“What are you going to do, Protest the Wind?”: Community Perceptions of Emergent and Worsening Coastal Erosion from the Remote Bering Sea Community of St. Paul, Alaska

Abstract

AbstractThe state of Alaska is experiencing increased coastal erosion due to climatic changes that threaten shoreline, infrastructure, and Alaska Native ways of life. While several Alaska Native villages have been impacted by severe erosion, additional communities face burgeoning erosion concerns. St. Paul, a remote island located in the Bering Sea, Alaska, and home to ~450 Unangan, or Aleut, residents, is experiencing relatively new erosion and associated flooding issues. This study aimed to inform St. Paul’s erosion monitoring and climate adaptation strategies by documenting community perceptions of coastal erosion as an ecological and social threat within a broader context of multiple established climate stressors. We interviewed 21 residents to answer: (1) what are the community’s perceptions of erosion on St. Paul in the context of the island’s other environmental concerns?; (2) do current perceptions of erosion affect how local governing and management entities address erosion impacts?; and (3) how does erosion relate to and impact Unangan cultural traditions and heritage? Residents identified six locations of primary concern, owing to how erosion of those areas impact their culture, subsistence practices, and sense of place. We suggest methods in which local entities can better support proactive climate adaptation and mitigation measures and utilize resources for community-driven adaption planning. By documenting perspectives in Indigenous communities on emergent climate impacts, as well as perceptions of adaptation planning and implementation, it can establish the foundation for more collaborative, culturally relevant, and successful community-driven climate adaptation planning.