Living with Ice: Climate Adaptation Practices from Greenlandic Communities MTA
Case studies of local strategies for adapting infrastructure, livelihoods, and culture to a changing Arctic climate

About this book:

"Living with Ice: Climate Adaptation Practices from Greenlandic Communities" offers a comprehensive overview of how Greenlandic communities are confronting the profound impacts of a rapidly changing Arctic climate. The book highlights the critical importance of integrating traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern science and technology to develop effective and culturally appropriate adaptation strategies. It emphasizes that climate change in Greenland is not an abstract concept but a tangible reality affecting daily life, from housing foundations and energy systems to food security and safe travel.

The book details specific adaptation practices across various sectors. For instance, it explores innovative housing designs utilizing adjustable pile foundations and passive ventilation to cope with thawing permafrost, and the transition to hybrid microgrids combining wind, solar, and diesel to ensure reliable and sustainable energy. Water management strategies are discussed, addressing challenges from increased meltwater and unstable sea ice, alongside the development of community freezers and Arctic gardens to bolster food sovereignty. Coastal communities are shown implementing a mix of hard and nature-based defenses against erosion and storm surges, while evolving early warning systems for weather, floods, and avalanches integrate local observation with modern sensors.

A central theme is the emphasis on co-design, research ethics, and community consent, ensuring that adaptation initiatives are genuinely community-led and culturally relevant. The book underscores the vital roles of youth and women in frontline leadership and collective decision-making, as well as the critical importance of intergenerational knowledge transfer—blending traditional wisdom with new skills in "on-the-ice classrooms." It also examines the complexities of financing adaptation, promoting circular material practices, and navigating the multi-layered policy pathways from local self-rule to international frameworks.

Ultimately, "Living with Ice" posits that cultural strength—manifested through language, rituals, and festivals—is a fundamental component of resilience, providing emotional and social support amidst environmental upheaval. The book concludes by offering a practical implementation toolkit with checklists, metrics, and templates, aimed at empowering practitioners to scale these successful, locally-rooted adaptation models across Greenland and inspire similar efforts in other vulnerable regions facing the challenges of a warming world.

What You'll Find Inside:

• Community-led co-design processes that integrate Indigenous knowledge with technical solutions to create culturally relevant and socially durable adaptation projects
• Housing adaptations for thawing permafrost including adjustable pile foundations, ventilated crawlspaces, and passive design principles for energy efficiency
• Food sovereignty strategies centered on community freezers, traditional sharing networks, and emerging Arctic agriculture to enhance local food security
• Coastal protection approaches combining nature-based defenses (like rock revetments and vegetation) with traditional engineering to address erosion and storm surges
• Energy resilience through hybrid microgrids that combine wind, solar, and diesel power with storage systems to reduce fossil fuel dependence while maintaining reliability

Who's It For:

This book is intended for development practitioners, municipal planners, engineers, school administrators, and community leaders working on climate adaptation in Arctic or cold-region communities. It provides practical tools, checklists, and implementation details from real Greenlandic projects that can be adapted to similar contexts facing permafrost thaw, coastal erosion, food security challenges, and infrastructure vulnerabilities.