Erosion is a big problem in Wainwright. The Chukchi Sea has since 1964 gnawed off 31 metres of the shoreline in some places. The Olgoonik corporation who own the lands around Wainwright are now planning to build a sea defence wall to protect the village from being washed out into the sea. "The seawall will protect prominent houses and millions of dollars of sewer system," says surveyor Gavin Eischens from the Ukpiageik Corperation. As the sea ice retreats, the coastline is losing its protective barrier. "The coastal villages are getting hammered from winter storms," adds Eischens. Other climate related factors causing the erosion are rising sea level and melting permafrost.