People in Iceland have adapted to exist in these extreme environments. Towns face earthquakes and avalanches, and some are even next to active volcanoes. Fishing is a huge industry, but the sea can be rough and dangerous, even to the most experienced fishermen.
In Iceland, there is a debate over conservation vs. exploitation. Tourism is a great example of this. How many tourists can an environment take before damage occurs? In Iceland, hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people travel to Iceland each year to experience the amazing environment. However, large amounts of tourists can damage fragile ecosystems, such as the moss that covers the lava fields in Iceland. Other issues of concern include daming rivers to make powerplants for energy and having too much heavy industry that could pollute the environment.
To survive in some of Iceland's extreme environments, people have come to adapt. Towns build avalanche walls to protect themselves, and teams of researchers manage seismic activity (to predict earthquakes or volcanic eruptions). Since so many people work on boats in Iceland, every town in Iceland is required to have a swimming pool so that everyone can learn how to swim, too!
