Evocative images capturing the stark realities of climate change in the Canadian Arctic have earned photographer Natalya Saprunova the prestigious New Scientist Editors Award at the Earth Photo 2026 competition. Her winning series provides a poignant glimpse into the challenges faced by Inuvialuit communities as melting permafrost and coastal erosion reshape their ancestral lands and traditions.
Saprunova's photographs delve into the profound shifts occurring across the region. One striking image features an Inuit hunter from Tuktoyaktuk holding a goose decoy, a practice that has evolved from traditional reed craftsmanship to modern materials. The backdrop of melting ice and altered migratory patterns for birds underscores how rising temperatures are directly impacting essential food sources and cultural practices. Similarly, her work illustrates the changing behaviour of fish, another vital resource, with permafrost thaw introducing harmful compounds like mercury into their habitats, jeopardising local food security.
Beyond the immediate impact on wildlife and hunting, Saprunova's lens captures the dramatic transformation of the Arctic landscape itself. Images reveal uneven terrain, marked by sunken, water-filled polygons and ice-cored hills, making it increasingly difficult for animals such as caribou to traverse their traditional grounds. As Saprunova notes in her submission, "The thaw is not just melting ice, it is reshaping the map upon which animals and people have always relied," highlighting the fundamental disruption to an entire ecosystem.
The series also brings into sharp focus the precarious situation of human settlements. Photographs of Sachs Harbour depict whole cliffs of permafrost disappearing, with homes dangerously close to eroding, cracked land. This stark contrast between human habitation and the rapidly deteriorating environment conveys the urgency of the climate catastrophe. Canada boasts the world's longest inhabited Arctic coastline, and some of its residents face the grim prospect of becoming the nation's first climate refugees.
Further illustrating the scale of the crisis, Saprunova's work includes images of Pelly Island, an area known to be diminishing. The melting permafrost not only causes the island to disappear but also releases greenhouse gases, potentially accelerating global temperature rises and further exacerbating the melt. A desolate cliff of black rock, with a tiny human figure observing the water, powerfully conveys the profound and irreversible changes scarring this critical region.
A selection of images from Saprunova's award-winning series is currently on display at an exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society in London. The exhibition runs until 24 July, offering a vital opportunity for the public to witness the compelling evidence of climate change's immediate and devastating effects on the Canadian Arctic.