11 Incorporating Climate Change Remedies into Community Development in Greenland
In: Cultural Dynamics of Climate Change and the Environment in Northern AmericaSearch for other papers by Naotaka Hayashi in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
In order to promote national economic development projects in the course of climate change, it is important to understand how locals have been coping with climate change and building a community in accordance with an ecological and cultural historical context of locality. Employing Japanese sociologist Kazuko Tsurumi’s Endogenous Development Theory, this chapter shows that southern Greenland’s community created a tradition of sheep farming by incorporating external knowledge, technology, and institutions. The development of sheep farming is a good example of adaptation to climate change at the local level with government support. Today, in order to establish a self-sufficient economy Greenland is seeking to develop an energy industry in the course of climate change. Greenlanders’ livelihood and industry include traditional hunting, fishery, sheep farming, and the energy industry. It would not be sound to make a development plan for each industry and livelihood separately. This chapter argues that a government development plan should not nullify local efforts to cope with climate change and to build a resilient community. It is necessary to make an integrated resource management plan and to have climate change remedies within it, so that development projects and adaptation to climate change will work in concert.