Increasingly violent and frequent storms driven by climate change are becoming the new normal. The reliable freeze-up that would stabilize shorelines before heavy winter weather helped to protect Alaska’s coastal areas from extreme erosion. But fall storms are worsening and relentlessly eating away coastline, as well as community infrastructure. What are the latest efforts to help relocate Alaska’s coastal residents before they become climate refugees? And where will the funding come from? As winter approaches, we are checking in on plans to move villages to safety.
Lori Townsend talks with Jocelyn Fenton, Transportation and Infrastructure Protection Program Manager for the Denali Commission and Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer, Senior Project Manager for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
Lori Townsend is the news director and senior host for Alaska Public Media. You can send her news tips and program ideas for Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or call 907-550-8452.
