Rain on Snow

The Sami have always changed with the times. Once nomadic, the herders now live in solid houses instead of portable tents, and use snowmobiles and skidoos instead of skis and sledges. But the 20th century also brought a wider range of changes: they have had to share their territory with forestry, tourism and mining, and their associated infrastructures.

Now the reindeer herders are under pressure from another source – climate change. Since the late 1980’s, the autumn snows have arrived later, and throughout the winter, rain has been falling on the snow. The rain freezes and forms an ice crust that is often too hard for the reindeer to break through to get at their staple food, lichen. Reducing the reindeer’s food source still further is the year by year upward movement of the tree line, encroaching on the tundra where the reindeer graze.

These environmental factors have resulted in up to 90% of animals in a herd starving to death in the worst years.

To ensure that their reindeer have enough food and are able to survive the winter fit and well enough to give birth to healthy calves, the herders are resorting to buying expensive fodder and moving to neighbouring lands. But emergency strategies can’t be used every year.

Reindeer herding is only marginally profitable and extremely hard work. It is entirely dependent on nature and the environment. If a long term solution is not found, herding will become economically unsustainable as well as too physically difficult to manage. The younger generation will simply stop working with reindeer, and the Sami will lose their defining way of life.