The impact of winter warming and more frequent icing events on reindeer herder occupational safety, health, and wellbeing

Background: Northern Finland, like the rest of the Arctic, has experiencedincreases in mean annual temperature, the number of winter rains, the numberof thaw–freeze days, the number of extremely warm weather events, and ashortened snow season. These changes have produced numerous problems forreindeer herders whose livelihoods rely on a healthy ecosystem with predictableweather patterns.Methods: We performed a scoping literature review to assess how climatechange induced extreme weather has negatively impacted reindeer herding aswell as the health and wellbeing of reindeer herders.Results: Late snow cover negatively impacts reindeer herding through a morewidely dispersed herd that increases the work to gather reindeer, leads toreduced calf weight, and results in less meat for sale. This increased labor,especially in extreme cold conditions, can also negatively impact reindeerherder health. Icing due to thaw–freeze and rain-on-snow events makes itimpossible for reindeer to dig through the snow to access lichens, increasingthe need for reindeer herders to keep the herd in winter enclosures and providesupplemental feed.Conclusion: Climate change induced weather events such as late snow coverand icing increase reindeer herder efforts and expenses, put their livelihood atrisk, and put their health at risk