Ancient Eskimo artefacts saved from slipping into the sea

Villagers living in the Somerset levels who have been inundated with floodwaters for weeks will be able to sympathise with the difficulties faced by those in the similarly low-lying Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, in Alaska.

Here, rising sea levels, decreased ice cover and melting permafrost have led to rapid erosion. Inhabitants of the delta – an area nearly three times the size of Scotland – are struggling to prevent their roads, airstrips, docks and houses from being lost to the next storm. Scores of villages have made plans to relocate entirely, and have emergency evacuation plans in place.