Reindeer and Resilience

As a nomadic way of life based on Indigenous knowledge, reindeer husbandry in the Arctic has a historically high resilience to environmental variability and change, based on generations of experience and knowledge that has been conserved, developed, and adapted to the changing climatic, ecological, political, and economic systems of the high north. Today, however, herders’ ability to adapt to rapid environmental change is hindered by land degradation and fragmentation.

Sámi reindeer husbandry is faced with challenges from numerous land-use changes that affect pasture, including the damming of lakes for hydropower production, mineral exploration, development of recreational cabin areas, and wind energy turbines.

The cumulative effects of these changes on the landscape disrupt the ability of the Sámi to maintain traditional herding practices, further reducing the herders’ ability to respond to increasingly unstable and unpredictable weather conditions.

A new project funded by NASA and led by CBC-AMNH Associate Director Mary Blair aims to enhance the capacity of reindeer herders to address pasture fragmentation and degradation using NASA’s remote sensing data. These datasets include observations taken by instruments on satellites that can reveal changes and patterns in features of pastureland over time such as fragmentation, degradation, and changes in snow and ice. Part of the goal of the project is to highlight and fill gaps in Indigenous and scientific knowledge as identified by reindeer herders, who hold a deep understanding of historical and future nomadic pasture use.

Collaborators will co-design a system of climate observations, monitor pasture fragmentation, and create scenario-based plans for their management. In addition, the project will add remote-sensing-based training sessions aimed at Indigenous reindeer herding youth to existing community workshops. The project will enhance existing work by the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry on the resilience of reindeer herding funded by a Global Environment Facility UN Environmental Programme project.

Project Partners

The International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry at the UArctic EALÁT Institute 
Reindeer Herding and Resilience Project