Climate Change as a Human Security Issue for Indigenous Peoples of Arctic

• Main Authors: Güneş Ersoy, Ceren Uysal Oğuz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Journal of Politic and Security 2021-04-01
• Series: International Journal of Politic and Security
• Subjects: human security; climate change; arctic; indigenous peoples
• Online Access: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/ijps/issue/56805/851940

With the increase of the “new” security threats after the Cold War such as environmental problems, poverty, ethnic conflicts and migration, the human security approach that accepts the individual as a referent object has started to gain more attention. Climate change is one of the most serious problems that the planet and the humanity are facing in the 21st century. The negative effects of climate change are more evident and rapid in the Arctic region where the traditional lifestyles of the indigenous peoples suffer from melting glaciers and rising temperatures. In this study, the effects of climate change on indigenous peoples of the Arctic are examined from the human security perspective. The human security approach could provide a normative framework for building mechanisms where indigenous peoples involve more in climate change mitigation and adaptation mechanisms. Human security; with its different dimensions such as economic security, food security, health security, personal security, community security, political security and environmental security could provide a guideline for solving the problems arising from the vulnerability of the indigenous peoples of Arctic whose rights are violated by unequal and unjust practices of the states.