Impact of Climate Change on Elderly People in the Arctic, with Special Focus on the European High North: A Human Rights Perspective

AbstractElderly people face increasing challenges in the Arctic region, with global warming figuring prominently among these. The rising average temperature in the region is causing not only the rapid melting of sea ice, but also a range of environmental, social, cultural and economic problems. While the population at large in the region suffers from these problems, the elderly are among the most vulnerable. Climate change has affected their lives in different ways – physically, socially, politically, culturally and psychologically – and the impacts have serious implications for their human rights. This is an issue that has not been adequately researched, particularly in the context of the European High North, and this paper undertakes to present the salient concerns in this regard.