Climate change, water, and human health research in the Arctic

•Arctic climate-water-health research has increased over time, but remains nascent.•Most research considering climate change took place in rural and/or remote locales.•The majority of climate-focused articles discussed waterborne infections.•Research examining climate-water-health adaptation was rare.•No articles quantitatively projected climate change impacts on drinking water. We reviewed the nature, range, and extent of literature on drinking water and human health outcomes in the context of climate change in the Circumpolar North. We used a systematic process to identify and synthesize articles. While the number of climate-water-health articles increased recently, this topic remains under-studied despite the transformational changes that the Circumpolar North has already experienced due to climate change. Of the climate-focused articles, most considered climate change to a major extent and discussed waterborne infections. Research examining and evaluating adaptation options and future impacts at the climate-water-health nexus is absent in the Circumpolar North. Responding to this research gap should become a top priority for research, given the urgent need for this evidence to inform climate change policies, actions, and interventions.