Isabella Miller The Arctic city of Longyearbyen has an odd regulation that prohibits inhabitants from dying because of its particular weather conditions. The rule exists because of an urgent need to protect the environment although it appears to be a joke. The town requires its residents to follow strict rules about who can live there and who can die there because of the extreme Arctic conditions which protect the health and safety of its tiny community.
The Spanish Flu Discovery
Scientists exhumed remains of 1918 from town gravesites during the late 1990s. The Spanish Flu virus remained alive inside the remains according to the research findings. The discovery demonstrated that ancient harmful diseases would spread into the atmosphere once the permafrost began to melt.
No More Burials
The graveyard has been off-limits for new burials for residents since 70 years ago. Longyearbyen currently forbids people from being buried within its boundaries. Residents who have spent their entire lives there cannot be buried in the town’s frozen earth.
The Duty to Relocate
Residents at the end of life need to go to hospitals, which send terminal patients to the Norwegian mainland. People must spend their final time in facilities that provide both end-of-life medical treatment and burial services according to the law.
No Births Allowed Either
The town lacks death facilities since it also has no space for births. Pregnant women in the town must travel to the mainland three weeks before their delivery date because the town has no medical facilities for their needs.
No Welfare System
Longyearbyen residents require the ability to cover their own living expenses. The city lacks nursing homes and facilities that support elderly people. People who lose their ability to work and need help must return to the mainland according to government rules.
The Polar Bear Threat
Death represents both a legal challenge and a physical danger that people face. The population of Svalbard contains more polar bears than it has human inhabitants. Town laws mandate that all residents must carry guns when they exit the city limits for their own safety.
Extreme Weather Isolation
The town remains completely dark during the two months of total darkness found in the Polar Night period. Rescue flights face storm conditions which make them impossible to operate during emergencies. The town needs to keep all its sick and elderly residents because of both medical requirements and isolation.
Cremation is the Exception
People can secure a burial spot in the town by choosing cremation as their method of death. Families usually prefer to store their ashes in mainland locations because obtaining a special permit for cremated remains requires a complex process.
A Town of the Young
Longyearbyen maintains its low average age because of its existing regulations. The community consists mainly of researchers and miners plus tourism workers who will stay until they reach advanced age.
The Global Seed Vault
The Doomsday Seed Vault exists in the most secure location on Earth because of its frozen ground which prevents all seeds from decomposing. The facility maintains over 1 million seeds because the natural cold conditions will preserve seed viability even during power outages.
