Rural Communities of Yakutia in Conditions of Permafrost Degradation: Key Risks, Social Consequences, and Adaptation Mechanisms

Abstract

During the period of global climate change, the territories of the Russian Federation, within which permafrost is widespread, are at particular risk. The aim of this article is to identify the social consequences of permafrost degradation on the example of a number of rural settlements in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and to determine the emerging mechanisms of adaptation to the challenges associated with changes in the habitual state of the environment. In this regard, for the first time, the villages of Amga, Yunkur, Argakhtakh, Lippe-Atakh and Ulakhan-An, located in Yakutia, were the focus of relevant interdisciplinary research conducted during 2019–2022. The work in these settlements made it possible to establish local features of both the consequences of the degradation of permafrost and the specifics of their perception by the local population. It is noted that in the rural settlements studied, permafrost degradation limits the development of traditional economic activities, including among the Arctic and Subarctic indigenous population, limits the possibilities for the spatial development of settlements, leads to problems with the safety of the housing stock, and hinders transport communication. The observed changes entail an increase in the financial burden on the population, economic entities and local administrations, and negatively affect the social well-being of the inhabitants of the studied villages. At the same time, the conducted research allowed to reveal that the mechanisms of adaptation and sustainability of rural communities that are being formed in this regard are largely based on traditions of rural mutual assistance.