This Norwegian village is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth. How can its people save it?

The Guardian UK Wednesday 21 October 2026, 06:00 UTC By Karen McVeigh in Longyearbyen, Norway 1 min read

Key Points

As glaciers melt and permafrost thaws, Longyearbyen, on the remote Arctic islands of Svalbard, faces climate-induced problems from tap water to housebuilding to landslides• Heavy metals make Norwegian village’s tap water toxicOn a rugged mountain plateau of snow-dusted rocks, in the remote archipelago of Svalbard, a glaciologist, Andy Hodson, points out the “ears” of ice, white against the rock, that gave Foxfonna glacier its name, after the arctic fox. The small glacier, on a mountain 8...

As glaciers melt and permafrost thaws, Longyearbyen, on the remote Arctic islands of Svalbard, faces climate-induced problems from tap water to housebuilding to landslides

• Heavy metals make Norwegian village’s tap water toxic

On a rugged mountain plateau of snow-dusted rocks, in the remote archipelago of Svalbard, a glaciologist, Andy Hodson, points out the “ears” of ice, white against the rock, that gave Foxfonna glacier its name, after the arctic fox.

The small glacier, on a mountain 8 miles (15km) outside the Norwegian village of Longyearbyen, is a popular summer hike for tourists who come here seeking the Arctic experience.

Norwegian (ORG) Earth (LOCATION) Longyearbyen (ORG) Arctic (LOCATION) Svalbard (LOCATION) landslides• Heavy (ORG) Andy Hodson (PERSON) Foxfonna (ORG) the arctic fox (ORG)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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This Norwegian village is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth. How can its people save it?

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