Mile after mile of storm-felled trees. And under the trees: Mile after mile of ruined fences and paddocks. Storm Hans hit Västerbotten hard.
Malå Samiby estimates that the cost of restoring the damaged fences and reindeer pens is between SEK 5 and 10 million. Almost twice as much as the Sami village normally turns over in a year.
– It will be like rebuilding all facilities twice over because you first have to clear away trees and clean away all material that cannot be used, says reindeer owner Jörgen Stenberg, Malå Sami village.
Hoping for disaster support
According to the Sami village, there is no insurance on the market that covers this type of damage. The reindeer herders now face a financial and practical challenge that they have never experienced before.
Now the reindeer owners hope that some form of regional or national disaster support will become available.
Another serious concern plaguing the reindeer herders is the health of the reindeer. Storm Hans resulted not only in destroyed reindeer herds, but also in the disappearance of vital shade for the reindeer over large areas.
Reindeer are sensitive to temperature changes and need protection from the sun’s rays during the warmer months. With the forest now blown away in some areas, the risk of heat stress and other health problems for the reindeer increases. This presents an additional challenge that the reindeer owners have to tackle.
Can’t cool down
– When there have been hot summers, there are effects on the slaughter weights of the reindeer calves, and now when even more areas that could provide coolness disappear, it becomes very worrying, says Jörgen Stenberg.
According to experts who have followed developments in the area for several years, the consequences of the storm Hans are exceptional for Malå Sami village. It’s a reminder of how our climate is becoming increasingly unpredictable and how natural disasters can cripple communities and industries in an instant.
– The reindeer and reindeer husbandry use the entire landscape, so in some way it becomes a sum of all the effects, says Per Sandström Associate Professor in forest resource management at SLU.
For the reindeer herders in Malå Samiby and other affected communities, an enormous amount of work awaits to restore and put the situation in order.
– To be honest, I don’t know where to start, says reindeer owner Jörgen Stenberg.