Climate change continues to have wide-ranging physical human health risks in the Arctic, particularly for Indigenous Peoples ; however, future projections of physical risks are nascent. Climate change has already challenged food and nutritional security . Climate change also creates safety concerns for those who access the land, ice and water for food, cultural and recreational purposes, with changing environmental conditions linked to injury and death . Foodborne disease risks are expected to increase in the Arctic, with warming temperatures linked to increased risk of microbial contamination of locally harvested foods , chemical contamination of locally harvest foods , compromised structural integrity and utility of ice cellars used to store locally harvested meat , and new challenges to traditional food preparation techniques . Waterborne disease risks have increased, with decreased drinking water quality and quantity, water treatment infrastructure failures and new waterborne pathogens emerging in the Arctic . Emerging environmental exposures to pathogens is also a concern. In 2016, a Nenets boy and over 200,000 reindeer died from anthrax linked to warming environments -a risk which is projected to increase with climate change . Thawing permafrost increases smallpox risk in former nomadic campsites and graveyards . Arctic health systems-which are often already stressed-will be further challenged by climate change , especially in conjunction with other system shocks   . While physical health impacts have been observed, research examining future health projections or evaluating the efficacy of health adaptations is rare .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report