Understanding the socio-ecological system (SES) of Arctic Reindeer husbandry

Ajishnu Roy 

Arctic reindeer husbandry is a socio-ecological system (SES) of vital regional significance that is naturally connected to the cultural heritage, spiritual identity, and food security of Indigenous peoples throughout the Circumpolar North. This review integrates the multifaceted challenges and adaptive strategies of this complex adaptive system (CAS), which is increasingly exposed to accelerating environmental and socio-economic changes. Climate change, such as enhanced rain-on-snow events, ground-icing, shrubification, and phenological changes, has immediate impacts on pasture quality and accessibility, compromising reindeer health and herd sustainability. These ecological stresses are compounded by anthropogenically driven stressors, such as widespread land-use fragmentation by industrial mining, forestry, and infrastructure expansion, which break up migratory routes and reduce grazing areas. This socio-ecological system (SES) resilience is inherently linked to active Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) systems that inform adaptive husbandry tactics, seasonal mobility, and collective choice-making. However, governance frameworks frequently produce policy mismatches, and economic stress and youth out-migration jeopardize intergenerational knowledge transfer. This analysis emphasizes that Arctic reindeer husbandry, in the long term, depends on adaptive co-management systems that guarantee Indigenous land rights, incorporate ILK and scientific research formally through knowledge co-production, and apply cumulative impact assessments. Ensuring a ‘safe operating space’ for herders by prioritizing inclusive, multi-level governance is essential for developing strong and sustainable pastoral communities in the rapidly changing Arctic.