Impacts of climate change on Arctic Indigenous Peoples' nutrition and health

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Fourth Assessment Report states that regional climate change is affecting natural and human environments primarily through the effects of warming temperatures. Of concern are the effects of climate-related change and variability on human health. Vulnerable populations to climate-related health impacts include: the elderly, children, the poor, chronic-ill people, and rural residents. Indigenous Peoples residing in the Arctic Region are particularly vulnerable as a result of their reliance on natural resources for sustenance. This review of literature provides an overview of the potential impacts of climate-related change and variability on human nutrition and related health outcomes of Indigenous Peoples residing in the Central and Eastern Canadian Arctic and West Greenland. The quantitative and qualitative research methods used to assess the potential impacts will be discussed. There is evidence that climate-related change and variability is affecting traditional food harvesting and thus may impact the nutritional status of Indigenous Peoples. The similarities and differences in the physical, socio-cultural, and environmental attributes of human nutrition will be discussed. Research activities that describe the measured and potential impacts of climate-related change and variability on human nutrition and health are important in the development of programs and policies that meet and protect the welfare of Indigenous Peoples.