India, Sept. 7 -- A new study warns that melting Arctic permafrost could inflict $261 billion in infrastructure damage by mid-century, more than double earlier estimates.

Using satellite imagery, deep learning and ArcticDEM elevation data, researchers mapped multi-storey buildings in 3D, revealing far higher rebuilding costs, especially in Soviet-era Siberian apartment blocks, and underscoring urgent adaptation needs for vulnerable Arctic communities.

Melting permafrost in the Arctic could cause infrastructure damages worth $261 billion by the middle of the 21st century, according to a new study. This is more than double the previous estimate ($110 billion).

This estimate is especially relevant for Siberian communities as the erstwhile...