Dwindling snow threatens Greenland's dogsled mushers' ancestral way of life

Dubai: Warming temperatures are threatening Greenland’s ancestral way of life as dwindling snow and sea ice disrupt traditional dogsledding and hunting livelihoods across the island.

On Greenland’s east coast, snow has become so scarce that even short dogsled journeys now break down, making dogsled tours increasingly unviable economically. Mushers fear that a tradition passed down through generations could disappear as climate change reshapes the Arctic landscape. Average temperatures on Greenland’s ice sheet were 8.1°C higher in December than the 1991–2020 average, underscoring the scale of the shift.

The impact is also being felt along the coast. In southwestern Greenland, hunter Malik Kleist scans the horizon for seals from his boat, a task that has grown more difficult as sea ice fails to form. This February, the waters remained largely ice-free, forcing hunters to sail deep into fjords for hours to find seals that would normally rest on pack ice.

The Arctic is warming about four times faster than the rest of the world, leading to retreating sea ice that seals depend on for giving birth, resting and protection. Without ice to calm the waters, hunting has become more dangerous, with stronger winds and larger waves.

Last year was exceptionally warm, with several temperature records broken. For communities that rely on ice and snow, the changes are already reshaping daily life and threatening traditions that have endured for centuries.

Video: AFP