Arctic communities are facing a $261bn (£193bn) bill from infrastructure damage caused by melting permafrost.
Permafrost is ground that permanently remains below freezing for at least two consecutive years. It covers about 24% of the Northern Hemisphere including large areas of Alaska, Canada, and Siberia.
But in recent years, climate change has caused a significant reduction in permafrost, a pattern that is expected to increase in the coming decades as global temperatures rise.
Researchers from the University of Connecticut believe that the damage caused from the melting events has been significantly underestimated, with previous studies only considering a building’s two dimensional structure. This is especially relevant for Siberian communities, with many residents living in multi-story apartment buildings.
“We can only know the true extent of damages to the built environment if we have a complete representation of the assets that are at risk,” said lead researcher Elias Manos. “We improved...