Waiting for an ice-break: social aspects of devastating floods in rural Yakutia (late XXth - beginning of XXIst century)

The current climate change affecting the ecosystems of the entire circumpolar region draws close attention to the indigenous economies of the region. One of the ways the climate change is influencing Yakutia as part of the circumpolar/subarctic region is the increased frequency and magnitude of major floods in this province, which directly and materially influence the economic activities of the indigenous population. The article presents a retrospective analysis of destructive floods in rural Yakutia, using Olyokminskiy ulus (district) situated on the Lena River as an example. The authors review the history of floods in the region and discuss various modes of coping with flood aftermaths, including the radical measure or resettlement. The unprecedented experience of the village of Kyllakh appears to be significant as the threat of major floods is still in place, and landscapes are starting to shift across the region due to the melting of the permafrost.