warming will be felt across the globe. These are a few of the many examples of the impacts of climate change on traditional cultures.
Disappearing Ice Packs
Wildlife in the arctic regions will be seriously affected as warmer temperatures affect the ocean ice cover. Polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt seals, which use the ice for rearing their young. The native peoples also rely on the ice to hunt these species and walruses. Observations of walrus in 1996-99 showed them to be thin and in poor condition, partly due to receding sea ice.
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Disappearing Ice Packs
Warmer temperatures could affect wildlife in artic regions because of melting sea ice. Native peoples in these areas depend on the sea ice to hunt seals and walruses. |
Livestock Farming
Over the past several thousand years, traditional livestock farmers in Africa have developed a variety of ways to cope with large climate variations. These coping mechanisms include keeping diverse species of livestock, moving temporarily to more lush grasslands, maintaining economic diversity, and distributing drought-induced hunger across the stronger members of the community. Coping with climate changes over the next century will be increasingly difficult as human populations increase and available grazing land decreases.
Limited Resources
Many indigenous peoples live in harsh climatic environments to which they have adapted. However, when climate changes occur rapidly, populations with limited resources can be the first to suffer from famine and disease. Adaptation techniques include altering crop mixes and water infrastructure to deal with drought, and improving public healthcare systems to reduce the harm caused by climate-related disease outbreaks.
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