Adaptation Policy and Practice in Nunavik (J

Ouranos’ Northern Environment Program

ROBERT SIRON

In collaboration with STÉPHANIE BLEAU and REBECCA HENNIGS

Kuujjuaq April 19, 2018 OURANOS’ SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMS

VULNERABILITIES, IMPACTS & ADAPTATION CLIMATE SCIENCES PRESENTATION OUTLINE

 Northern Environment program  Objectives and priorities 2014-2019  Ongoing projects  Examples of cross-cutting projects  The status of adaptation to climate change  CC and science education in high schools  Conclusion NORTHERN CHALLENGES IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE OURANOS’ NORTHERN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM (2014 - 2019)

Ecosystem integrity, cultural & natural Foster Identify and heritage knowledge prioritize transfer to insufficiently Sustainable infrastructure stakeholders covered issues

Population health & security Improve Support understanding decision-making of climate processes change and Economic activities adaptation

Climate risks in Food security and authorization processes resource management ONGOING PROJECTS (2017-2018)

ECOSYSTEM INTEGRITY  Climate change and the tundra of Nunavik: exposure, sensitivity and vulnerability (D. Berteaux /UQAR)  Mapping the impacts of climate change on salmonid habitat in Northern lakes of Quebec (Y. Gratton /INRS) Identifying vulnerable wetland ecosystems and plants of Eeyou Istchee James bay to CC (N. Fenton /UQAT)

POPULATION HEALTH & SECURITY Climate change and traditional food security in northern Quebec (M. Humphries /McGill) Modelling the future of arctic fox rabies dynamics and associated risk management (P. Leighton /UdeM)

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE Quantitative risk of linear infrastructure on permafrost (ARQULUK Program) (G. Doré /U. Laval

CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AVATIVUT : Environmental monitoring and science education in Nunavik’s schools (E. Lévesque /UQTR)  Adaptation policy and practice in Nunavik (J. Ford /McGill)

Photo: Arquluk homepage Example of a cross-cutting project : ADAPTATION POLICY AND PRACTICE IN NUNAVIK (1) (J. Ford /McGill ; 2016-2017)

 Create an adaptation baseline, i.e. reference point to understand the state of CC adaptation in Nunavik

 Evaluate adaptation readiness, i.e. engagement, funding, etc.

 Allow comparisons (same studies in Nunavut, Nunatsiavut)

 Measure and asses adaptation progress and adequacy to inform adaptation strategy and fill the gaps Example of a cross-cutting project : ADAPTATION POLICY AND PRACTICE IN NUNAVIK (2) (J. Ford /McGill ; 2016-2017)

• Systematic review of information publically available on CC adaptation • Sources : scientific literature (articles), grey literature (reports, web sites, professional associations, networks) and interviews with key representatives • 675 discrete adaptation initiatives (2010 – 2017)

Assessment and rating of 7 readiness factors that are necessary for adaptation to occur 

Use of interviews and ratings to find key linkages and barriers Example of a cross-cutting project : ADAPTATION POLICY AND PRACTICE IN NUNAVIK (3) (J. Ford /McGill ; 2016-2017)

HOW ?  60 % ground-work • Research & monitoring • Capacity building • Risk assessments

• Resource planning 27% Complete (finished)

Complete (ongoing)  40 % action 39% Indeterminate

• Policy initiatives Partially complete • Information sharing Planned 16% • Practice and behaviour Recommended

9% 3% 6%

Adaptation initiative status

Source: Shah and King (2017). State of Knowledge and Gap Analysis on Climate Change Adaptation in Nunavik, Ouranos Report to INAC. Example of a cross-cutting project : ADAPTATION POLICY AND PRACTICE IN NUNAVIK (4) (J. Ford /McGill ; 2016-2017)

WHERE ?

• Majority of initiatives implemented at national level • A quarter implemented at regional and community levels

Adaptation initiatives by community

160 2012: End of IPY 2007-2008 End of QC CCAP 2006-2012 Start of QC CCAP 2013-2020 WHEN ? 140

120

100 IPY

----March 31, 2017

Number Initiatives of Number 60

0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Gray Peer-reviewed Reporting Year

Number of discrete adaptation initiatives published by year (n=675)

WHO ?

• 60% initiatives involve Business & Economy 8% several stakeholders 3% Culture & Education 26% • 25% included traditional Health & Wellbeing knowledge 17% Hunting & Subsistence Harvesting • 3 most active sectors (63%) Indeterminate

7% Institutional & Resource 16% Management 3% Intersectoral

20% Infrastructure & Transportation

Sectors involved in adaptation initiatives

Source: Shah and King (2017). State of Knowledge and Gap Analysis on Climate Change Adaptation in Nunavik, Ouranos Report to INAC. Example of a cross-cutting project: AVATIVUT: ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND SCIENCE EDUCATION IN NUNAVIK’S SCHOOLS (E. Lévesque /UQTR with Kativik Llisarniliriniq, INRS-ETE and CEN /U. Laval)

 To raise interest among students in natural sciences  To contribute to building a long-term monitoring database on impacts of CC

 1300 high school students in the 14 villages of Nunavik

 Integrated into the S&T classes and adapted to Inuit culture and northern environment

 Network of permanent plots and monitoring stations

 Modules on ice, snow, permafrost and berry production

 Bidirectional dialogue between different knowledge systems and generations

 Improve awareness among residents of CC impacts

www.cen.ulaval.ca/avativut/ MINE RAGLAN CONCLUSION

What is coming up…  2018-2019: Continue to work on program priorities and less covered topics focussing on solutions rather than problems  Program renewal to prepare the next phase (2019-2024), in collaboration with our partners (Ouranos program committees)  New syntheses of knowledge on CC in 2019–2020: NRCan and Ouranos (Quebec-focus); with chapters on the North CONCLUSION

What we have learned  Need for more collaboration between all actors: i.e. working together and for each other i.e., codesign of projects on impacts and adaptation… Making results more accessible to all !  Traditional knowledge (IQ) and Science: We need both systems to get the «big picture» on CC Observations and projections, past/present and future climate, adaptation at individual, local, regional scales Merci ! Nakurmik Thank you

[email protected] www.ouranos.ca www.ouranos.ca/en/program/northern-environment/