Polar Record
www.cambridge.org/pol

Commentary
Cite this article: Sugiyama S. Through theJapanese field research in Greenland: Achanging natural environment and its impact
on human society. Polar Record 56(e8): 1–6.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/
S003224742000011X
Received: 16 August 2019
Revised: 6 November 2019
Accepted: 31 January 2020
Keywords:
Greenland; Glacier; Ocean; Natural disaster;
Indigenous knowledge
Author for correspondence:
Shin Sugiyama,
Email: sugishin@lowtem.hokudai.ac.jp

Through the Japanese field research inGreenland: A changing natural environment
and its impact on human society
Shin Sugiyama
Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Nishi 8, Kita 19, Sapporo, 060-0819, Japan

Abstract
Under the influence of a rapidly warming climate, abrupt changes have been observed along thecoast of Greenland. This commentary is based on a Japanese research project initiated in 2012,
in which we examined the recent changes in the coastal environment and their impacts onhuman society in Qaanaaq, a village in northwestern Greenland. Initially, our research sought
to quantify the mass loss of glaciers and its interaction with the ocean in the Qaanaaq region.
Over the course of the project in collaboration with local communities, we soon realised that thechanges in glaciers and the ocean directly impacted the ~600 residents of Qaanaaq. We observed
natural disasters triggered by climate change. Environmental changes are also important for local
economy and industry because loss of sea ice may lead to growth in transportation, tourism andmineral resource exploration. In order to share the results of our study with the Qaanaaq community, and to gain understanding of local and traditional knowledge, we organised an annual
meeting in the village every summer since 2016. Our experience demonstrates the critical importance of performing a long-term multidisciplinary study, including participation of the local
communities to understand the changing environment, and to contribute to a sustainable futurein Qaanaaq.

Changing glaciers and the ocean© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge
University Press.

Greenland’s coastal environment has been rapidly changing over recent decades. For example,
outlet glaciers of the Greenland ice sheet and peripheral glaciers and ice caps are
rapidly melting and losing mass (e.g. Bolch et al., 2013; Howat & Eddy, 2011; Murray et al.,2015). The loss of ice has a significant impact not only on rising sea levels but also on ocean
circulation and the global climate (e.g. Böning, Behrens, Biastoch, Getzlaff, & Bamber, 2016;
Luo et al., 2016). Atmospheric warming is the main driver of rapidly melting ice (Enderlin
et al., 2014; Fettweis et al., 2017; Hanna, Mernild, Cappelen, & Steffen, 2012). However, acceleration of tidewater outlet glaciers and a darkening ice surface are additional processes that
increase the rate of ice loss (Rignot & Kanagaratnam, 2006; Ryan et al., 2019; Tedesco et al.,2016). The ocean environment and marine ecosystems are being affected by the glaciers, because
an increasing amount of freshwater and sediments has been carried into the ocean in recent
years (e.g. Arendt, Agersted, Sejr, & Juul-Pedersen, 2016; Bendixen et al., 2017).
To improve our understanding of the changing glaciers and the ocean in and around
Greenland, we initiated our research in 2012 in Qaanaaq (77°28' N, 69°14' W), a small village
in northwestern Greenland (Fig. 1). Studying the Qaanaaq region is particularly importantbecause it is an area in northwestern Greenland, where loss of ice mass has recently been increasing (Khan, Wahr, Bevis, Velicogna, & Kendrick, 2010), but observational data is sparse compared to regions in the south. This research was carried out with contributions from the Japaneseinterdisciplinary Arctic research initiatives, the GRENE (Green Network of Excellence) and
ArCS (Arctic Challenge for Sustainability) Projects.
From 2012 to 2019, we made repeated field observations in the Qaanaaq region, as well as
performing analysis of satellite data and numerical model experiments. The study results clearlyshow that ice caps in this region have been thinning because of elevated air temperature andreduced ice surface albedo (Saito, Sugiyama, Tsutaki, & Sawagaki, 2016; Sugiyama et al.,2014). Marine-terminating outlet glaciers of the Greenland ice sheets are retreating, thinningand accelerating (Sakakibara & Sugiyama, 2018). In addition to the warming climate, changing
ocean temperature and bed geometry play crucial roles in the recession of the outlet glaciers(Asaji, Sakakibara, Yamasaki, & Sugiyama, 2018). Our study revealed the critical impact of glacial meltwater discharge on the marine ecosystem. Meltwater transports nutrient-rich waterfrom the bottom to the surface of fjords when it upwells along the fronts of marine terminating
outlet glaciers (Kanna et al., 2018; Lydersen et al., 2014), and therefore, changes in meltwater
discharge create new environments affecting the current ecosystems. Other studies have

2

S. Sugiyama

Fig. 1. Satellite image (Landsat 7 on 24 July 1999) of the study site. The inset shows the locations of Qaanaaq in Greenland (circle).

indicated meltwater discharge in marine environments influences
the distributions of zooplankton and sea birds living in the fjords(Naito et al., 2019).
Impact on human society
The environmental changes observed in the GRENE and ArCS
Projects have an impact on the human society and economy in
Qaanaaq. The melting glaciers are affecting the ecosystems ofglacial fjords, which have a critical influence on hunting andfishing. Such influence was evident from conversations with local
collaborators who assisted with our field research activities in
Qaanaaq. Fishermen know that fish species are changing in thewarming ocean, and hunters are suffering from sea-ice reduction
because it shortens the period of dog sledge use.
Furthermore, the changing environment poses risks to theinfrastructure of Qaanaaq and nearby areas. For example, a roadconnecting Qaanaaq Village and the nearby airport was destroyed
by water in July 2015 and August 2016 (Fig. 2). This disaster wascaused by flooding due to meltwater streams flowing from the
Qaanaaq Ice Cap (Kondo, Sakaibara, Fukumoto, & Sugiyama,2019). Most likely, flooding has occurred more frequently in recent
years because of the increasing amounts of meltwater, as well as therising number of heavy rain storms. Another risk is the instability of
the current land formations and terrain. A nearby smaller village
Siorapaluk (77°47' N, 70°38' W) (Fig. 1) was hit by landslides
and flash floods in the summers of 2016 and 2017, which
destroyed hunting lodges (Fig. 3). Field surveys indicated thatthe landslides were triggered by heavy rain, which destabilised asteep slope, also possibly weakened by thawing permafrost(Yamasaki & Watanabe, 2019).
In contrast with these negative impacts, the warming climate
and recession of ice provide opportunities in terms of improving
transport and access to natural resources. Sea ice in front of

Qaanaaq now melts earlier in the summer season, which enables
earlier access for supply ships to the village. With a strong interestin mineral resources, survey activities are now carried out more
frequently in the region. One example of mineral resources available in the region is titanium contained in black sand (ilmenite)
discovered at Moriusaq, an abandoned settlement located ~80 km
south from Qaanaaq (Nielsen, Kokfelt, & Weatherley, 2019).
After preliminary surveys, sampling began in 2015, and a small-scaletitanium mining facility has been established (Government ofGreenland, 2017). Our research activity has the potential to assess
the possible access to mineral resources and the environmental
impact of mining. The study of sea ice is particularly relevant
and important for mineral resource exploration in the Arctic,
as represented by a case of offshore oil and gas exploration ineastern Greenland (Fuse, Kanehara, & Sato, 2015).
Collaboration with the Qaanaaq community
Since the ArCS project was launched in 2015, we have collaborated
with social scientists to investigate the impact of climate change
on human society in Qaanaaq. For example, a team consisting ofan anthropologist and a political scientist visited Qaanaaq in2016 to study local whale (narwhal) hunting, which is a traditional and popular summer activity in Qaanaaq. The teaminvestigated how this tradition has been maintained in theregion and also how the tradition is affected by recently changing society and social systems. For example, there is a quota regulating the annual narwhal catch. While the quota is agreed upon by
Greenlandic and international commissions, local narwhal hunters
voice their disagreement (Takahashi, 2019). As a part of ourresearch activity in Qaanaaq, oceanographers and marine biologists are collecting data from narwhal habitats. Such scientific data
should contribute to finding a better solution to maintain traditions while preserving natural resources.

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(a)

(b)

Fig. 2. (a) Satellite image (ALOS PRISM on 25 August 2009) showing an area including Qaanaaq Village and Qaanaaq Airport. The trapezoid shows the approximate area coveredby the photograph shown in (b). (b) Photograph taken on 3 August 2016 showing the flood of a glacial stream and destruction of the road connecting Qaanaaq Village andQaanaaq Airport. The stream is fed by the Qaanaaq Glacier at the top.

We will continue to study the Greenland glacial and ocean environment, but with increasing emphasis on their relation to society.
Such a study would not be possible without the input and collaboration from the Qaanaaq community. In 2016, we organised thefirst workshop in the village to explain our research project, sharescientific data, and exchange ideas about how life is affected by
the changing environments. Through repeating the workshops
in 2017 and 2018 (Fig. 4), we learned local and traditional
knowledge which is relevant to environmental changes inGreenland. For example, an experienced local hunter explainedthat retrieval of a seal body after hunting is harder than before
because the body sinks deeper into the ocean. Presumably, thisobservation indicates that the body is less buoyant in the ocean

due to changes in the salinity of near-surface sea water caused
by increasing amounts of freshwater from melting glaciers.
We continue to work with such local hunters and fishermen
to obtain ocean measurements and data. Their traditional andlocal knowledge benefits our research greatly. For example,
through their experience of fishing benthic fish (halibut), local
fishermen have accurate knowledge about the depths of fjords,
where outlet glaciers terminate. This is crucial information whenstudying glaciers because the recent retreat of glaciers in Greenlandis highly influenced by sea bed geometry as mentioned above (Asajiet al., 2018). In turn, the continued addition of data furthers theocean depth survey and the marine ecosystem study and helps
the indigenous communities understand the changing fish

Fig. 3. Landslides occurred on the slope behind Siorapaluk Village. The photograph was taken on 27 July 2018.

Fig. 4. Photographs showing a workshop with residents held in Qaanaaq on 30 July 2017. (a) A hunter explains his experience of changes in ocean conditions.
(b) Researchers and residents discuss environmental changes observed in the region, using satellite images and ocean bathymetry maps.

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(a)

(b)

(c)

Fig. 5. Results of the questionnaire survey performed in Qaanaaq in July and August 2018. Answers to the questions (a) “What kinds of seasonal and environmental changes haveyou observed in Qaanaaq?”, (b) “What kind of change do you notice about animals and fish?”, and (c) “To what extent do they negatively impact your daily life?”. The summary isbased on answers from 29 local residents.

habitat and availability of fishery resources. Our goal is to provide residents with data, enabling the sustainable developmentof society and the economy in the future.
To learn more about regional and traditional knowledge, we
conducted a questionnaire survey on recent environmental
changes in Qaanaaq. More than 80% of the respondents observedchanges in the environment (Fig. 5(a)). Sea-ice reduction and anincreasing amount of summer rainfall were the most significant
changes according to their observations (Fig. 5(a)). Changes in
the populations and species of sea/land animals and fish wereobserved by 30–60% of the respondents (Fig. 5(b)). More than
50% reported negative impacts on their lives from environmental
changes (sea-ice reduction, glacier melting, and temperature rise),and social environmental factors (irregular flight operation andhunting regulation) were also of great concern (Fig. 5(c)).

The next step in our research is to continue to provide Qaanaaq
community with useful data and measurements to enable a sustainable future. Accurate data and knowledge from our research
may help them to adjust their lives to the changing environment.
Acknowledgements. The author would like to thank the GRENE and ArCS
Greenland project members for their contributions to research in Qaanaaq.
Matthew Walls, Pauline Knudsen, and Pivinnguaq Morch contributed to thequestionnaire survey in Qaanaaq. Toku Ohshima, Kim Petersen, and Sakiko
Daorana provided assistance with field activities in Qaanaaq. Akiho Shibata
provided the opportunity to present at the PCRC 4th International
Symposium in Kobe and to contribute this manuscript to the special issue.
This study was funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology through the GRENE Arctic Climate
Research Project and the ArCS Arctic Challenge for Sustainability Project(Program Grant Number JPMXD1300000000).

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