Jess SVANE - Mayor of Ilulissat

Ilulissat - Latitude 69 13 NR - Longitude 051 06 W

5000 inhabitants

Remarks collected in September 2009

One of the greatest problems in Greenland of today is the communication between the eight big cities, and the 42 villages distributed on the coast of Greenland. For including/understanding well, it should be known that our littoral extends on 44.000 kilometers, which is colossal. When well even, we all are Greenlandic, we have different languages, different cultures, and different waitings. In the more traditional North-West, one finds more hunters. In more industrial south-west, fisheries, tourism, and even agriculture there is begun. According to a model established originally by Denmark, the abundant services for each village are identical, whereas the needs are actually different. Our transportation routes are exclusively maritime and air, and we do not have the facilities of displacement which you have in Europe. The problems are thus multiple and to solve them it is necessary for us to communicate.

It is a modern idea which of speaking about climate changes, for my part, they always existed. Now, with modern instruments, one measures of them best the width and the variations. Concerning the glacier of Ilulissat, it is true that its face moved back forever as much, more than fifteen kilometers since 2001. This glacier, one of most active in the world, is under high surveillance.

We note a concentration of the population on the big cities. That is of nothing a deliberate choice authorities. These displacements are done for reasons practical, mainly economic, or for reasons of education. Teaching is better in the large ones, the families can be tried to follow their children and to settle there. But one should not generalize. In the small villages, the inhabitants built their house, and invested their economies. Without transferee, because the demand is very low, it will be difficult for them to invest once again for a house downtown. For these reasons and well of others, the maintenance of small communities is always of topicality. Some see even their population growing, whereas for others they decrease. That depends on the dynamism of each community. Some seek solutions via tourism the following the example of Oqaatsut, or Ilamnaq by organizing visits of fisheries, and product sales buildings or by the installation of a restaurant.

Greenland is a country difficult to live. But the generations which have lived it for thousand years thwarted many difficulties. It will be always thus. People are satisfied with living here, they are open and generous, and like to share their nature with people besides.