Greenland:
The Remote Arctic Towns that are Melting Away

Anna Filipova's photographs translate scientific data into a compelling visual story about climate change and its affects on permafrost and sea ice in Greenland.

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A photo of the town of Qaanaaq, Greenland by Anna Filipova
Qaanaaq, one of the most northerly towns in the world, has found itself among the first casualties in the battle against climate change. ©Anna Filipova
Homes along the sea in Qaanaaq, Greenland, photographed by Anna Filipova.
Many of the town’s inhabitants live in permafrost areas and their homes were built on frozen ground. But as the permafrost has thawed, the ground has become less capable of supporting their homes, which can become dangerous to inhabit. ©Anna Filipova
Qaanaaq resident Orla Kleist looks out his window in this photo by Anna Filipova.
A local resident, says his house has been damaged repeatedly over the years by changes in the permafrost. © Anna Filipova.
The foundations of a local resident's house have been damaged by ground movement, but she says the government doesn’t offer financial support © Anna Filipova.
Boats and the frozen harbor of Qaanaaq, Greenland photographed by Anna Filipova.
Boats and icebergs in harbour. Vessels can only enter the harbour from late June or July until September; the sea is frozen for the rest of the year. © Anna Filipova
Working dogs and a boat on the sea ice at Qaanaaq, Greenland, photographed by Anna Filipova.
Most towns in Greenland were established in the 1950s and without the consideration of climate change. © Anna Filipova
A local hunter. The hunting season in Qaanaaq gets shorter by the year, and people have lost their lives because of the unstable condition of the sea ice. © Anna Filipova
Despite the dangers of the sea ice, some hunters camp out there during the hunting season. © Anna Filipova

Anna Filipova

Anna specialises in the Polar regions where she explores environmental topics based in remote and inaccessible areas. She has worked…

Topics
Climate Change Environment
Regions
Arctic
Permafrost

About Greenland: The Remote Arctic Towns that are Melting Away

As the Arctic loses ice and the permafrost is thawing at dramatic rates, people in Greenland, are finding their homes, livelihoods, customs and very survival at risk.

Northern towns in Greenland are among the world’s first casualties in the battle against climate change. Many has been forced to abandon their settlements and look for other opportunities beyond the land they know as home due to climate change.

In parts of Greenland, coastlines are being eroded as storms batter the land and the permafrost crumbles. Many locals live in permafrost areas and their homes and other key infrastructures, such as roads and bridges, are built on frozen ground. As the permafrost thaws, the ground becomes weaker, less stable and less able to support these structures. This can cause buildings to collapse, and roads and pipelines to fail. Sorting out these problems is usually possible — yet very expensive. People are being pushed away from their housing, and this problem is posing further isolation to the communities, causing villages to be abandoned.
All of these cities, established around the 1950’s, were built without consideration of climate change…