Ruud Streefkerk

A few years ago we came across many reindeer along the roads through the Arctic, but recently I encountered an alarming message: Because of drought and forest fires in northern Scandinavia, the habitat of reindeer reduced. The Sami, the inhabitants of Lapland, are the only ones who are allowed to herd the animals, so this also forms a threat for their culture. According to experts, it would take 30 years for the region to recover from the extremely hot summers in recent years (which I do not think is a very likely scenario, given the global warming...). Apart from hot summers, the warm winters are also a problem. Because it rains more often, a layer of ice is created on top of the snow layer, which makes grazing seriously difficult for the animals. Without help, a large number of animals would die this winter and young animals might be too weakened to follow the annual migration. The Sami asked the Swedish government to regulate food supplies, of which a major shortage is threatening, for the 250,000 reindeer, and fortunately the Swedish government will take measures to protect the reindeer in the long term.