Coastal delta communities are among the most vulnerable to climate change, causing most communities to wonder what their lands and waterways will look like in decades to come [1]. State reports identify villages of the Yukon-Kuskokwim (YK) Delta as underserved with respect to basic government services and highlight areas threatened by coastal erosion, flooding, and permafrost degradation [2–4]. Likewise, communities and traditional ways of life are threatened by sea level rise, salinization, and storm surge because of the low elevation (<15m) of the delta [1,5]. Additionally, the decrease in duration and extent of shorefast ice has contributed to greater storm impacts increasing the vulnerability of the YK Delta to coastal hazards [6]. These physical changes are forcing Alaskan Native communities to face new realities in their day-to-day lives. Within our theme “Water is our livelihood” changes in the hydrologic cycle are generating risks to health, sanitation, and infrastructure [7]. Populations living in rural villages in the YK Delta region experience challenges in the quality, accessibility, and reliability of drinking water and sanitation services [8–11]. These effects are being exacerbated by changes in climate and water budgets that are expected to influence water cycles in the Arctic [12–15].
As communities navigate the changing Arctic together, it is essential to chart a course that holistically considers the physical and human dimensions of these new realities. This requires a partnership in the co-production of knowledge using both Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and convergent science to understand how a changing environment will impact water systems and the people that rely on them. Driven by community priorities identified by Indigenous colleagues over the past 3 years (NNA Planning Award 1927644), this proposal was co-developed with the villages of Mekoryuk, on Nunivak Island, and Kongiganak, west of the mouth of the Kuskokwim River with support from local and regional organizations. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we built a mutual working relationship that culminated in the three research themes and associated component focus areas. Through this partnership we will advance the understanding of the changing Arctic and its impacts on these communities, their lands, and community livelihoods [16].
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