Adapting in polycrisis : Ensuring access to land as a polysolution for Arctic reindeer herding

Abstract

Current global socio-environmental changes challenge human societies and give rise to new adaptation needs also for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). Based on participatory workshops with Sámi and Finn reindeer herders we examined adaptation challenges for reindeer herding in a situation characterized by complex, intertwined and unpredictable risks framed as polycrisis. We found that increasing the possibilities of reindeer herders to influence the land-use governance to ensure their access to land can help them to cope with several challenges linked to green transition, geopolitics, inequality, and climate change simultaneously. Access to land thus functions as a practical “polysolution”. Furthermore, based on inductive analysis of the workshop discussions, we identified five criteria to understand polysolutions: depth, width, pace, proactiveness, and collaboration. These criteria can also help to identify solutions for other IPLCs and their nature-based livelihoods facing similar unpredictable and complex challenges that necessitate adaptation in polycrisis.