Under a new plan for the Arctic — the “shared Arctic leadership model” — the United States and Canada have pledged to work with indigenous groups to make science-based decisions. The plan seeks to protect the fragile Arctic environment, support resilient communities, and build a sustainable economy.

The Arctic is considered ground zero for climate change. With a fragile, often frozen ecosystem, changes in global temperatures — and the accompanying disruptions — can be magnified. Melting glaciers contribute to rising sea levels, while exposing carbon reserves that simply increase the speed of climate change.

Meanwhile, the animals that live in the Arctic are facing food shortages and other habitat changes. Communities in the Arctic have already had to relocate — Yup’ik Eskimo community in Alaska, a state that is warming twice as fast as the rest of the country, began moving their village last year.

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