Alaska Native community moves to escape climate-driven permafrost loss

Alaska’s Newtok village is relocating to Mertarvik after climate change destroyed homes and infrastructure by melting permafrost and eroding coastlines.

Rick Bowmer and Mark Thiessen report for The Associated Press.

In short:

• Erosion and melting permafrost have devastated Newtok, forcing its remaining residents to relocate to a new site, Mertarvik.
• The move, which began in 2019, marks one of the first large-scale climate-driven relocations of an Alaska Native village.
• The relocation faces high costs and logistical hurdles, with other villages facing similar climate threats but no clear funding for moves.

Key quote:

"Living with my great-grandmother was all I could remember from Newtok, and it was one of the first houses to be demolished."

— Ashley Tom, former Newtok resident

Why this matters:

Alaska is warming faster than the global average, threatening Indigenous communities' homes, culture and way of life. Without long-term solutions and funding, these relocations may only be the beginning of widespread displacement across the Arctic.

Related: Melting Alaskan permafrost releases dangerous mercury levels