Leader: David Mate

The aim of this activity is to work with the Government of Nunavut Department of Environment and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) to establish collaborative stakeholder relationships at regional and community levels in Nunavut. These collaborative relationships will guide all ESS scientific assessments conducted by this project in the Arctic, identify a Nunavut case study community to work in, and ensure that ESS information is incorporated into adaptation planning in Nunavut. Stakeholders will be from territorial government, non-government, Inuit and community organizations.

The first phase of this stakeholder engagement began in early December.  On December 6th-8th 2006 the Government of Nunavut hosted a 3-day workshop titled Adaptation Action in Arctic Communities with support from the Project and C-CIARN Coastal Zone.  The workshop brought together over 50 stakeholders interested in regional and community climate change planning and decision-making in Arctic communities to:

• Mainstream adaptation into community planning and decision-making
  
  
• Incorporate local knowledge and scientific research into community adaptation planning
  
  
• Raise awareness of adaptation options and existing adaptation tools
  
  
• Discuss options of energy management and energy sources as opportunities for successful adaptation planning
  
  
• Provide input into the development of a Nunavut Adaptation Plan

For detailed information about this activity please contact the activity leader.

Leader: Fuqun Zhou

The first phase of this activity will see the completion of a spatio-temporal assessment of the risk of communities in the Northwest Territories to climate-induced permafrost degradation and the associated costs/benefits of adaptation.  In years 2 and 3 emphasis will shift to support surficial geology mapping around a Nunavut case study community identified through project level stakeholder processes.  This mapping is to provide baseline information to help assess areas of stable and unstable land and useful for land use and infrastructure planning.

Top of page

Leader: Paul Budkewitsch

Due to permafrost, groundwater is not a possible source of freshwater, thus special conditions exist in the north that make freshwater vulnerable to changes in the environment, such as changes in precipitation rates and stability of the natural ecosystem of the catchment basin. This activity will be undertaken in a Nunavut community identified through project level stakeholder processes within the territory.  The aim is to examine general risks to potable freshwater supply from lakes achieved by qualitative and quantitative mapping of key watersheds in the local community.

Some of the aspects being examined include:

• Precise determination of the catchment basin using up to date high-resolution satellite data and new terrain elevation models.
  
  
• Reservoir volume calculations using bathymetry data from water depth soundings derived from easy to use, inexpensive technologies.
  
  
• Environmental factors affecting the surface water budget.
  
  
• Qualitative land cover characteristics for monitoring and protection against contamination.
  
  
• Development of community and watershed image maps and communication material.

Top of page

Leader: Wenjun Chen

The aim of this activity is to contribute ESS expertise on vegetation mapping to help assess impacts of climate change on freshwater availability and traditional lifestyles in Nunavut communities. While building upon national/regional scale environmental work in the Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation for Key Economic and Natural Environment Sector, this research will be focused on the specific region around a Nunavut community and its watersheds. Community selection will be identified through project level stakeholder processes within the territory. Deliverables will include baseline maps, evapotranspiration models, and an assessment report of potential changes in vegetation around the community under various climate change scenarios.

Top of page

Leader: Wenjun Chen

This activity is designed to provide the scientific basis for coastal climate change impacts on Arctic communities. Some aspects of this work will require a broad regional approach (vertical motion, sea level, ice climatology) while other components (coastal erosion, storm surge modelling, permafrost degradation) will be addressed specifically in the vicinity of a Nunavut community identified through project level stakeholder processes and contribute to enhanced understanding and resilience in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. Deliverables will include improved data on relative sea-level change, surveys and analysis of coastal climate change impacts and the transfer of appropriate information to community and territorial decision-makers in order to inform adaptation options. It will also compliment research undertaken within the ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence and specifically ArcticNet Project 1.2.

Top of page