Indigenous Villages in Alaska Face Climate Crisis Amid Rising Storm Threats

Sat Nov 22 2025 19:09:09 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Low-lying Indigenous villages in Alaska are increasingly vulnerable to climate change as severe storms and erosion threaten their existence. Emergency management efforts are underway, but long-term solutions are hindered by funding and policy challenges.

Severe storms have highlighted the vulnerability of low-lying Indigenous villages in Alaska, prompting urgent discussions about their future as climate change exacerbates flooding and erosion. Communities like Kipnuk and Kwigillingok face the harsh reality of potential displacement amid inadequate federal support and funding challenges. While emergency management officials are working on short-term solutions, the need for comprehensive policies and resources to facilitate relocation and fortification is critical.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Storms that battered Alaska’s western coast this fall have brought renewed attention to low-lying Indigenous villages left increasingly vulnerable by climate change — and revived questions about their sustainability in a region being reshaped by frequent flooding, thawing permafrost, and landscape-devouring erosion.

The onset of winter has slowed emergency repair and cleanup work after two October storms, including the remnants of Typhoon Halong, slammed dozens of communities. Some residents from the hardest-hit villages, Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, could be displaced for months and worry what their futures hold.

Kwigillingok already was pursuing relocation before the latest storm, but that can take decades, with no centralized coordination and little funding. Moves by the Trump administration to cut grants aimed at better protecting communities against climate threats have added another layer of uncertainty.

Still, hope remains to buy villages time to evaluate next steps by reinforcing rebuilt infrastructure or putting in place pilings so homes can be elevated, said Bryan Fisher, the state’s emergency management director.

“Where we can support that increased resilience to buy that time, we’re going to do that,” he said.

Many Alaska Native villages are threatened by climate change

Alaska is warming faster than the global average. A report released by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium found 144 Native communities face threats from erosion, flooding, thawing permafrost, or a combination of these factors.

Coastal populations are particularly vulnerable, said climate scientist John Walsh. Less Arctic sea ice allows storm-driven waves to cause more damage. Thawing permafrost contributes to rapid coastal erosion. Waves hitting permafrost act like water off a concrete wall, but when permafrost thaws, the loose soil washes away more easily.

Wind and storm surge from the remnants of Halong consumed dozens of feet of shoreline in Quinhagak, affecting a culturally significant archaeological site. Quinhagak, like Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, is near the Bering Sea.

Just four times since 1970 has an ex-typhoon hit the Bering Sea coast north of the Pribilof Islands, said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness. Three of those events have occurred since 2022, including the remnants of Merbok.

The damage caused by ex-typhoon Halong was the worst Fisher has seen in his 30 years of emergency management, estimating that around 700 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, with some reportedly washed away with individuals inside. Kipnuk and Kwigillingok — with populations of about 1,100 — experienced significant devastation, with one reported death and two individuals still missing.

Options are limited and expensive

At-risk communities can choose to reinforce existing infrastructure, fortify shorelines, manage infrastructure retreat, or relocate entirely. The costs are staggering — approximately $4.3 billion over 50 years is necessary to protect infrastructure in Native communities from climate threats, an estimate from 2020. However, progress has been hampered by a lack of resources and coordination.

Announcing relocation plans can disqualify communities from receiving funding for new infrastructure, while government policies can restrict investments at new sites unless inhabited, exacerbating the challenges faced.

The relocation of around 300 residents of Newtok to their new village of Mertarvik took decades and cost approximately $160 million. Newtok serves as an example for others considering relocation. In states like Washington and Louisiana, climate change has also been a catalyst for some tribes' relocation.

However, many villages, including Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, might not have that kind of time, according to Sheryl Musgrove, director of the Alaska Climate Justice Program at the Alaska Institute for Justice. Her group is assisting these tribal communities with climate-adaptation decisions.

Kipnuk had been considering a protect-in-place strategy prior to the recent storm but is undecided on its next steps now.

Musgrove expressed hope that this situation could catalyze meaningful changes at the federal level to aid at-risk communities. Currently, no federal agency is designated to oversee relocations, which places the onus on small communities to navigate a complex landscape of agencies and programs.

Federal support is in question

In 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs established the Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation Program using funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, allocating $115 million for 11 tribes' relocation efforts, including $25 million for both Newtok and Napakiak. In Napakiak, much of the infrastructure is expected to be destroyed by 2030, prompting the community to move from the Kuskokwim River banks.

However, this funding is insufficient for complete relocations, and additional funding is fragmented across various agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Ongoing federal support remains uncertain, especially following Trump administration cuts to climate change and resilience programs. In May, he proposed slashing $617 million from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ tribal self-governance and community programs without specifying affected initiatives.

The Department of Interior has stated that new grant funding is “under review,” but the Bureau of Indian Affairs continues to assist tribes in laying groundwork for future implementations as funding pathways are clarified.

Furthermore, crucial data for assessing climate change impacts on villages is at risk. The Trump administration has removed such information from government websites and has dismissed scientists responsible for national climate assessment reports.

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Aoun Angueira reported from San Diego.