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Climate Change in the Canadian Arctic

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Climate Change in the Canadian Arctic CClimatelimate ChangeChange inin thethe CanadianCanadian Arctic:Arctic: AA CommunityCommunity ApproachApproach LeslieLeslie WhitbyWhitby IndianIndian andand NorthernNorthern AffairsAffairs CanadaCanada The North is unique in the Canadian federation... •• 40% of the country's land mass but only .03% of Canada's population (100,000 people) • more than half the overall population is Aboriginal, made up of First Nation, Inuit and Metis peoples • a significant proportion of the Aboriginal population lives in small, isolated communities (about 60, mostly off grid) • robust, yet vulnerable environment with 10% of the world’s fresh water supply • world class non-renewable resource potential • part of an increasingly important international circumpolar community ComplexComplex OperatingOperating EnvironmentEnvironment •• EvolvingEvolving governancegovernance structurestructure •• LandLand claimsclaims andand selfself governmentgovernment agreementsagreements •• DevolutionDevolution ofof federalfederal responsibilitiesresponsibilities toto territorialterritorial governmentsgovernments •• GovernmentGovernment toto GovernmentGovernment toto GovernmentGovernment relationshipsrelationships •• BasisBasis forfor changechange isis atat thethe communitycommunity level,level, integratingintegrating thethe responsibilitiesresponsibilities forfor allall levelslevels ofof governmentgovernment •• FocusFocus ofof climateclimate changechange workwork isis atat thethe communitycommunity level,level, influencinginfluencing thethe dailydaily decisionsdecisions ofof membersmembers TheThe NorthNorth hashas aa strongstrong politicalpolitical commitmentcommitment fromfrom thisthis governmentgovernment •• CommitmentCommitment toto thethe KyotoKyoto AccordAccord onon climateclimate changechange ........ willwill (b(be)e) byby refiningrefining andand implementingimplementing anan equitableequitable nationalnational plan,plan, inin partnershippartnership withwith provincialprovincial andand territorialterritorial governmentsgovernments andand otheotherr stakeholders.stakeholders. (SFT(SFT OctOct 5)5) •• AsAs aa government,government, wewe willwill workwork withwith thethe territoriesterritories andand AboriginalAboriginal groupsgroups toto furtherfurther developdevelop thethe economyeconomy ofof thethe NorthNorth ---- andand wewe willwill dodo soso inin aa wayway thatthat sustainssustains thethe environmentenvironment andand benefitsbenefits thethe peoplpeople.e. (Response(Response to to the the SFT SFT Prime Prime Minister Minister October October 6) 6) •• TheThe GovernmentGovernment willwill developdevelop aa comprehensivecomprehensive strategystrategy forfor thethe NorthNorth thatthat willwill protectprotect thethe northernnorthern environment.environment. ......This......This uniuniqueque ecosystemecosystem isis alreadyalready damageddamaged byby climateclimate change.change. WeWe needneed toto workwork withwith territorialterritorial governmentsgovernments andand withwith NorthernersNortherners andand AboriginalAboriginals.s. ((MinisterMinister DionDionOctoberOctober 19) 19) •• CommitmentCommitment ofof PMPM toto thethe AboriginalAboriginal RoundtableRoundtable toto workwork withwith them,them, atat thethe start,start, onon anyany policypolicy issueissue thatthat affectsaffects theirtheir livelives.s. (April(April 2004)2004) InIn thethe 19901990’’s,s, emergingemerging evidenceevidence suggestedsuggested thatthat thethe ArcticArctic climateclimate appearedappeared toto bebe changingchanging •• LargeLarge reductionsreductions inin seasea iceice andand glacierglacier volume,volume, •• IncreasesIncreases inin riverriver runoffrunoff andand seasea level,level, •• IncreasesIncreases inin surfacesurface andand oceanicoceanic temperatures,temperatures, •• IncreasesIncreases inin precipitation,precipitation, •• ThawingThawing ofof permafrost,permafrost, •• ShiftsShifts inin thethe rangesranges ofof plantplant andand animalanimal species,species, andand •• ImpactsImpacts onon thethe residentsresidents ofof thethe circumpolarcircumpolar ArcticArctic region.region. ArcticArctic CouncilCouncil initiatedinitiated thethe ArcticArctic ClimateClimate ImpactImpact AssessmentAssessment ToTo AddressAddress FourFour BasicBasic Questions:Questions: •• WhatWhat areare thethe pastpast andand presentpresent indicatorsindicators ofof changeschanges inin climateclimate andand ultravioletultraviolet radiation?radiation? •• WhatWhat areare thethe possiblepossible changeschanges inin thethe future?future? •• WhatWhat areare thethe possiblepossible impactsimpacts duedue toto changeschanges inin climateclimate andand UVUV inin thethe future?future? •• WhatWhat recommendedrecommended policypolicy actionsactions andand copingcoping strategiesstrategies shouldshould bebe consideredconsidered byby thethe ArcticArctic NationsNations andand Peoples?Peoples? TraditionalTraditional KnowledgeKnowledge •• KnowledgeKnowledge developeddeveloped byby AboriginalAboriginal peoples,peoples, basedbased onon theirtheir adaptationsadaptations toto climate,climate, environmentenvironment andand cultureculture andand passedpassed fromfrom generationgeneration toto generation,generation, mostlymostly orallyorally •• SharesShares thethe samesame principlesprinciples asas westernwestern science:science: Predictable,Predictable, reproducible,reproducible, reflectsreflects thethe valuesvalues ofof thethe communitycommunity andand takestakes resourcesresources toto documentdocument •• KnowledgeKnowledge heldheld byby thethe communitycommunity andand accessibleaccessible toto thethe communitycommunity ACIAACIA TheThe OverviewOverview ArcticArctic climateclimate isis warmingwarming rapidlyrapidly nownow Document Document 11 andand muchmuch largerlarger changeschanges areare projectedprojected identifiesidentifies tenten keykey findingsfindings thatthat SummarizeSummarize thethe keykey ArcticArctic warmingwarming andand itsits consequencesconsequences consequencesconsequences ofof 22 havehave worldwideworldwide implicationsimplications climateclimate changechange forfor thethe entireentire ArcticArctic regionregion ArcticArctic vegetationvegetation zoneszones areare projectedprojected toto 33 shift,shift, bringingbringing widewide--rangingranging impactsimpacts AnimalAnimal speciesspecies’’ diversity,diversity, ranges,ranges, andand 44 distributionsdistributions willwill change,change, somesome dramaticallydramatically ManyMany coastalcoastal communitiescommunities andand facilitiesfacilities 55 faceface increasingincreasing exposureexposure toto stormsstorms KeyKey FindingsFindings Reduced sea ice is very likely to Reduced sea ice is very likely to (Continued)(Continued) 66 increaseincrease marinemarine transporttransport andand accessaccess toto resourcesresources ThawingThawing groundground willwill disruptdisrupt 77 transportation,transportation, buildings,buildings, andand otherother infrastructureinfrastructure IndigenousIndigenous communitiescommunities areare facingfacing 88 majormajor economiceconomic andand culturalcultural impactsimpacts ElevatedElevated ultravioletultraviolet radiationradiation levelslevels willwill 99 affectaffect people,people, plants,plants, andand animalsanimals MultipleMultiple influencesinfluences interactinteract toto causecause 1010 impactsimpacts toto peoplepeople andand ecosystemsecosystems TheThe ImpactsImpacts imposedimposed byby aa changingchanging climateclimate areare reallyreally allall about:about: WhatWhat doesdoes thisthis meanmean toto thethe CanadianCanadian ArcticArctic CommunitiesCommunities •• CommunitiesCommunities areare sparselysparsely populatedpopulated andand spreadspread acrossacross thethe land,land, locatedlocated nearnear majormajor waterwayswaterways oror thethe arcticarctic oceanocean costcost •• MostMost areare remoteremote andand generategenerate powerpower fromfrom dieseldiesel facilities,facilities, transportingtransporting fuelfuel overover winterwinter roadsroads oror seasea route.route. •• FuelFuel costscosts areare increasing,increasing, reducingreducing thethe resiliencyresiliency ofof communitiescommunities andand willwill continuecontinue toto increaseincrease •• EmissionsEmissions lowlow butbut highesthighest perper capita,capita, butbut committedcommitted toto leadershipleadership andand communitycommunity interestinterest •• NewNew aspectaspect isis adaptationsadaptations –– communitycommunity infrastructure,infrastructure, traditionaltraditional foods,foods, societysociety andand culture,culture, northernnorthern economyeconomy ProgramProgram PrinciplesPrinciples •• WorkWork throughthrough communitycommunity structuresstructures andand governancegovernance systemssystems toto engageengage communitiescommunities andand supportsupport theirtheir decisiondecision makingmaking processesprocesses •• RespectRespect forfor diversity,diversity, governancegovernance andand agreementsagreements •• SupportSupport keykey decisiondecision makersmakers withwith concrete,concrete, culturallyculturally significantsignificant informationinformation •• GovernmentGovernment toto governmentgovernment relationshiprelationship •• AccessAccess toto allall federalfederal programsprograms inin coordinatedcoordinated fashionfashion •• IdentifyIdentify andand workwork withwith emergingemerging leadersleaders andand successfulsuccessful initiativesinitiatives •• BuildBuild capacitycapacity ofof communitiescommunities oror thirdthird partyparty AboriginalAboriginal technicaltechnical organizationsorganizations –– PathfindersPathfinders andand studentstudent
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